aid Waldron, doubtfully, "not much. I don't care much about
that."

"It is a famous old ruin," said Mr. George.

"But I don't care much about the old ruins," said Waldron. "If the lords
and noblemen are as rich as people say they are, I should think they
would mend them up."

"And here, off in the western part of Scotland," continued Mr. George,
"are a great many mountains. Would you like to go and see the
mountains?"

"No, sir," said Waldron, "not particularly." Then in a moment he added,
"Can we go up to the top of them, Mr. George?"

"Yes," said Mr. George, "we can go to the top of some of them."

"The highest?" asked Waldron.

"Yes," said Mr. George. "Ben Nevis, I believe, is the highest. We can go
to the top of that."

"Then I should like to go," said Waldron, eagerly.

"Unless," continued Mr. George, "it should rain _too_ hard."

"O, I should not care for the rain," said Waldron. "It's good fun to go
in the rain."

While this conversation had been going on, Waldron had been looking this
way and that, at the various ships and steamers that were gliding about
on the water, examining carefully the building of each one, and watching
her motions. He now proposed that Rollo should go forward to the bridge
with him, where they could have a better lookout.

"Well," said Rollo. So the two boys went together to the bridge.

The bridge was a sort of narrow platform, extending across the steamer,
from one paddle wheel to the other, for the captain or pilot to walk
upon, in order to see how the steamer was going, and to direct the
steering. When they are in the open sea any of the passengers are
allowed to walk here; but in coming into port, or into a river crowded
with shipping, then a notice is put up requesting passengers not to go
upon the bridge, inasmuch as at such times it is required for the
exclusive use of the captain and pilot.

This notice was up when Waldron and Rollo reached the bridge.

"See," said Rollo, pointing at the notice. "We cannot go there."

"O, never mind that," said Waldron. "They'll let us go. They only mean
that they don't want too many there--that's all."

But Rollo would not go. Mr. George had accustomed him, in travelling
about the world, always to obey all lawful rules and orders, and
particularly every direction of this kind which he might find in public
places. Some people are very much inclined to crowd upon the line of
such rules, and even to encroach upon them till the