“That will keep the lumber from bouncing around when we go to work down there,” said Jim. “But say, suppose it was only a rat that we heard!”
“It could hardly be that,” Terry answered. “A rat could never make a pounding like that. We’ll just have to go to it and shift that lumber.”
Once more they descended into the hold and looked for pegs to hang up the lanterns. Finding convenient nails hanging from crossbeams they hung the lamps and looked over the tangle of lumber.
“Let see how this works,” suggested Don. Cupping his hands he called: “Hello! Anybody in this place?”
Almost immediately the thumping came to them from beneath the lumber. The boys looked at each other.
“Somebody is under there, sure as I’m standing here,” said Jim.
“Yes, that’s sure,” nodded Don, stooping over the first piece of lumber. “Let’s get going.”
He dragged one board toward him and Jim quickly took hold of the other end. Between them they swung it to one side and began the base of an orderly pile. Terry had started another and they swung that up.
“It is going to take us some time,” said Don. “But we can do it if we’re careful of the way we pile it.”
The lumber had been originally piled in orderly stacks, but a lack of proper bracing had allowed it to fall, probably under the pitching and rolling of the freighter. It had evidently been tossed around like match sticks, for it was badly tangled, and the boys found some difficulty in getting hold of some of the pieces. Fortunately for them there was enough room to one side to pile the pieces up neatly, and they worked rapidly and silently, realizing that it was necessary to save breath.