York whenever I please," continued Waldron. "I go when she does not know it. Sometimes the men let me help them carry out the melted iron, and pour it into the moulds."
By this time the two boys had reached the place where Mr. George was. He was sitting on what is called a camp stool, and was engaged in reading his guide book, and studying the map, with a view of finding out what route it would be best to take in the tour they were about making in Scotland. Mr. George drew the boys into conversation with him on the subject. His object was to become acquainted with Waldron, and find out what sort of a boy he was.
"Where do you wish to go, Waldron?" said Mr. George.
"Why, I want to stay here a good many days," said Waldron, "to see the steamers and the dockyards. They are building a monstrous iron ship, somewhere here. She is going to be five hundred tons bigger than the Baltic."
"I should like to see her," said Mr. George.
As he said this he kept his eye upon his map, following his finger, as he moved it about from place to place, as if he was studying out a good way to go.
"There is Edinburgh," said Mr. George; "we must certainly go to Edinburgh."
"Yes," said Waldron, "I suppose that is a pretty great place. Besides, I want to see the houses twelve stories high."
"And there is Linlithgow," continued Mr. George, still looking upon his map. "That is the place where Mary, Queen of Scots, was born. Waldron, would you like to go there?"
"Why, no," said 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 they actually encounter some resistance to drive them back. They do this partly to show their independence and importance. But Mr. George was not one of this sort.
So Rollo would not go upon the bridge.
"Then let us go out on the forecastle," said Waldron. He pointed, as he spoke, to the forecastle, which is a small raised deck at the bows of a steamer, where there is an excellent place to see.
"No," said Rollo, "I will not go on the forecastle either. Uncle George's rule for me on board ship is, that I may go where I see other gentlemanly passengers go, and nowhere else. The passengers do not go on the forecastle."
"Yes," said Waldron, "there are some there now."
"There is only one," said Rollo, "and he has no business there."
During the progress of this conversation the boys had sat down upon the upper step of a steep flight of stairs which led down from the promenade deck to the main deck. They could see pretty well where they were, but not so well, Waldron thought, as they could have seen from the forecastle.
"I think we might go on the forecastle as well as not," said Waldron, "even according to your own rule. For there is a passenger there."
"I think it is doubtful," said Rollo.
"Well," said Waldron, "we'll call it doubtful. We will draw lots for it."
So saying, Waldron put his hand in his pocket, and, after fumbling about there a minute or two, took it out, and held it before Rollo with the fingers shut, so that Rollo could not see what was in it.
"Odd or even?" said Waldron.
Rollo looked at the closed hand, with a smile of curiosity on his face, but he did not answer.
"Say odd or even," continued Waldron. "If you hit, that will prove that you are right, and we will not go to the forecastle; but if you miss, then we will go."
Rollo hesitated a moment, not being quite sure that this was a proper way of deciding a question of right and wrong. In a moment, however, he answered, "Even."
Waldron opened his hand, and Rollo saw that there was nothing in it.
"There," said Waldron, "it is odd, and you said even."
"No," said Rollo, "it is not either even or odd. There is nothing at all in your hand."
"Well," said Waldron, "nothing is a number, and it is odd."
"O Waldron!" said Rollo, "it is not any number at all. Besides, if it is a number, it is not odd—it is even."
"Yes," said Waldron, "it is a number, for you can add it, and subtract it, and multiply it, and divide it, just as you can any other number."
"O Waldron!" exclaimed Rollo again. "You can't do any such thing."
