As the years rolled on their number decreased, but at the time of which I write they were quite numerous, and in winter filled the jails and poor-houses to over-flowing. Like ourselves, they had an aversion to winter travel, but started out in the spring. You will remember that we left home in the spring, and consequently were beginning our journeys at the same time as these tramping idlers began theirs. They pretended to be seeking work, but were careful never to find it. In summer they wanted a job at shoveling snow, and in winter professed to be hay-makers. People living along the highways had suffered much from the beggary and depredation of this class of individuals, and consequently it is more the wonder that our host so readily accepted our story and gave us the hospitality of his house. It must have been that the frank and honest faces of David and myself served as our passports on that occasion. We found Mr. Johnson's house without difficulty, were received at first in the same suspicious manner as on the night before, and afterwards with the same open-handed hospitality. In the morning we walked rapidly into Boston, and, not knowing where to go, headed straight for the water-front and the ships that lay there. As we crossed the bridge from Charlestown to Boston, our curiosity was roused at the sight of the vessels anchored in the harbor or lying at the piers. We had never before seen a ship; the largest floating craft of any kind that had ever greeted our eyes were the row-boats on the Merrimac River, and the cargo-boats that plied occasionally between the falls along that stream. Neither kind of craft was numerous, and all were the merest pigmies compared with the vessels we saw after we reached Boston. As we stood looking at a ship at the head of one of the wharves, a man came up and spoke to us. He asked who we were, and where we had come from; to both of which questions we promptly replied. Then he said,-- "I suppose you've come to Boston to find a ship, haven't you?" "Yes, sir." I answered; "that's what we've come for. Can you tell us of a ship that is going to sea right away?" "Yes, I can," he answered; "this ship right here, the Washington, is going to sail just as soon as she can get a crew. How old are you?" We told our ages, and added that we knew nothing about ships at all, but thought we could learn. "Oh, you'll learn quick enough," he answered, "there's no fear of that. I'll go aboard with you, and see if the captain will take you along. Come ahead, boys, this way, come along." He started in the direction of the ship, which was tied up to the wharf, and we followed. He led us up the gang-plank, and very quickly we found ourselves standing on the deck of what seemed to us a colossal craft. "Stay here a minute," said our new-found friend, "while I find the captain;" and away he went in search of that individual.