“Aboard the lighter!” he yelled. “What’s the trouble?”
“Everything,” was the quick answer. “Hurry up if you want to save me. They’re all over the deck.”
“What is?” demanded Andy.
“Snakes and monkeys. They broke out of their cages and they’re raising hob! Come on! Come on! Never again will I lighter a cargo of livestock of this kind! Hurry, boys! Hurry!”
“Snakes and monkeys!” murmured Andy. “I should say it was a lively cargo! How in blazes are we going to save him? I don’t want fifteen feet of anaconda or boa constrictor aboard us!”
“We’ve got to do something for him,” decided Frank with a grim tightening of his lips. “Stand by, I’m going to head up in to the wind. Then we’ll lower the small boat and see what we can do.”
CHAPTER VIII
ANDY IS CAUGHT
The lighter had been slowly moving ahead, but not under the influence of her sail, for the main sheet was free and the piece of canvas was idly flapping in the wind. Consequently the boys had no difficulty in coming up to her in their boat. Now they were ready to lower the small craft they carried slung on davits at the stern. This was a new addition to the Gull, put in place since the rescue of Paul Gale, for the brothers thought they might need it if they chanced to sight the wreck of the motor boat. Now it was likely to come in useful.
“Lower your sail,” called Andy to Frank. “Then we can leave the Gull to drift while we pull over and see what’s up.”
The canvas came down on the run, and then Frank assisted his brother in lowering the small boat.