He was a large-limbed man with a permanent slouch and a red and sullen countenance that very faithfully bore witness to his habits.

He stood and regarded Nick with a fixed and somewhat aggressive stare.
"Where's the missis ?" he said.
"That's just what I want to know," said Nick.
Briggs uttered an uneasy guffaw as if he suspected the existence of a joke that had somewhat eluded him.

His eyes rolled upward to Olga, and back to Nick.
"Well, she ain't 'ere seemin'ly," he remarked.
"Don't you know where she is ?" demanded Nick.
Briggs grinned foolishly.

"That's tellin'!" he observed facetiously.
Nick turned from him.

"Come along, Olga! They are not here evidently.
It's no use trying to get any sense out of this drunken beast." "But, Nick--" said Olga in distress.
"We will go down to the shore," he said.