? ? ? ? 'But how did you lose the masts?' I asked.
? ? ? ? 'Walk over and examine those lanyards,' he said, pointing to where the mizzen-rigging should have been.
? ? ? ? 'They have been cut with a knife!' I exclaimed.
? ? ? ? 'Not quite,' he laughed. 'It was a neater job. Look again.'
? ? ? ? I looked. The lanyards had been almost severed, with just enough left to hold the shrouds till some severe strain should be put upon them.
? ? ? ? 'Cooky did that.' He laughed again. 'I know, though I didn't spot him at it. Kind of evened up the score a bit.'
? ? ? ? 'Good for Mugridge!' I cried.
? ? ? ? 'Yes, that's what I thought when everything went over the side. Only I said it on the other side of my mouth.'
? ? ? ? 'But what were you doing while all this was going on?' I asked.
? ? ? ? 'My best, you may be sure, which wasn't much under the circumstances.
Pages:
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454