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I, who had by this time quietly resumed my station, was ordered down along with them; and we all four stood on the quarter-deck, while the following interrogations were put to us: "Now, sir," said the first lieutenant to the captain of the top, "how dare you tell me that that young gentleman was at the mast-head, when I myself saw him 'shinning' up by the topsail-tie?"
I wonder he didn't go off to the Horse Guards at once. I might have done it in his place, if I found I couldn't lick him. I should have tried kicking first." "Yes, shinning before peaching," said Herbert, astonished almost as much as he was disgusted by the inveterate sentimental attachment of Van Diemen to his old friend.
Suey, the Chinaman, came clattering in, all flapping legs and arms and pigtail, his face livid, his eyes staring. "Patcheese! Patcheese!" he squealed, and dove under the nearest bed. Then Byrne, shinning into boots and breeches and shunning his coat, grabbed his revolver and rushed for the door.
They could see the other "shinning" up the sloping plank, as any athletic boy would be apt to do, without any particular trouble. Now he had reached the window, and Thad held his breath in suspense. He sighed as he heard a slight squeaking sound. Evidently the sash which was supposed to be fastened every night through ordinary prudence, had given way to his hand, when he exerted some pressure.
It was child's play to me; for, as I told Larrikins the first day I was on board, when he was trying to `pull my leg' with his yarns of the mountainous seas he met in the Channel cruising in the Martin, `shinning up the rigging' was no novelty to me.
"Since you look so wise, why don't you tell me why?" she demanded. "Oh, if you have any mercy, tell me why!" Then before the steady look in the calm eyes, she hastily made the sign of the cross, and slipping to the floor, she laid her head on a chair, and sobbed aloud. Jimmy Malone, carrying a shinning tin milk pail, stepped into Casey's saloon and closed the door behind him.
Nothing happened that night nor the following day or night, but when Captain Glenn came on deck the morning of the third day he cast an uneasy eye toward the northeast. "Storm brewing," he said quietly to Frank, who stood near. "Calm enough now, sir," returned Frank. "Sun shinning, too, sir. Doesn't look as though there would be much of a blow." "What's the barometer say?" asked Captain Glenn.
"N no; I'm all wrong," came the answer from above. "All the blood in my body is in my head. I'm going to burst in a minute." Phil wasted no words. Quickly strapping on his climbers, he began shinning up the pole, which he took much faster than Teddy had done, for the situation was critical. "Hurry up! Think I want to stay here all night?" "I'm coming.
Now cler out to bed, and don't lemme see no more of you till morning!" I was up stairs in a second, and down the lightning-rod in another one, and shinning through the dark for the lean-to. I couldn't hardly get my words out, I was so anxious; but I told Tom as quick as I could we must jump for it now, and not a minute to lose the house full of men, yonder, with guns!
The professional hawk's eye of Jerry caught the movement. He made a lurch for the cab, overturning three or four onlookers and himself no! he caught the cap of a water-plug and kept his feet. Like a sailor shinning up the ratlins during a squall Jerry mounted to his professional seat. Once he was there McGary's liquids were baffled.
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