engaged in all sorts of games. He shouted "Fenwick," and a boy of my
own age came up. He told the boy that he wished him to look after me,
and teach me the ways of the school. Having done this, he re-entered
the house.

As soon as the master was gone, I found myself surrounded by a number of
boys, who, having examined me from head to foot, began asking me
questions.

Though I was ignorant of all their games, and had scarcely heard of
cricket and football, yet I knew a number of things which they did not.

"Who is your father?" asked one fellow.

"I don't know," I replied.

"Who is your mother?" inquired another.

I gave the same answer, whereon there was a general laugh.

"Have you many brothers and sisters?"

"I don't know," I again said.

"Where were you born?"

"That's more than I can tell you," I answered, quite quietly, and so I
went on.

"I don't think you have got much out of me," I said, at last. "And now
I want to know who among you can box the compass? Can any of you put a
ship about? Can some one describe the Marquesas? or tell me where
Tahiti and the Sandwich Islands are to be found?"

To none of these or similar questions did I receive any replies.

"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