“It will do you no good to signal the ship,” said the Water-Fairy. “It would never stop to take a rat on board. Oh, dear no! You will have to get on the ship without anyone seeing you.”
Pinkie Whiskers did not wait to hear any more. He swam for the passing ship. When he was even with the dragging rope he tried to catch it with his teeth, but he was not quick enough and the rope slipped out of his reach.
Again and again he tried and at last he made a quick jump and landed right upon the rope. He just clung to it as tight as he could with his feet and rested.
CHAPTER XII
THE rope was one which the sailors had put out to tell them how many miles an hour they were going. This rope had a wonderful wheel at the end of it which kept twisting and turning in the water.
Every now and then the rope would turn suddenly over and poor Pinkie Whiskers would go under the water with it and nearly fall off. At last he was rested and climbed the rope to the ship. When no one was about he jumped aboard.
Of course, he did not know which way to go, but there was a pleasant smell of cooking in the air and he followed this smell.
He soon found himself in a big kitchen with many people hurrying about. There were cooks with white caps and aprons and waiters with white jackets.
Pinkie Whiskers kept very close to the wall and ran until he saw a white jacket hanging on a nail.
Pinkie Whiskers saw that the jacket had pockets, so he ran up the side of the wall and hid in one of the pockets. He had just nestled down for a little nap, for he was very tired, when along came the owner of the jacket. He took it off from the nail and put it on.