Excerpt:
He made a few paces back, noted the aperture in the rail of the ship where the gangplank was being drawn in, then ran at full speed and leaped high in the air.
The three sailors at the rail shouted their astonishment as Harrigan struck the edge of the gangplank, reeled, and then pitched forward to his knees. He rose and shook himself like a cat that has dropped from a high fence to the ground.
"What're you?"
"I'm the extra hand."
And Harrigan ran up the steps to the bridge. There he found McTee with the first and second mates.
"McTee," he said, "I came on your ship by chance an' saw you. If you can use an extra hand, let me stay. I'm footfree an' I need to be movin' on."
Even through the gloom he caught the glint of the Scotchman's eye.
"Get off the bridge!" thundered McTee.
"But I'm Harrigan, and--"
