"Mount her quickly, slaves!" called Amelia from below. "Force her to walk the plank instantly!"
There had been a stepladder set up against the first horizontal bar set, right at the end of the plank. Nan saw that the mattresses were all in place and that a fall from the plank would only be about three feet. Such a fall was not likely to be serious, and to girls used to athletic drill it seemed a mere nothing. And yet—
"Come on!" commanded Laura, half lifting Rhoda up the stepladder.
"Careful, Laura!" whispered Nan. "If she should fall—"
"Then she will escape drowning," said the red-haired girl, coolly and aloud.
"Fudge!" muttered the victim, who seemed in a very much disgusted mood.
"Beseemeth the candidate is not sufficiently impressed by her situation," hissed Laura.
She and Nan had scrambled up the steps with the blindfolded Rhoda.
There was a cross-plank which gave the three uncertain footing.
"Oh, look out!" gasped Nan, wavering herself upon the edge of the plank.
"Hey! We don't want to have to raise the 'man overboard' cry just yet," grumbled Laura. "Easy there, Nancy!"