“Good heavens!” gasped Frank; “how did you get there?”
“Shure, I fell from the deck.”
“Hold on and I’ll save you.”
“Make haste, or it’s a dead man I am!”
His strength was fast waning, and Frank realized it, but the young inventor was puzzled how to act.
The Irishman was in an awkward position to be reached, but Frank quickly hit upon a plan whereby he might save his friend at a risk to himself.
Rushing into the cage he got a small coil of rope.
Hastily carrying it out on deck, he made one end fast to a cleat and dropped the other end down.
Seizing the rope, Frank slid down, and getting on a level with Barney, he found that a distance of about ten feet separated him from his friend.
“Hurry!” groaned the Celt. “I can’t howld on much longer.”