As he straightened to his full height, the anchor cut deep into his shoulders and back. Then he began to move slowly, watching each place he set foot. In spite of his care, there was a crunching of planks, as his great left foot sank through the heavy plank flooring of the wharf.
He extricated his foot and went on, step by step towards the gang plank of the ship. The bytanders gasped and shuddered as Uncle Duncan, by superhuman strength reached the gang plank.
Boys, most of you know what a gang plank is. This one was used for the loading of heavy machinery and had powerful truss rods running lengthwise underneath, making it safe for loading weighty articles. Well, he had moved within a few feet of the center of the gang plank, when there was an awful crashing of wood and steel, then a mighty splash into the water. The fire alarm sounded and there were yells from the crowds, while a burly blue coat vainly endeavored to push them back.
A diver was hurriedly trying to adjust the head piece of his diving suit, preparatory to diving for my uncle.
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Twenty minutes had elapsed since Uncle Duncan had plunged with the anchor into the water. Then shouts rose from a hundred throats as the men saw the anchor appear above the water. Soon the head and shoulders of my uncle were to be seen. Waist high, he arose above the water, shaking the water from his massive head. Boys, you would have died laughing to see that old son of a gun treading water with that four ton anchor on his back.
He scrambled to the side of the vessel and climbed laboriously up to the deck’ As he dropped the anchor to the deck, it crashed partly through and was just stopped from going clear down in the hold, by a great ship’s timber.
Having finished his task of loading the anchor, Uncle Duncan slid off the boat, treaded water across to the dock and climbed out of the water. Reaching the spot where he had dropped his clothes, he picked them up and tucked them under one arm, as, with a majestic stride, he hove off into the great city in search of more adventure.”
When McFay finished his story, the other members of the crew told no more tales of feats of heavy lifting.
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