much?" He knew what the German was for how much. The man said,
"Two groschen." So Rollo took the two groschen from his pocket and paid
him. Two groschen are about five cents.

Rollo walked about in the village where he had landed for nearly half an
hour; and then, taking another boat on that side, he returned as he had
come. On his way back he saw a great raft coming down. He immediately
conceived the idea of taking a little sail on that raft, down the river.
He wanted to see "how it would seem" to be on such an immense raft, and
how the men managed it. So he went in to propose the plan to his uncle
George. He said that he should like to go down the river a little way on
the raft, and then walk back.

"Yes," said Mr. George, "or you might come up in the next steamer."

"So I might," said Rollo.

"I have no objection," said Mr. George.

"How far down may I go?" said Rollo.

"Why, you had better not go more than ten or fifteen miles," said Mr.
George, "for the raft goes slowly,--probably not more than two or three
miles an hour,--and it would take you four or five hours, perhaps, to go
down ten miles. You would, however, come back quick in the steamer. Go
down stairs and consider the subject carefully, and form your plan
complete. Consider how you will manage to get on board the raft, and to
get off again; and where you will stop to take the steamer, and when you
will get home; and when you have planned it all completely, come to me
again."

So Rollo went down, and after making various inquiries and calculations,
he returned in about ten minutes to Mr. George, with the following plan.

"The waiter tells me," said he, "that the captain of the raft will take
me down as far as I want to go, and set me ashore any where, in his
boat, for two or three groschen, and that one of the boatmen here will
take me out to the raft, when she comes by, for two groschen. A good
place for me to stop would be Boppard, which is about ten or twelve
miles below here. The raft will get there about two o'clock. Then there
will be a steamer coming along by there at three, which will bring up
here at four, just about dinner time. The waiter says that he will go
out with me to the raft, and explain it all to the captain, because the
captain would not understand me, as he only knows German."

"Very well," said Mr. George. "That's a very good plan. Only I advise
you to make a bargain with the captain to put you ashore any where you
like. Be