“But you need not treat them roughly,” said Denis. “You could sling them with your ropes and tackle into the boat.”
“Yes, you could,” said the skipper; “but they wouldn’t let you.”
“Oh, they would,” said Denis.
“Well, sir,” said the skipper, “you wait and see.”
Chapter Seven.
Only a boy.
The rough old skipper was right, for after getting in as close as he could, the vessel took the ground, and some time was spent in hailing and getting a large flat barge close alongside to the open gangway.
A big spar with its blocks and tackle was run out, and proceedings were commenced with the men for slinging the horses off the deck and lowering them down; but everything was of the roughest kind and perfectly unsuitable, while the horses, which were recovering fast from their stormy journey, grew more and more restless, and after several attempts with the King’s charger, which was to be the first, it resented the handling of the men, lashed out, and then began to rear, proving in a short time that disaster must follow the attempt, for plainly enough, if the horse began to struggle when raised from the deck, it would free itself from the badly fitted on ropes and be seriously damaged and maimed before being finally lowered down.