"Yes," said Mr. George, "we can go to the top of some of them."
"The highest?" asked Waldron.
"Yes," said Mr. George. "Ben Nevis, I believe, is the highest. We can go to the top of that."
"Then I should like to go," said Waldron, eagerly.
"Unless," continued Mr. George, "it should rain too hard."
"O, I should not care for the rain," said Waldron. "It's good fun to go in the rain."
While this conversation had been going on, Waldron had been looking this way and that, at the various ships and steamers that were gliding about on the water, examining carefully the building of each one, and watching her motions. He now proposed that Rollo should go forward to the bridge with him, where they could have a better lookout.
"Well," said Rollo. So the two boys went together to the bridge.
The bridge was a sort of narrow platform, extending across the steamer, from one paddle wheel to the other, for the captain or pilot to walk upon, in order to see how the steamer was going, and to direct the steering. When they are in the open sea any of the passengers are allowed to walk here; but in coming into port, or into a river crowded with shipping, then a notice is put up requesting passengers not to go upon the bridge, inasmuch as at such times it is required for the exclusive use of the captain and pilot.
This notice was up when Waldron and Rollo reached the bridge.