Two of us shipped
our oars, and gripped her tight, and then we saw that she was just an
ordinary boat, partly decked in, with the head and shoulders of a man
showing in the opening, fast asleep, and snoring like thunder.
"'Puir chap,' ses Mr. McMillan, standing up. 'Look how wasted he is.'
"He laid hold o' the man by the neck of his coat an' his belt, an',
being a very powerful man, dragged him up and swung him into our boat,
which was bobbing up and down, and grating against the side of the
other. We let go then, an' the man we'd rescued opened his eyes as Mr.
McMillan tumbled over one of the thwarts with him, and, letting off a
roar like a bull, tried to jump back into his boat.
"'Hold him!' shouted the second mate. 'Hold him tight! He's mad, puir
feller.'
"By the way that man fought and yelled, we thought the mate was right,
too. He was a short, stiff chap, hard as iron, and he bit and kicked and
swore for all he was worth, until at last we tripped him up and tumbled
him into the bottom of the boat, and held him there with his head
hanging back over a thwart.
"'It's all right, my puir feller,' ses the second mate; 'ye're in good
hands--ye're saved.'
"'Damme!' ses the man; 'what's your little game? Where's my boat--eh?
Where's my boat?'
"He wriggled a bit, and got his head up, and, when he saw it bowling
along two or three hundred yards away, his temper got the better of him,
and he swore that if Mr.
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