Up with him, Frenchy--up to the royal-yard!"

I thought I heard other voices, and that of Brace repeating the words,
"Avast there! avast! the lad's in danger."

I looked in a slanting direction toward the deck. I saw the crew
standing by the forecastle! I thought there was confusion among them,
and a scuffle, as if some were taking his part, and others approving of
what was going on; but I was too frightened to make an exact observation
at the moment, and too much occupied by the ruffian who was nearest me.

"Up!" he cried, "up, or pe Gar! I flog you to ze death for von land
lobber--I vill sacr-r-e!"

And with this threat he again plied the instrument of torture, more
sharply than ever.

I could not stand it. The royal-yard was the highest point to which
they intended to force me. If I could reach it then they would be
satisfied, and would cease to punish me. It is a perilous feat, even
for one who has had some practice in climbing, to reach the royal-yard
of a big ship, but to me it appeared impossible that I could accomplish
it. There was but the smooth rope--with neither knot nor loop to aid
hand or foot. I must go up it hand over hand, dragging the whole weight
of my body. Oh! it was a dread and perilous prospect, but despair or
rather Le Gros, at length forced me to the trial, and, grasping the
smooth stay rope, I commenced climbing upward.

I had got more than half-way--the royal-yard was almost within reach--
when my strength completely failed me. My heart grew weak and sick, and
my head swam with giddiness. I could sustain myself no longer, my grasp
on the rope gave way, and I felt myself falling--falling--at the same
time choking for want of breath.

For all this I did not lose consciousness. I still preserved my senses
through all that terrible descent; and believed while falling that I
should be killed by the fall, or, what was the same thing, drowned in
the sea below. I was even sensible when I struck the water and plunged
deeply below the surface, and I had an idea that I did not drop directly
from the royal-mast into the sea, but that my fall was broken by
something half-way down. This proved to be correct, as I afterwards
learnt. The ship chanced to be under full canvas at the time, and the
maintopsail, swollen out by the fresh breeze, had caught me on its
convex side as I came down. From this I had bounded off again, but the
impetus of the fall had been thus lessened; and the secon