CHAPTER II
A PLUCKY FEAT
Fred’s three companions on the deck below watched their friend with horrified eyes. They had felt envious of his good fortune until now, and every one of them had wished that he was in Fred’s place.
“It must be great up there,” Grant exclaimed as he looked at Fred standing up against the topmast, far above the decks.
“That’s the place to be, all right,” said String enthusiastically.
“If you were up there it would look like two masts instead of one,” said Pop Sanders.
“Say,” said John in disgust. “You got off that same joke just a few minutes ago. It was all right the first time, but it’s a pretty poor one now.”
The three boys had stood below bantering one another and envying Fred until the Josephine came about and they saw that their comrade was dizzy and in danger of falling.
He swayed dangerously for a while that seemed a century long. He waved his arms wildly in the air and then clutched frantically for some rope or brace to save himself. He seemed to grab hold of plenty of ropes but to hang on to none. Moreover, a rope was the cause of his fall, for one swung violently around and catching the unfortunate boy around the ankles tripped him up and pulled him from the precarious spot on which he stood.
He toppled backward and fell. His three companions with one accord uttered a groan of horror and shut their eyes to keep out the awful sight of what was about to happen. To think that their wonderful trip was to be spoiled at the very start in this way! They turned their backs to the scene, afraid to look. Every boy expected to hear a thud on the deck and see the mangled body of their companion at their feet.
To them it seemed as if they waited hours and yet they did not hear the expected sound. Instead of that they heard a shout.