laurence wondered if perhaps he did not approve the clamor and disarray of the deck , but no , it seemed he was only trying to get his feet underneath him : he took a few tentative steps back and forth , then stretched his sea-legs a little further and walked the length of the gangway and back more surely , with his hands clasped behind his back , and gazed with frowning concentration up at the rigging , trying evidently to trace the maze of ropes from their source to their conclusion .