ed for the captain. But the
cost of the passage was more than the prudent Tiidu cared to pay, and
though he played his best on his pipes, the captain refused to lower his
price, and Tiidu was just thinking of returning on shore when his usual
luck flew to his aid. A young sailor, who had heard him play, came
secretly to him, and offered to hide him on board, in the absence of the
captain. So the next night, as soon as it was dark, Tiidu stepped softly
on deck, and was hidden by his friend down in the hold in a corner
between two casks. Unseen by the rest of the crew the sailor managed to
bring him food and drink, and when they were well out of sight of land
he proceeded to carry out a plan he had invented to deliver Tiidu
from his cramped quarters. At midnight, while he was keeping watch and
everyone else was sleeping, the man bade his friend Tiidu follow him on
deck, where he tied a rope round Tiidu's body, fastening the other end
carefully to one of the ship's ropes. 'Now,' he said, 'I will throw you
into the sea, and you must shout for help; and when you see the sailors
coming untie the rope from your waist, and tell them that you have swum
after the ship all the way from shore.'

At first Tiidu did not much like this scheme, for the sea ran high,
but he was a good swimmer, and the sailor assured him that there was no
danger. As soon as he was in the water, his friend hastened to rouse
his mates, declaring that he was sure that there was a man in the sea,
following the ship. They all came on deck, and what was their surprise
when they recognised the person who had bargained about a passage the
previous day with the captain.

'Are you a ghost, or a dying man?' they asked him trembling, as they
stooped over the side of the ship.

'I shall soon indeed be a dead man if you do not help me,' answered
Tiidu, 'for my strength is going fast.'

Then the captain seized a rope and flung it out to him, and Tiidu held
it between his teeth, while, unseen by the sailors; he loosed the one
tied round his waist.

'Where have you come from?' said the captain, when Tiidu was brought up
on board the ship.

'I have followed you from the harbour,' answered he, 'and have been
often in sore dread lest my strength should fail me. I hoped that by
swimming after the ship I might at last reach Kungla, as I had no money
to pay my passage.' The captain's heart melted at these words, and he
said kindly: 'You may be thankful that you were not