Pussy is jealous, and, jumping up suddenly, warms both Jacko’s ears for him.
There is no love lost between Muffie and the monkeys. They pull her tail, and tease her so incessantly. Only the cat can take her own part.
One bright moonlight night though, while pussy was sitting on the top of the weather-bulwark forward, waiting for a flying-fish to spring on board, the two monkeys made a sudden spring, and pussy was hurled into the sea.
There would have been no more Muffie to skylark with Teenie or amuse the men had not a sailor at once shouted—
“Man overboard!”
The man at the wheel himself pulled a knob behind him. The beacon life-buoy was lit. He pulled another, and it fell into the sea.
He kept one hand on the wheel all the while, however, to prevent the ship from falling off.
“Man the life-boat!”
She was manned, lowered, and away in less than two minutes.
The captain was the first to rush on deck.