grasped the full
misfortune to his boat--not the very full, for he was not aware of the
hole in her bottom. "Your fingers are clasped tightly round the rope."

"Are they, sir?"

"Yes."

"'Tarn't my doing then, sir. I hoped and prayed as they might hold on
to the last, and I s'pose that's how it is. Ah-h!"

He uttered a low groan, his eyelids dropped, and his fingers suddenly
became inert, while it needed all the lad's strength to keep the poor
fellow from slipping off the wet steps into the deep water of the
harbour.

"Tom," he shouted; "rouse up, lad. Do you hear?" he cried, frantically,
as he held the man erect, and then in obedience to a sudden flash of
thought forced him back into a sitting position on one of the steps.

"Hah!" he panted. "I couldn't have held you much longer. Hold up, man.
Can't you hear what I say?"

"Eh? Yes, Master Aleck, on'y don't talk so far off like, and--and--tell
'em to leave off ringing them bells in my ears."

Coupled with the loss of the boat, Aleck's first thought was that the
man had been indulging in a sailor's weakness and was the worse for rum;
but a second glance at the ghastly face below him opened the lad's eyes
to the simple truth, and he spoke more gently:

"Feel faint, Tom?"

"Ay, sir, I s'pose it's that. I feel just as I did after that there
cannon ball took off my legs. I'm getting better now you've stopped
that ringing o' the bells in my ears."

"That's right, Tom."

"But is the boat safe, sir? Don't let her go right down."

"She's safe enough so long as the rope doesn't part."

"Then look at her knots, sir. I did teach yer proper. Don't say as
you've tied one as'll slip."

"The rope's all right, Tom."

"Hah!" groaned the man. "Then if you wouldn't mind, sir, just help me
up the other steps and lie me down flat on my back for a minute. I feel
as if that would set me right."

"Come on, then," said Aleck; "but you must help, or we shall both go
overboard."

"I'm a-going to help, sir," said the man, with his voice beginning to
grow stronger. "I think I can keep upright on my pegs again if you'll
lend me a hand. No, hold hard a minute like, sir; there's no room for
two on these bits o' steps. You've got plenty o' slack line, sir?"

"Yes."

"Then pass the end round under my arms and make fast. Then you go atop
and haul, and you can twist the line round a post so as I can't slip."

"Of course," cried Aleck, and following out the poo