"I am glad I did not go climbing up the rigging," said Rollo.
"Yes," replied the surgeon. "Once I knew a passenger go climbing up the shrouds on board an East Indiaman, and when he had got half way up to the main top, and began to be afraid to proceed, the sailors ran up after him, and, under pretence of helping him, they tied him there, hand and foot, with spun yarn."
"He begged them to let him down, but they would not. They said it was customary, whenever a landsman came up into the rigging, for him to pay for his footing by a treat to the sailors; and that they would let him down if he would give them a dollar for a treat."
[Illustration: THE PASSENGER ON THE RIGGING.]
"And did he give it to them," asked Rollo.
"Yes, he said he would," replied the surgeon "if they would untie one of his hands, so that he could get the dollar out of his pocket. So they untied one of his hands, and he gave them the dollar. Then they untied his other hand and his feet, and so let him go down."
"Why did not he call the captain?" asked Rollo.
"O, the captain would not have paid any attention to such a case," replied the surgeon. "If he had been on deck at the time he would have looked the other way, and would have pretended not to see what was going on; but he would really have been pleased. He would have considered the passenger as justly punished for climbing about where he had no business to go."
Rollo was greatly interested in this narrative. He thought what a narrow escape he had had in deciding that he would not attempt to climb up the shrouds, and he secretly determined that he would be very careful, not only while he was on board the steamer, but also on all other occasions, not to violate the proprieties of life by obtruding himself into places where he ought not to go.
The surgeon now went away, leaving Rollo and Jane on the settee together.
"I wish," said Rollo, "that I had asked him what he meant by heaving the log."
"No," said Jane, "you must not ask any questions."
"Yes," replied Rollo, "I may ask _him_ questions. He said that I might ask any questions that I pleased of him."
"Well," said Jane, "then you must ask him the nest time you see him."
"I will," said Rollo. "And now let us go down into our state room and find Maria, and get ready to go to dinner."