was not more than seventy, and the first thought which
struck him was: "Suppose I fell!" A thrill ran through him, and in
imagination he saw himself lying, broken and bleeding, on the white
deck. But the next instant he said to himself: "No; I shouldn't reach
the deck, I should go overboard into the sea. How deep down should I
go?" and then he clung there staring below him, till he was roused from
the peculiar kind of fascination by the sailor's voice.

"Now, master," he said; and Steve gave a kind of gasp as he turned to
the speaker. "Shortest piece."

Steve handed it, and the Norseman tried its length, which proved to be
just sufficient to reach across from the starboard shrouds, to which he
clung, to those on the port side.

"Just right," he said, and resting each end of the stout lath-like piece
on the ratlines, he proceeded to bind the starboard end fast to the
outer shroud.

This was quickly done by a few deft turns of the strong twine, and then
the sailor descended a little.

"Next size!" he cried, and another piece was passed up, this being a
trifle longer.

It proved to fit exactly, showing how accurately the bundle of pieces
had been prepared for the object in view.

"Next!" cried the man, and the piece was handed, placed in position on
the opposite ratlines, and secured in turn.

"See what these are for?" said the Norseman, smiling.

"Yes; you are making a ladder, so as to get from side to side," replied
Steve; "but you can't make it very far down, it would take tremendously
long pieces when we get lower."

"Only want ten or a dozen, my lad. You see what they're for now, don't
you?"

"N-no."

"To step on to from the ratlines, and go up into the crow's-nest."

"What, that tub?"

"Yes; we haul her up and lash her just above us, close to the truck
there, above the top piece of wood."

"I see now!" cried Steve; and, full of interest in the task, he handed
the pieces till the last had been secured, when the Norseman ascended to
the highest, took tight hold of the mast, and crossed over on to the
port-side shrouds, where he began to make fast the other ends of the
pieces of wood.

"How are you getting on up there, Steve?" cried the captain from the
deck.

"All right, sir. Done one side."

"Good! Feel giddy?"

"Oh no, sir."

"Shall I send the boy to relieve you?"

Steve replied in the negative, and the captain went aft again.

"Ever been up here before, sir?" said the man, as h