“Yes.”
“Then pass the end round under my arms and make fast. Then you go atop and haul, and you can twist the line round a post so as I can’t slip.”
“Of course,” cried Aleck, and following out the poor fellow’s instructions he went up to the pier, passed the rope round the nearest post, and hauled steadily, while without rising to his feet the poor fellow hitched himself, after a way he had learned, in a sitting position by means of his hands, right on to the pier, where once landed he rolled over with a groan, and fainted dead away.
Chapter Fourteen.
It was quite a minute before Tom Bodger opened his eyes again, to lie staring blankly up at the dazzling blue sky. He looked, for a mahogany and red sun-tanned individual, particularly unwholesome and strange with his fixity of expression, and in his anxiety Aleck forbore to speak to him, but watched for the complete return of his senses, wondering the while that so sturdy a fellow could be affected in a way which he had always understood was peculiar to women.
After staring straight upward for some little time the man began to blink, as if the intense light troubled him. Then his eyes began to roll slowly round, taking a wider and wider circle, till at last they included Aleck in their field of view and remained fixed, staring at him wonderingly.
Aleck’s lips parted to ask the natural question, “How are you now?” But before he could utter a word Tom frowned and said, severely:
“What are you up to, my lad?”