ot with knapsacks on our backs up the
mountains, till we reach your father's house; and will not he be
astonished to see us!"

I agreed with him in his last idea certainly, but I was puzzled to think
how we were to reach the mouth of the Amazon, and when we were there how
we were to procure canoe. All the rest appeared pretty easy in the way
Tony proposed it, and, after all, even on a big map, the river did not
look so very long.

"Well, my idea is," said Tony, "that we should save up all our
pocket-money, and then, some day when we have got very hard lessons to
do, or anything disagreeable takes place, run off, and get aboard a ship
sailing to South America. I should not mind being cabin-boy for a short
time; and as you know Spanish and Indian, you could tell the captain you
would interpret for him, and of course he would be very glad to have
you; and then, you know, we should soon learn to be sailors; and it will
be much pleasanter climbing about the rigging and up the masts and along
the yards than sitting at our desks all day bothering our heads with
Caesar and Ovid and sums and history and geography, and all that sort of
thing."

"But I have not got Caesar and Ovid to do yet," I observed; "and I want
to have a little more schooling; for Uncle James says I shall not be fit
for anything until I do. Do not you think we had better wait till I get
into your class, or rather higher still?"

Tony said he was much disappointed at my drawing back, which he argued I
was doing when I made these remarks. However, I spoke in perfect
sincerity, and fully believed that I should enjoy the adventure he
proposed just as much as he would. I had my doubts, however, whether we
should receive so favourable a reception at the end of our journey as he
supposed. However, he continued talking and talking about the matter,
till I agreed to consider what could be done during another half.

I spent my first holidays in London at Uncle James's, and my brother
John came there, and I was surprised to find what a big fellow he was.
We were very good friends, and he took me out to see a number of the
sights of London. We went, among other places, to Exeter Change, where
there were all sorts of wild beasts. I had no idea until then that
there were so many in the world. I was highly interested, and learned
the names of nearly all of them; and John told me where they had come
from, and all about their habits. Then Uncle James gave me a