"If he's overboard, he'll be sucked under and drowned," he groaned. "I wonder if I can see anything of him."
Without a second thought he leaped on the gun and began to crawl out, on hands and knees, as perilous a thing to do, with the vessel going at full speed, as one would care to undertake.
"Come back!" roared Caleb, trying to detain him. "You'll go overboard, too."
At that moment came a cry from below, and looking down the steel side of the Brooklyn, Walter beheld Si clinging to a rope ladder, one of several flung over, to be used in case of emergency. "Si, are you all right?" he called loudly.
"I—reckon—I—I am," came with a pant.
"But I had an awful tumble and the wind is about knocked out o' me." And then Si began to climb up to the deck.
"He's on the ladder and he's all right," shouted Walter, to those still behind the gun. Then a sudden idea struck him. "Hand me another rammer, Stuben."
"Mine cracious! don't you try dot," cried the hose-man. "You vos fall ofer chust like Si."
"Yes, come in here," put in Caleb, and Paul also called upon him to return.
"I'm all right," was the boy's reply. "Give it to me, Stuben." And catching the rammer from the hose-man, Steve Colton passed it forward. "In war we have got to take some risks," he reasoned, as Caleb gave him a severe look.