ble as could be, for I couldn't hardly
move. But at last I had another try, getting on to my knees, and taking
tight hold of the edge of one of the side pieces of wood with my teeth;
and somehow or other I got on my feet again and worked myself along,
nearly falling over and over again, before I could touch the hook with
my chin, and there I stood for fear I should fall, and the hook run into
me and hold me."

"What did you want the hook for, boy?" said the master, shifting his
rudder a little, and leaning forward with his face full in the
moonlight, and looking deeply interested.

"What did I want the hook for?" said Esau, with a little laugh. "I'll
tell you directly."

The master nodded, and the others drew a little nearer.

"What I wanted was to hold that end of the great rag in my teeth, and
see if I couldn't fix it on the hook; and after a lot of tries I did,
and then began to hang back from it gently, to see if I couldn't draw
the stuff out of my mouth."

"And could you?" I said eagerly.

"Yes; it began to come slowly more and more, till it was about half out,
and then the sick feeling that had come over me again got worse and
worse, and the hook and the great dark warehouse place swam round, and I
didn't know any more till I opened my eyes as I lay on the leaves,
staring at a great wet dirty rag hanging on that hook, and I was able to
breathe freely now.

"I felt so much better that I could think more easily; but I was very
miserable, for I got thinking about you two, and I knew I must have been
there a very long time, and that the schooner was to sail at twelve
o'clock, so I felt sure that you would go without me, and think I'd been
frightened and wouldn't come."

"That's what I did think," said Gunson; "but Mayne Gordon here stuck up
for you all through."

"Thankye, Mr Gordon," said Esau, who was gently chafing his wrists.
"That's being a good mate. No, I wouldn't back out. I meant coming
when I'd said I would. Well, next thing was to get my hands clear, and
that done, of course I could easily do my legs. So I began to get up
again, with my feet feeling nowhere; and as I tried, to wonder what I
was going to do next, for I couldn't see no way of getting out of a
place with no windows in, not even a skylight at the top. But anyhow I
meant to have that rope off my hands, and I was thinking then that if
the hook could help me get rid of the rag, it might help me to get rid
of the tie round my wr