Sail Ho! Part 74

"Here, ketch hold of one o' his legs, Barney," growled Bob, hurriedly.

"We must have him out somehow. Got him?"

"There arn't no room, messmate."

"Lie up close to me and reach in together. Head in too."

A low groan now came from the hold, and though I could not see, of course I knew what was going on, and could estimate the difficulties of the position. Dumlow's two messmates, in their efforts to help him, were making his position more perilous, for they were forcing their heads and shoulders into the opening, and stopping off what little air could get to him.

There was another groan.

"Don't make a row, lad, we're doing our best," came in a distant voice which sounded as far away as poor Dumlow's groans. "Got him, matey?"

"Ay, ay."

"Both together. Yo ho, ahoy!"

This was all quite in a smothered tone, and accompanied by jerking and dragging sounds, which as they were kept up were accompanied and followed by feeble groans.

"Quick, quick!" I cried. "Have him out, or they'll hear on deck."

No one answered, and I moved forward and tried to help by clasping Bob round the waist.

"Ahoy! Ahoy! Haul away--hoy!"

All in quite a smothered whisper, and then there was another moan.

"Now again. All together."

I joined in and dragged with all my might, but our efforts were in vain, Barney paused to get a fresh messmate's legs.

"He's worked himself on till he's regularly jammed in," growled Bob.

"Now then, once more; we must have him, or he'll be a dead 'un. Haul.

Now then!"

We all dragged together. There was a sudden giving way, a rush, and I was on my back with two men--it felt like three--upon me, and I dare not call out in my horror and pain, but had to lie there listening to pa.s.sing footsteps overhead until they had gone, and then to my greater horror Bob Hampton growled out--

"Well, we've got his legs, anyhow."

There was a smothered groan once more.

"It's all right, messmate," said Barney. "Here's his uppards and head come too. Oh, I beg your pardon, sir. Are you hurt?"

"Hurt?--yes!" I said angrily, "but never mind me. How's Dumlow?"

There was a low groan in answer.

"Oh, he's all right, sir," said Barney. "We didn't break him. He's all out."

"No, he arn't all right," growled Bob, who was feeling about in the dark. "He's in a reg'lar muddle, I dunno what's the matter with him.

Strikes me we've pulled him inside out."

"Go on with yer. It's all right. It's on'y his jersey pulled right over his head and shoulders, and most off his arms. That's the way.

There you are. You're all right now, arn't you, Neb?"

"Oh, my heye!" muttered the great fellow, and I felt a profound sense of satisfaction in hearing him speak again. "I began to think I was a goner."

"Not you," said Bob.

"Warn't the skin all off o' me, Barney?"

"Nay, not it, lad."

"Sure? Felt as if you was a-stripping of it all off o' me when I began to come."

"Nay, you're in your skin right enough, messmate."

"Sure, Barney? 'Cause I feel precious sore uppards."

"Sure? Yes. There, I'm glad we got you out without breaking."

"So'm I, mate, werry glad indeed. I'm two sizes too big for a hole like that, and I don't think it's any use for me to try again."

As he spoke there came the three signal knocks, and as Bob answered them he growled out--

"Oh yes, we know you're there. Look here, Mr Dale, sir. I'm two sizes smaller than Neb; I'm going to have a try."

"No, you'd better not, Bob," I whispered. "Let's wait and try to break through the hatch."

"Nay, sir, we ought to get along with them if we could. I'll just try, I'm quite two sizes smaller than Neb, and I won't be such an old silly as to go and ram myself in fast. Say I may go, sir."

"Yes, sir, let him go," said Dumlow. "It'll take some o' the conceit out on him when he gets stuck fast."

"Well then, go, Bob, but pray be careful."

"Ay, ay, sir, I'll be careful, for I've got a great respeck for Bob Hampton, mariner. But you'll lend a hand, Neb, if I want hauling out?"

"I just wall," growled the big fellow. "You shall have it, messmate."

I felt very much disposed to stop him, but while I was hesitating there was the old scuffling noise, and I could mentally see Bob Hampton shuffling in the opening above the cases, and soon after there was a grunting and panting, followed by a low muttering in the hole.

"What d'yer say, messmate?" whispered Barney.

_Pat_!

"Here, I say, mind what you're arter," cried Barney, angrily. "You kicked me right in the chin. I don't want my teeth loosened that how."

"Why, he's a-comin' back," growled Neb.

For the shuffling and rustling was continued, and the next minute Bob Hampton was back and lying along the casks.