The Lost Middy Part 23

The poor fellow hung on desperately, but he knew from his symptoms that he could not hold on much longer. The perspiration stood in huge drops all over his face, and they began to run together and trickle down, while now a queer thought flashed across his brain, bringing hope for the moment, but only for his heart to sink lower directly after.

"No, no," he groaned, "I couldn't do it. If I could it'd be just fine; but who's to hang on with his hands and double hisself up enough to take aim with both his wooden pegs at once so that they could go right into that ring and stopper the rope like a cable going through a hawse hole?

"Can't be done, can't be done; but--ahoy there! Dozens on yer hanging about if yer warn't wanted, and now not a lubber within hail. Ahoy there! s.h.i.+p ahoy! Is everyone dead, I say? s.h.i.+p a-a-hoy-y-y-y!" he yelled, in a despairing voice.

"Ahoy there! What's the matter? That you, Tom Bodger?"

"Bodger it is, Master Aleck. Here, quick, or I shall have both my hands off as well as my legs, and you'll have to put me out of my misery then."

"Why, Tom," cried Aleck, wildly. "What ever--oh!"

The lad wasted no more breath, for he grasped the position as soon as he reached the head of the steps.

"Can you hold on a minute?"

"I can't, sir, but my fists will," groaned the man, and then in a hoa.r.s.e whisper--"Rope!"

"I see," cried Aleck, and he ran back a dozen yards along the pier to where he could see a coil of small rope for throwing aboard vessels in rough weather to bring back their looped cables and pa.s.s them over the posts.

He was back again directly, uncoiling it as he came and leaving it trailing, while, end in hand, he reached the top of the steps, went down to where the poor fellow hung on, and shouting out words of encouragement the while, he pa.s.sed a hand down, got hold of the loose painter below Bodger's, and with the quick deft fingers of one used to the sea and the handling of lines he effected a quick firm knotting of the two ropes.

This done, he made for the next ring hanging from the harbour wall, pa.s.sed the fresh rope through, and hauled in all the slack.

"Now, Tom," he cried, "both together--ahoy--ahoy!"

He threw all his strength into the hauling, aided by the man-o'-war's man's last remaining force; no little either, for despair gave the poor fellow a spasmodic kind of power, so that the rope pa.s.sed through the ring and whizzed and quivered, it was so tight. Then another stay was found and a hitch taken twice round that before Aleck fastened off, and, panting heavily, went up a step or two to the a.s.sistance of his humble friend.

"You can let go now, Tom. I have her fast."

"Sure, Master Aleck?"

"Yes, certain. Let go; and mind what you're about, or you'll slip overboard."

"It's all right, sir," said the man, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "I've let go now."

"Nonsense! What are you thinking about? You've got hold tight as ever."

"Nay, I arn't, Master Aleck. I let go when you telled me. I'm on'y leaning agen the rope to keep from going down into the water."

"Why, Tom, what's the matter with you?" cried Aleck, wonderingly, as he placed his hands on his companion's. "I tell you that you're holding on as tight as ever."

"Eh?" said the man, feebly. "No, sir, I arn't; 'strue as goodness I arn't."

"But you are," cried Aleck, angrily, as he now grasped the full misfortune to his boat--not the very full, for he was not aware of the hole in her bottom. "Your fingers are clasped tightly round the rope."

"Are they, sir?"

"Yes."

"'Tarn't my doing then, sir. I hoped and prayed as they might hold on to the last, and I s'pose that's how it is. Ah-h!"

He uttered a low groan, his eyelids dropped, and his fingers suddenly became inert, while it needed all the lad's strength to keep the poor fellow from slipping off the wet steps into the deep water of the harbour.

"Tom," he shouted; "rouse up, lad. Do you hear?" he cried, frantically, as he held the man erect, and then in obedience to a sudden flash of thought forced him back into a sitting position on one of the steps.

"Hah!" he panted. "I couldn't have held you much longer. Hold up, man.

Can't you hear what I say?"

"Eh? Yes, Master Aleck, on'y don't talk so far off like, and--and--tell 'em to leave off ringing them bells in my ears."

Coupled with the loss of the boat, Aleck's first thought was that the man had been indulging in a sailor's weakness and was the worse for rum; but a second glance at the ghastly face below him opened the lad's eyes to the simple truth, and he spoke more gently:

"Feel faint, Tom?"

"Ay, sir, I s'pose it's that. I feel just as I did after that there cannon ball took off my legs. I'm getting better now you've stopped that ringing o' the bells in my ears."

"That's right, Tom."

"But is the boat safe, sir? Don't let her go right down."

"She's safe enough so long as the rope doesn't part."

"Then look at her knots, sir. I did teach yer proper. Don't say as you've tied one as'll slip."

"The rope's all right, Tom."

"Hah!" groaned the man. "Then if you wouldn't mind, sir, just help me up the other steps and lie me down flat on my back for a minute. I feel as if that would set me right."

"Come on, then," said Aleck; "but you must help, or we shall both go overboard."

"I'm a-going to help, sir," said the man, with his voice beginning to grow stronger. "I think I can keep upright on my pegs again if you'll lend me a hand. No, hold hard a minute like, sir; there's no room for two on these bits o' steps. You've got plenty o' slack line, sir?"

"Yes."

"Then pa.s.s the end round under my arms and make fast. Then you go atop and haul, and you can twist the line round a post so as I can't slip."

"Of course," cried Aleck, and following out the poor fellow's instructions he went up to the pier, pa.s.sed the rope round the nearest post, and hauled steadily, while without rising to his feet the poor fellow hitched himself, after a way he had learned, in a sitting position by means of his hands, right on to the pier, where once landed he rolled over with a groan, and fainted dead away.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

It was quite a minute before Tom Bodger opened his eyes again, to lie staring blankly up at the dazzling blue sky. He looked, for a mahogany and red sun-tanned individual, particularly unwholesome and strange with his fixity of expression, and in his anxiety Aleck forbore to speak to him, but watched for the complete return of his senses, wondering the while that so st.u.r.dy a fellow could be affected in a way which he had always understood was peculiar to women.

After staring straight upward for some little time the man began to blink, as if the intense light troubled him. Then his eyes began to roll slowly round, taking a wider and wider circle, till at last they included Aleck in their field of view and remained fixed, staring at him wonderingly.

Aleck's lips parted to ask the natural question, "How are you now?" But before he could utter a word Tom frowned and said, severely:

"What are you up to, my lad?"