It was the voice of the first mate, hoarse with anger and it made me wince as from a blow.
“All right, sir,” I said, and made a desperate effort to go still higher. But, unfortunately, my right foot lost its hold upon the rope-ladder, and, in trying to swing it back my left foot also let go, and there I hung by my hands alone, unable to recover my footing, and certain that I should be dashed to death on the deck if my grasp failed, but luckily for me the first mate saw my danger.
“Look out for that youngster by the maintop there,” he shouted, for I was swaying with the pitching of the ship. “Look slippy, or he’ll drop.”
Hans, who was nearest to me sprang to the maintop, and sliding down through the lubber’s hole he reached out and caught me, drew me back into the shroud, so that I was once more able to get my feet upon the ropes.
“Here, give us hold of your hand,” he said, “and get up through the lubber’s hole, if you don’t know any better than that, it’s time you did.”
I was too glad at being safe to mind the contempt with which Hans had spoken to me, so I crawled up through the hole of the main-top provided for such emergencies. Hans went back to his place on the yard. As I watched the big square sail being clewed up according to Mr. McLean’s orders, I wondered how long it would take me to become so expert. When this was done and we returned to the deck, I followed, and would gladly have slipped out of sight, for I was vexed with myself at the sorry figure I had made in my first attempt to go up aloft, but no sooner was I on the deck than Mr. McLean called me to him.
“So that’s the way you go up aloft, eh,” he said, “you ought to have brought your nurse with you to sea. You stood a good chance of breaking your neck, what sort of a sailor are you going to make, if you go on like that.”
My blood boiled, although I was still feeling the effects of my fright, but I said nothing, and then he put his hand on my shoulder and said, “my lad, you’ve a lot to learn yet, and the sooner you set about it the better.”
A sudden resolution came into my mind, and, without waiting to think, I went to the main shrouds, and, climbing to the futtock-shrouds, set myself to the task of reaching the main-top in true sailor fashion. My muscles quivered and my breath came in short quick gasps as I leaned once more over that great space below me, but setting my teeth, and breathing a prayer to God to help me, I made another effort, and found to my relief that I had succeeded, and at last I was on the maintop. A glad sense of triumph filled my heart, and following the shrouds with my eyes to where they ended at the main-top-mast head, I determined to reach that too before I went down again.
“I’ll try, anyhow, it’s not as bad as what I have just done.”