ered with boards, and it was high and dry above the water. Rollo
looked down into the interstices, and saw that that part of the raft
which was under water was formed of logs and timbers of very large size,
placed close together side by side, with a layer above crossing the
layer below. The whole was then covered with a flooring of boards, so
close and continuous that Rollo had to look for some time before he
could find any openings where he could look down and see how the raft
was constructed.

In the middle of the raft were several houses. The houses were made of
boards, and were of the plainest and simplest construction. Around the
doors of these houses several women were sitting wherever they could
find shady places. Some were knitting and some were sewing. There were
several children there too, amusing themselves in various ways. One was
skipping a rope. Rudolf conducted Rollo up to one of these families, and
told the women that he was an American boy, who was travelling with his
uncle on the Rhine, and seeing this raft going by, had a curiosity to
come on board of it. The women looked very much pleased when they heard
this. Some of them had friends in America, and others were thinking of
going themselves with their husbands; and they immediately began to talk
very volubly to Rollo, and to ask him questions. But as they spoke
German, Rollo could not understand what they said.

In the mean time the waiter had gone away to speak to the captain of the
raft, and to make arrangements for having Rollo put ashore when he had
sailed long enough upon it. The captain was walking to and fro, upon a
raised platform, near the middle of the raft. This platform I will
describe presently. In a few minutes the man returned.

"The captain gives you a good welcome," said he, "and says he wishes he
could talk English, for he wants to ask you a great many questions about
America. He says you may stay on the raft as long as you please, and
when you wish to go ashore, you have only to go and get on board one of
the boats, and that will be a signal. He will soon see you there, and
will send a man to row you to the shore."

Rollo liked this plan very much. So Rudolf, having arranged every thing,
wished Rollo a "good voyage," and went off in the boat as he came.

Thus Rollo was left alone, as it were, upon the raft; and for a moment
he felt a little appalled at the idea of going down through such a dark
and gloomy gorge as the bed of th