Freddie went up the back part of a pile, some distance away from the bundles of shingles where he had been talking to James.
"This is an easy place to climb," Freddie said to himself. "I hope I shall find what I want on top."
Step by step he went up the pile of lumber, until he was at the top. But, to his disappointment, he found there nothing which he could bring James to use in making a small ship. The boards were all too long and wide.
"I might bring one down, and have James cut it smaller with his knife," said Freddie, speaking aloud. "That's what I'll do."
He lifted up one of the boards. As he did so the little boy noticed that the pile of lumber was swaying a little from side to side as he moved about.
"I guess I'd better get down off here," Freddie said. "This is too jiggily." He had been told to keep off "jiggily" lumber piles, as they were not safe.
Freddie dragged to the edge the board he had picked out for the watchman to make smaller. The little boy was just going to slide it over the edge of the pile to the ground, when, all at once Freddie felt himself falling.
"Oh dear!" he cried. "Something is going to happen!"
And something did happen. The lumber pile with Freddie on top, was falling over. Freddie did not know what to do; whether or not to jump. He looked down, but neither James nor any other man was in sight; and the office, where Freddie's father was working, was far on the other side of the yard.