He would get out of his bed-room window at night, walk along a coping, and climb over the roof to the top of the next house, only for the high purpose of astonishing a neighbor by dropping a stone down his chimney.

As a young school-boy he came upon Hoole's translation of Ariosto, and achieved in his father's back yard knightly adventures.

"Robinson Crusoe" and "Sindbad the Sailor" made him yearn to go to sea.

But this was impossible unless he could learn to lie hard and eat salt pork, which he detested.

He would get out of bed at night and lie on the floor for an hour or two by way of practice.