"What do you say, Leo Pownall?"
"A vessel with three masts and square-rigged," answered Leo.
"What's square-rigged?" interposed Jack Dumper.
"Raise your hand if you wish to ask a question; but no question should be put in the midst of one subject, which relates to another, till a fit time comes to do so," said the principal. "Leo Pownall is nearer right than Bark was, but the definition is not accurate. I dare say you could all give an opinion, and I should like to hear you all on the subject if I had more time. A ship is a vessel with three masts, square-rigged on the fore, main, and mizzen masts. You cannot correctly define a ship in less words."
At this point Jack Dumper raised his hand again, and the principal indicated that he would hear him. He said he did not know what a ship was, for the reason that he did not know what square-rigged meant. This time Captain Gildrock approved the question, and nodded to Mr. Jepson, who planted a large easel on a box near the one on which the principal stood. He placed on it a great pile of large papers; and, of course, the attention of the pupils was strongly attracted to what was coming.
"The eye must help the ear in this lesson," said the principal, as he turned over the paper on the top of the pile. It was a picture of a ship under full sail. "This is a full-rigged ship," said he.
When the students had looked at it a minute or two, he selected another paper, and placed it on the easel so that it could be seen by all.
"This is a fore-and-aft schooner. What difference do you notice between the two vessels?" he asked.
"The ship is square-rigged, and the schooner is not," replied Fred Grafton, when the captain pointed to him.
"Right: one has yards, and the other has not;" and half a dozen hands were raised, before the words were fairly out of his mouth. "What are yards? is the question you wish to ask," continued the principal, as he exhibited the picture of the ship again. "The sticks across the masts are yards; and the sails are hung down from them, like the banner of the engine-company on parade. A schooner of this kind," added the principal, as he presented the schooner again, "has no yards on her masts."