Part 30 (1/2)

”But anyways that was hard, I reckon,” said the master.

”Yes, that was hard,” said Esau; ”but I kep on seeming to tighten it, and the more I tried the worse it was; till all at once, as I strained and reached up behind me, I slipped a little, and the hook was fast somehow, and nearly jerked my arms out of my shoulders as I hung forward now, with my feet giving way, and I couldn't get up again.”

”If a fellow had on'y ha' been there with a knife,” said the master, shaking his head.

”Yes; but he wasn't,” cried Esau; ”and there I hung for ever so long, giving myself a bit of a wriggle now and then, but afraid to do much, it hurt so, dragging at my arms, while they were twisted up. I s'pose I must have been 'bout an hour like that, but it seemed a week, and I was beginning to get sick again, when all at once, after a good struggle, I fell forward on to my face in amongst the dry leaves. My wrists and hands were tingling dreadfully, but they did not feel so numb now; and after a bit, as I moved them gently up and down, one over the other, so as to get rid of the pain, I began to find I could move them a little more and a little more, till at last, as I worked away at them in a regular state of 'citement, I pulled one of 'em right out, and sat up comfortable with my hands in my lap.”

”Well done, well done,” cried the master; and I could not help joining in the murmur of satisfaction uttered by the men.

”And then yew began to look at the rope round your legs,” said one of the latter.

”That I just did,” said Esau; ”but my fingers were so bad it took me hours, as it seemed, before I had those knots undone.”

”But yew got 'em off?” said the master. ”Oh yes, I got 'em off at last, every knot undone; but when I'd unwound the rope, there I sat, feeling as if it was not a bit of use, for I could not move my feet, nor yet stand. They felt as if they were made of wood.”

”Yew should have chafed 'em, stranger,” said one of the men.

”Well, of course that's what he did do, mate,” said the master, reprovingly; ”and yew got 'em to work easy at last, didn't you?”

”Yes, that's what I did do, when they would work. I had to set to and see if I couldn't get away out of that place.”

”'Fore them scallywags come back,” said the master, drawing a long breath. ”That's right.”

”There was the door locked fast,” continued Esau, ”and I knew I couldn't get out that way; so as there was no windows, and the boards were all nailed down tight, the only way seemed to be through the roof.”

”I know,” said the master, changing the course of the boat. ”Yew meant to get up, knock off some s.h.i.+ngles, and then let yewrself down with the two ropes tied together.”

”Look here,” said Esau, ill-humouredly, ”you'd better tell the story.”

”No, no, stranger; go on, go on,” said the master, apologetically. ”Go on, go on.”

”Well, that's just what I was going to do,” said Esau, condescendingly, ”only there wasn't any s.h.i.+ngles that I saw, but the place was covered over with wooden slates.”

”Those are what they call s.h.i.+ngles, my lad,” said Gunson.

”Oh, very well, I don't care,” said Esau, acidly. ”All I know is, I joined those two pieces of rope together, tied one end round my waist, and I was just going to climb up the side to the rafters, when I thought to myself I might meet somebody outside, who'd try to stop me; and though I felt that you two would be gone, I didn't want to have taken all my trouble for nothing, and be locked up there again. So I had a bit of a look round, and picked out from some wood in a corner a pretty tidy bit, with a good headache at the end.”

The master chuckled.

”And I'd no sooner done that than I heard some one coming.”

”Did yew get behind the door?” said the master hoa.r.s.ely. ”Yew said it was dark.”

”I do wish you'd let me go on my own way,” said Esau, in an ill-used tone.

”Yes, yes, yes; go on, my lad, go on,” said the master.

”Why can't you let him bide!” growled the others; and I saw Gunson looking on in an amused way, as he turned from watching the distant schooner, far enough away now.

”My wrists and my ankles ache so I can't hardly bear it,” continued Esau; ”and when you keep on putting in your spoon it worries me.”