Part 16 (2/2)

”What?” Freddie asked.

”We'd better make a little s.h.i.+p first. That will be easy and we can make it like a big one. Then we'll have something to go by--a sort of pattern, such as your mother uses when she makes a dress for your little sister.”

”Oh yes!” cried Freddie. ”That's what we'll do--make a little pattern s.h.i.+p first. It will be easier.”

”Much easier,” said James. ”Now I'll find some small pieces of board for you, and----”

But just then one of the workmen in the yard called to the watchman to come and help him pile some lumber on a wagon.

”Wait just a minute, Freddie,” said James. ”I'll be back soon and help you.”

”All right,” answered Freddie. He sat down on a pile of s.h.i.+ngles, and thought of the time when he and Tommy Todd should set off on their s.h.i.+p to find the s.h.i.+pwrecked Mr. Todd.

The watchman was gone longer than he expected. Freddie grew tired of waiting for him, and finally said to himself:

”I'm going to look for some wood myself. I guess I can find it.” He looked for some on the ground, but, though there were many chips, and broken pieces, there was none of the kind Freddie thought would be good for a toy s.h.i.+p--the pattern after which the real one would be made.

”I guess I'll climb up on one of these piles of lumber,” thought Freddie, ”and see if there are any small pieces of board on top. It is easy to climb up.”

This was true enough, and once or twice before Freddie had made his way to the top of a pile. Each stack of lumber was made in a sort of slanting fas.h.i.+on, so that the back of it was almost like a pair of steps. Lumber is piled this way to let the rain run off better.

Freddie went up the back part of a pile, some distance away from the bundles of s.h.i.+ngles where he had been talking to James.

”This is an easy place to climb,” Freddie said to himself. ”I hope I shall find what I want on top.”

Step by step he went up the pile of lumber, until he was at the top.

But, to his disappointment, he found there nothing which he could bring James to use in making a small s.h.i.+p. The boards were all too long and wide.

”I might bring one down, and have James cut it smaller with his knife,”

said Freddie, speaking aloud. ”That's what I'll do.”

He lifted up one of the boards. As he did so the little boy noticed that the pile of lumber was swaying a little from side to side as he moved about.

”I guess I'd better get down off here,” Freddie said. ”This is too jiggily.” He had been told to keep off ”jiggily” lumber piles, as they were not safe.

Freddie dragged to the edge the board he had picked out for the watchman to make smaller. The little boy was just going to slide it over the edge of the pile to the ground, when, all at once Freddie felt himself falling.

”Oh dear!” he cried. ”Something is going to happen!”

And something did happen. The lumber pile with Freddie on top, was falling over. Freddie did not know what to do; whether or not to jump.

He looked down, but neither James nor any other man was in sight; and the office, where Freddie's father was working, was far on the other side of the yard.

”Oh dear!” cried Freddie again.

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