Sam grumbled some unintelligible reply.
“Are you going first, Dan?”
“It makes no difference.”
Dan grasped the swaying rope ladder, known as a “Jacob’s ladder,” and ran up with agility.
“My, the little man must have made a voyage to Africa and taken lessons from the monkeys,” jeered a voice.
“It isn’t necessary to go to Africa to find specimens of that animal,” answered Dan, reaching the lower boom, along which he ran lightly, sprang over the rail and planted his feet on the deck. His first duty was to turn his face toward the stern of the ship and salute the Flag.
By this time Hickey was on his way up the ladder, and in a moment more he awkwardly measured his length on the deck, having caught his toe in the rope railing in scaling it.
The men of the forecastle set up a shout of approval.
“That’s the way to do it, lad! A regular human projectile. We don’t need any torpedoes when you are on board.”
Sam got up, blushing furiously. As he rose a jackie ran his fingers through the shock of red hair.