After they were cooked it would not be easy to say which was which: he might possibly be given one of the smaller ones instead of his own.

He took out his pocket knife and cut off the tail of the large bloater.
''Ere it is, then,' he said to Bert.

'I've cut the tail of mine so as you'll know which it is.' It was now about twenty minutes past seven and all the other men having been started at work, Crass washed his hands under the tap.

Then he went into the kitchen and having rigged up a seat by taking two of the drawers out of the dresser and placing them on the floor about six feet apart and laying a plank across, he sat down in front of the fire, which was now burning brightly under the pail, and, lighting his pipe, began to smoke.

The boy went into the scullery and began washing up the cups and jars for the men to drink out of.
Bert was a lean, undersized boy about fifteen years of age and about four feet nine inches in height.