" After
this, which came off glibly, he was anything but communicative. However,
Alfred contrived to extract from him that he was rather glad to leave his
last ship, on account of having been constantly impeded there in his
duties by a set of lubbers, that clung round him and kept him on deck
whenever the first lieutenant ordered him into the top.
The very next day, pacing sadly the dull gravel of his prison yard,
Alfred heard a row; and there was the able seaman struggling with the
Robin and two other keepers. He wanted to go to his duties in the
foretop: to wit, the fork of a high elm-tree in the court-yard. Alfred
had half a mind not to interfere. "Who cares for _my_ misery?" he said.
But his better nature prevailed, and he told the Robin he was sure going
up imaginary rigging would do Thompson more good than harm.
On this the men reluctantly gave him a trial, and he went up the tree
with wonderful strength and agility, but evident caution. Still Alfred
quaked when he crossed his thighs tight over a limb of the tree forty
feet from earth, and went carefully and minutely through the whole
process of furling imaginary sails.
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