r had forgotten.

"Why, yes; we want a cabin-boy. I should have shipped one at home, if I
could have found the right one," replied the captain. "You say he is a
good boy?"

"I know he is. He wants to work."

"Does he know anything about a vessel? I want one who can go aloft, and
shake out the top-gallant sail."

"He is used to boats and the water."

"Well, we will see what he is good for, after breakfast."

"I hope you will take him, for we have become fast friends."

"If he is good for anything, I will, Mollie. Call him down. Here comes
the doctor with the grub."

The "doctor" was the black cook of the Roebuck, who was now descending
the companion-way with the morning meal. Noddy was called, and Captain
McClintock spoke very kindly to him. He inquired particularly into his
knowledge of vessels, and wanted to know whether he would be afraid to
go aloft. Noddy smiled, and thought he should not be afraid. He ate his
breakfast with a boy's appetite, and then the captain took him on deck.

"Do you see that fore-top-gallant yard?" asked the captain.

"Yes, sir, I see it," replied Noddy, who had been thoroughly instructed
in these matters by the old man-of-war's-man of Woodville, though he had
no practical experience in seamanship, even on as large a scale as a
topsail schooner, which was the rig of the Roebuck.

"Well, my boy, that's a pretty high place. Should you dare to go up
there?"

"I think I should," answered Noddy.

"Let me see you do it."

"Now?"

"Yes. I want to see what you are good for. If we can't make a sailor of
you, it won't be worth while to take you out to the Pacific. Let me see
how long it will take you to run up to that fore-top-gallant yard."

Noddy started. Captain McClintock was evidently satisfied that it would
make the boy dizzy; and that, perhaps, if he had to do this kind of
work, he would not care to make a voyage. Mollie stood by her father's
side, deeply interested in the experiment, and fearful that her heroic
friend would fail to meet her father's expectations, thus depriving her
of a pleasant companion on her long voyage.

The candidate for a position on the Roebuck skipped lightly forward to
the fore-shrouds of the vessel, ran up, as chipper as a monkey, to the
mast head, then up the fore-topmast rigging to the yard. Planting his
feet in the foot-ropes, he danced out to the port yard-arm. At this
point he astonished the spectators below by performing certain feats
whic