The Imp and the Author
up the captain and laid him dripping and exhausted on the bow, he saw to his horror that two of the deck-hands were unmistakably sinking.
"Oh, get 'em! get 'em!" he cried, hopping madly about the pool in his effort to capture the first mate, the biggest of all, while the poor deck-hands curled in their legs and eddied feebly about.
The Author leaped to his feet. "Where? where?" he cried nervously.
The Imp made an ineffectual dive for the mate, and waved a grimy hand toward the middle.
"Over there! Oh, hurry! hurry!" he panted.
The Author grabbed viciously at the deck-hands, lost his balance, and plunged to his armpits in the pool, while the gallant ship rocked wildly in the great waves, and the Imp, yelling with excitement, swept the nearly drowned sailors into his cap, and hurried with them to the little pit.
"Look out!" he called in exasperation, as the Author in an effort to tow the boat in to shore nearly tipped the captain off again. "Let it alone, can't you?"
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