Ned Land leaped up the companionway. But as soon as his hands seized the railing, he was thrown backward in his turn.
“Damnation!” he exclaimed. “I’ve been struck by a lightning bolt!”
These words explained everything to me. It wasn’t just a railing that led to the platform, it was a metal cable fully charged with the ship’s electricity. Anyone who touched it got a fearsome shock—and such a shock would have been fatal
Ned Land leaped up the companionway. But as soon as his hands seized the railing, he was thrown backward in his turn.
“Damnation!” he exclaimed. “I’ve been struck by a lightning bolt!”
These words explained everything to me. It wasn’t just a railing that led to the platform, it was a metal cable fully charged with the ship’s electricity. Anyone who touched it got a fearsome shock—and such a shock would have been fatal
