But I could not tell him then, or after, how I contrived to catch ‘Ugly’ when he let go his hold; and to this very day, though it is pretty nearly six years or more agone, and many things have happened since even stranger, too, I put down the spontaneous act that prompted me to stretch out my hand in the nick of time and grip him by his waistbelt before it was too late, to the interposition of Providence—an intervention, indeed, not only on his behalf, but on my own, as subsequent events proved, though I will speak of this when the proper time comes.
The instructor, even in his hurry aloft to our assistance, had managed to snatch up on the way a coil of half-inch; and with this he now proceeded, breathing heavily the while from his exertions, to secure ‘Ugly’ temporarily to the ratlines until a whip could be rigged for sending down the still insensible fellow to the deck below.
This was a great relief to me, for it was as much as I could do to support his body, although, as I’ve said, I pressed him against the rigging, the chap weighing over ten stone at least, I should think, as he was a thickset yokel and inclined to be corpulent.
It all happened in a moment, though I seem to take so long telling about it; for, almost before the instructor could take a double turn with his half-inch round ‘Ugly’s’ body and the rigging, half-a-dozen seamen, who had been hailed by the officer of the watch, the grey-haired gunner, had footed it up the ratlines and were in the top fixing a whip and purchase, to which one of the hammocks had been attached.
In this impromptu cradle ‘Ugly’ was let down very carefully and taken to the sick-bay, where, as I was afterwards told, Mr Trimmens the sick-berth steward being my informant, it required the application of the galvanic battery to bring him to, the fright he had undergone, and consequent shock to his system, having been so great!
“You saved his life, though, my lad, let me tell you,” said the instructor to me, when we had followed the rescued boy down, and were again on the safe footing of the deck. “Why, Tom Bowling, that chap ought to be your friend for life after this.”
I could not help shrugging my shoulders, with a grin ‘on the left side of my mouth,’ as sailors say; for, of course, I could not very well explain matters anent our recent fight.
The instructor looked at me inquiringly; and, seeing he expected some sort of a reply from me, I said, “He’ll have to change very much, sir. He and I haven’t been very friendly up to now, sir.”
“Ah!” rejoined the instructor, “that don’t count, my boy. The dearest friend I have in the world at the present time was once my bitterest enemy. He and I fell out about some trifle or other on joining the same ship and never spoke a single word to each other throughout the whole commission, though we were up the Straits at the time, and saw some queer rigs there, I can tell you. We’ve often laughed over it together since, and thought what fools we were.”
“I don’t think, sir,” said I, “that Moses Reeks and I will ever be friends, so far as I can see.”