"
At last, after what seemed hours of struggling, he had succeeded
in working his way past the stern paddle wheel, and up under the
stern of the ship. He twisted the rope about one arm, and with
his head well out of water lay half exhausted while he was shot
through the water at high speed.
A few minutes of this, and Phil, considerably rested, began to
pull himself up.
Ordinarily this hand over hand climb would have been an easy feat
for the Circus Boy. As it was, however, the lad was forced to
pause every foot or so, and, twisting the rope about an arm and a
leg, hang there between sky and water, gasping for breath, every
nerve and muscle in his body a-quiver.
Few men, no matter how strong nor how great their endurance,
could have gone through what Phil Forest had endured that night.
He was glad to be out of the water, where he was in imminent
danger of being drowned as the boat jerked him along. Of course
he was not obliged to cling to the rope, but the chances of his
reaching shore, were he to let go, he felt were very remote.
"I am glad Teddy is not here," muttered Phil with a half smile
as he thought of his companion back on the "Marie" fast asleep.
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