to him at his
greater elevation, he began to smoke. The atmosphere below must have
been very oppressive indeed to induce Mr. Barker to come up before
breakfast--in fact, before eight o'clock--for the sake of smoking a
solitary cigar up there by the catharpings. Mr. Barker wanted to think,
for an idea had struck him during the night.

In ten minutes the parade of deck-swabbers had passed, and Claudius also
appeared on deck, looking haggard and pale. He did not see Barker, for
he turned, seaman-like, to the weatherside, and the try-sail hid his
friend from his sight. Presently he too thought he would go aloft, for
he felt cramped and weary, and fancied a climb would stretch his limbs.
He went right up to the crosstrees before he espied Barker, a few feet
below him on the other side. He stopped a moment in astonishment, for
this sort of diversion was the last thing he had given the American
credit for. Besides, as Barker was to leeward, the rigging where he was
perched stood almost perpendicular, and his position must have been a
very uncomfortable one. Claudius was not given to jocularity as a rule,
but he could not resist such a chance for astonishing a man who imagined
himself to be enjoying an airy solitude between sky and water. So he
gently swung himself into the lee rigging and, leaning far down,
cautiously lifted Mr. Barker's cap from his head by the woollen button
in the middle. Mr. Barker knocked the ash from his cigar with his free
hand, and returned it to his mouth; he then conveyed the same hand to
the top of his head, to assure himself that the cap was gone. He knew
perfectly well that in his present position he could not look up to see
who had played him the trick.

"I don't know who you are," he sang out, "but I may as well tell you my
life is insured. If I catch cold, the company will make it hot for
you--and no error."

A roar of laughter from below saluted this sally, for the Duke and
Sturleson had met, and had watched together the progress of the joke.

"I will take the risk," replied Claudius, who had retired again to the
crosstrees. "I am going to put it on the topmast-head, so that you may
have a good look at it."

"You can't do it," said Barker, turning himself round, and lying flat
against the ratlines, so that he could look up at his friend.

"What's that?" bawled the Duke from below.

"Says he will decorate the maintruck with my hat, and I say he can't do
it," Barker shouted back.

"I'