"Look at that," growled Bob. "My head can't be right yet, or else it's the darkness as confooses a man. It's like being in a thick fog and having to steer." "Try again," I said. "Ay, ay, sir; I'll try again, o' course." "I say, don't kneel on a man's chesty like that, messmate," grumbled Dumlow. "Then why don't you put your chesty somewheres else?" growled Bob. "You're allers lying about all over the deck." "Nay, I arn't, matey," remonstrated Dumlow. "Speak the truth, my lad, if you can." "Why, you're spreadin' about on your back now, arn't yer?" "Course I am, mate; I was trying how flat I could make myself 'fore I started on the adwenter." "Try, pray try the other way, Bob, and don't quarrel so--" "Now hark at that, Barney, when I'm trying all I can to be as civil and smooth as butter, on'y Neb let out at me." There was a pause, and we could hear Bob grunting as he felt about in the other direction, sending joy into all our hearts directly, just as the tapping began again. "It's just as I said, Mr Dale, sir," he whispered. "The knocking comes along over the cargo here, and there is just room for a man to creep along." "Hush! let me answer the knocking first," I whispered. "Never mind the knocking, sir; let's get to 'em 'fore we misses the chance. Now, Neb, lad; ready?" "Ready it is, messmate." "Here you are then; on'y go face downwards." "Would yer? Can't breathe so well if you turns yer fizzy mahogany down." "And yer can't crawl so well if yer goes with it up." "You had better crawl, Dumlow," I whispered; "but try and go straight toward where the knocking came from." "He'll be 'bliged to, sir. No doubt about that, 'cause there arn't no other way. Now then, I'll give yer a hyste. Can you manage it?" There was a loud breathing and panting, and though Barney Blane and I could see nothing with our eyes, yet we could mentally picture the great slow-moving sailor crawling into an aperture between the beams and the heterogeneous stowing of bales and boxes, casks and crates of all kinds of goods en route for our destination. Now we knew that his head and chest were in, for his voice came in a half-smothered tone. "Deal hotter in here, messmate. Just take hold o' my hind legs, as if they was part of a wheelbarrow, and give 'em a lift and a shove at the same time." "That right?" "Yes; that's good. Steady!" "Steady it is." "Now another. With a will, my lad." "Right. How far are yer in?" "Up to the middle, lad; and if yer give another shove I can get a bit of a pull here. That's yer sort." "I can't get you up no farder, messmate," said Bob. "Yes, I can, if you clap your foots together. I'll plant my hands again 'em, and ram yer along that way. Ready?" "Ay, ready," came in smothered tones. "There you goes then," growled Bob. "Now another. I'll shove yer feet with my hands." There was a loud grunting and rustling, and Bob said, panting--