The rain had stopped and the quay was alive with activity. As Paddy drew closer to where the great ocean-going ships were moored, the noise of the docks intensified. Iron steamships with anchors twice the size of a man were being loaded with cargo while crowds of small barefoot children played along the quay. Boys of all ages were working alongside the men. A sandy-headed boy stood crying out warnings in a shrill voice as the great loads of cargo swung on board. Men with their faces black from shovelling coal wiped their streaming eyes on their shirtsleeves, while smartly dressed gentlemen carrying fine leather bags alighted from carriages and strolled up the gangplanks of ships bound for ports all over the world. Paddy wandered up a side alleyway, dazed by all the noise and motion. An old woman sitting in a doorway called out to Paddy. ‘Here, boy, I'll give you a penny if you'll fetch me a pint.’ ‘Of milk?’ asked Paddy. ‘No, boy, porter. Here's a jug for you to put it in and there'll be a penny for you to keep when you get back.’ She gave him directions and Paddy pushed his way through the crowd and handed the woman's jug across the counter of the pub.
What do You think about Becoming Billy Dare (2004)?
