“Well, you get me one—a real light one. I’ll borrow Moore’s climbing irons, and after laboratory work I’ll have a try at it.”
“Can you climb?” asked Don doubtfully.
“Some,” answered Wayne. “There are spikes in the pole up as far as the crosstree. After that I’ll use the climbing irons as far as I can, and then shin the rest of the way.”
“But I don’t see what you want a boat hook for,” said Dave.
“To get hold of the flag, of course. It’s stuck in the block. If I can get the hook in it I reckon I can pull it free.”
“Oh, I see. Well, you might try.”
“I don’t think we ought to let him try,” said Don anxiously. “It’s an awful long way to the top of the thing, and it’s blowing a gale. At any rate, Wayne, you’d better wait until to-morrow. The wind might blow you off.”
“No, it’s got to be done to-day. We don’t want to attend the class meeting this evening and have to get up and tell the fellows that we did it and we’re awfully sorry, do we? We’d look like idiots! No, I’ll try it this afternoon, wind or no wind.”
“Well, look here,” exclaimed Paddy, “I was in this as much as you were, Wayne, and I’m stronger than you, and if anybody is going to climb that pole it’s going to be me!”