“Now I find that I have not got much out of you, either,” I observed, “so we are pretty equal. Now, you might have answered my questions, though no one, as far as I know, could have answered those you put to me.”
“The young fellow has got his wits about him,” observed one of the big boys; and the others at once seemed inclined to treat me with far more respect than at first.
“Now,” said I, gaining courage, “I have spent most of my life at sea, where we don’t play the games you have on shore, but if any of you will teach me, I shall be very glad to learn them; and perhaps I may show you how to do a number of things you know nothing about.”
From that day forward I was never bothered by having questions put to me. I soon managed to get hold of a piece of rope, which had lashed up one of the boy’s boxes, and began to initiate several who wished to learn into the mysteries of knotting and splicing. Before long a carpenter came to do some work, and I got him to make me a pair of stilts. Several of the bigger boys ordered others. I would not use mine till the rest came home. Many then tried to walk about on them.
“Who are going to try their stilts?” I asked.
“We want to see you, Laurel, walk on yours,” was the answer.
“No, no; you mount on yours first,” I said; and most of them tried to get up, each with the help of two or three fellows who stood round to support them. I then brought out mine.
“Shall we help you?” inquired three or four of the boys, who by this time were my chief friends and supporters.
“Thank you,” I said, laughing; while the others who were looking on expected to see me bungle as the rest had been doing. My friends collected round me and prepared to help me up. I did not undeceive them, but suddenly jumping on one side I sprang into my stilts.
“Who’s for a race?” I cried out. “Come along; let us start fair.”