ther and the palms open between them, in a
manner customary with boys for catching a ball.

The boy understood the sign, though he did not understand the words. He
tossed the ball to Rollo, and Rollo caught it. Rollo then tossed it back
again. Presently Rollo made signs to the boy to sit down upon the floor
at one end of the hall, while he sat down at the other, explaining his
wishes also at the same time in words. The boy talked too, in reply to
Rollo, accompanying what he said with signs and gestures. They got along
thus together in their play very well, each one imagining that he helped
to convey his meaning to the other by what he said, while, in fact,
neither understood a word that was spoken by the other, and so took
notice of nothing but the signs.

Rollo listened attentively once or twice to short replies that his new
friend made to him, in order to see if he could not distinguish some
words in it that he could understand; but he could not; and he finally
concluded that it must be some other language than French that the boy
was speaking. He was sorry for this; for he could understand short
sentences in French pretty well, and could speak short sentences himself
in reply. When, however, he tried to speak to the boy in French, he
observed that he did not appear to understand him any better than when
he spoke in English. This confirmed him in the opinion that the boy must
belong to some other nation.

After playing together for some time with the ball, the two boys began
to feel quite acquainted with each other. Rollo wished very much to find
out his new companion's name; so he asked him, in English,--

"What is your name?"

The boy smiled, and throwing the ball across again to Rollo as he spoke,
said something in reply; but it was a great deal too much to be his
name. What he said was, when interpreted into English, "My father
bought this ball for me, and gave two francs for it."

Then Rollo thought he would try French; so he translated his question,
and asked it in French.

"And I am going to carry it with me to Switzerland and Italy," said the
boy, speaking still in the unknown tongue.

"That can't be your name, either," said Rollo, "I am very sure."

Then, after a moment's pause, he added, in an eager voice and manner, as
if a new idea had suddenly struck him,--

"We are going to the Garden of Plants--uncle George, and Jennie, and I;
wouldn't you like to go, too?"

The boy smiled, and held out his