"I have never climbed so high as that, because I have never had the chance; but it ought to be easy enough." The man laughed.
"There are not many sailors who can do it," he said.

"Well, let us see how high you will get." As Dick was accustomed to go up a rope thirty feet high, hand over hand, without using his legs, he was confident that, with their assistance, he could get up to the main top, lofty as it was, and he at once threw off his jacket and started.

He found the task harder than he had anticipated, but he did it without a pause.

He was glad, however, when the two sailors above grasped him by the arms, and placed him beside them on the main top.
"Well, sir," one said, admiringly, "we thought you was a Johnny Newcome, by the way you went up the ratlines, but you came up that rope like a monkey.
"Well, sir, you are free up here, and if you weren't it would not make much odds to you, for it would take half the ship's company to capture you." "I don't want to get off paying my footing," Dick said, pulling five shillings from his pocket and handing them to the sailors; for his mother had told him that it was the custom, on first going aloft, to make a present to them, and had given him the money for the purpose.
"I can climb, but I don't know anything about ropes, and I shall be very much obliged if you will teach me all you can.".