lost
his trunks, at any rate. See all these orange women, too, Jennie,
standing on the edge of the pier. How many oranges they have got. Do you
suppose they will sell them all? O Jennie, Jennie, look there! See that
great pile of trunks going up into the air."

Jane looked in the direction where Rollo pointed, and saw a large pile
of trunks and boxes, eight or ten in all, slowly rising into the air,
being drawn up by means of a monstrous rope, which descended from a
system of pulleys and machinery above. After attaining a considerable
height, the whole mass slowly moved over toward the ship, and after
reaching the centre of the deck it began to descend again, with a great
rattling of chains and machinery, until it disappeared from view
somewhere on board.

"That is the way they get the baggage on board, Jennie," said Rollo. "I
never should have thought of getting baggage on board in that way;
should you, Jennie? I wonder where the trunks go to when the rope lets
them down. It is in some great black hole, I have no doubt, down in the
ship. The next load of trunks that comes I have a great mind to go and
see."

"No, no!" said Jane, "you must not go away. Uncle George said that we
must not move away from here on any account."

"So he did," said Rollo. "Well, I won't go."

After a short time, Jennie became so far accustomed to her situation as
to feel in some degree relieved of her fears. In fact, she began to find
it quite amusing to watch the various phases which the exciting scene
that was passing before her assumed. Rollo endeavored still more to
encourage and cheer her, by frequently assuring her that their uncle
would soon come back. He did this, indeed, from the best of motives;
but it was not wise or even right to do so, for he could not possibly
know when his uncle would come back, or even whether he would come back
at all.

In the mean time, the crowd of carriages and people coming and going on
the pier was continually increasing as the time for the departure of the
ship drew nigh. There were more than one hundred passengers to come on
board, and almost every one of these had many friends to come with them,
to bid them good by; so that there was a perpetual movement of carriages
coming and going upon the pier, and the long plank which led up to the
ship was crowded with people ascending and descending in continuous
streams. The paddle wheels were all the time in motion, though the ship,
being yet fastened