where. There are some old castles about on the hills,
and they look pretty enough at a distance; but when you get near them
they are nothing but old walls all tumbling down. The vineyards are not
pretty either. They are all on terraces kept up by long stone walls; and
when you are down on the river, and look up to them, you cannot see any
thing but the walls, with the edge of the vineyards, like a little
green fringe, along on the top. But there is no great loss in this, for
the vineyards are not pretty when you can see them. They look just like
fields full of beans growing on short poles.

I shall be glad when we get out of this place; but uncle George says he
is going to stay here all day to-morrow, to write letters and to bring
up his journal. But never mind; I can have a pretty good time sitting on
the steps that go down to the water, and seeing the vessels, and
steamboats, and rafts go by.

Your affectionate cousin,
ROLLO.

P.S. The Cat and the Mouse used to fight each other in old times, and
the Mouse used to beat. Was not that funny?

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XI.

THE RAFT.

The morning after Rollo had finished the letter to Jenny, as recorded in
the last chapter, his uncle George told him at breakfast time that he
might amuse himself that day in any way he pleased.

"I shall be busy writing," said Mr. George, "nearly all the morning. It
is such a still and quiet place here that I think I had better stay and
finish up my writing. Besides, it must be an economical place, I think,
and we can stay here a day cheaper than we can farther up the river, at
the large towns."

"Shall we come to the large towns soon?" asked Rollo.

"Yes," replied his uncle. "This deep gorge only continues fifteen or
twenty miles farther, and then we come out into open country, and to the
region of large towns. You see there is no occasion for any other towns
in this part of the Rhine than villages of vinedressers, except here
and there a little city where a branch river comes in."

"Well," said Rollo, "I shall be glad when we get out. But I will go down
to the shore, and play about there for a while."

Accordingly, as soon as Rollo had finished his breakfast, he went down
to the shore.

The hotel faced the river, though there was a road outside of it,
between it and the water. From the outer edge of the road there was a
steep slope, leading