Up The Baltic Part 18

"It certainly looks like an exaggeration," replied Ryder.

"Look at this," added Lincoln, pointing to a scene on the coast of Norway. "There's a large steamer carrying a top-gallant yard on the foremast. That mast is probably a hundred and fifty feet high, and there are hills and bluffs beyond it--which would lose by the perspective--five times as high."

"Still it is very fine scenery."

"So it is; but no finer than we have on the coast of Maine. You remember last summer we went through the Reach, down by Machias? That was something like this, and quite as pleasant."

"We mustn't be too critical, Lincoln," laughed Ryder.

"I don't intend to be critical; but I had an idea, from the pictures I have seen, that Christiania Fjord was something like the Saguenay River, where the cliffs rise perpendicularly four or five hundred feet high. These pictures would certainly lead one to expect such sights."

"Horton," said the pilot, pointing to a town which now came into view, as the vessel pa.s.sed beyond a point of land.

It was a small place, in appearance not unlike a New England village.

At the wharf were a couple of small steamers, one of which had come down the Drammen, and the entire population of the town seemed to have turned out on the occasion, for the sh.o.r.e was covered with people. They were all neatly dressed. On the opposite side of the fjord was the town of Moss, where the convention by which Norway and Sweden were united was drawn up and agreed upon.

The fleet sailed rapidly before the fresh breeze across the broad expanse, and then entered a narrow pa.s.sage. There was a gentle declivity on each side of the fjord, which was covered, as far as the eye could see, with pines. Drobak, on the right, is a village of one street, on the side of the hill. The houses are mostly of one story, painted yellow, with roofs covered with red tile. Before noon the pa.s.sage began to widen, and the fleet entered another broad expanse of water, filled with rocky islands, at the head of which stood the city of Christiania. Some of the islets were pretty and picturesque, in some instances having a single cottage upon them, with a little garden. The rocks were often of curious formation, and the sh.o.r.e of one island was as regular and smooth as though it had been a piece of masonry. After rounding a point of rocks, the fleet came into full view of Christiania. The city and its environs are spread out on the southern slope of a series of hills, and presents a beautiful landscape to the eye. On the left the country was covered with villas, prominent among which was Oscarshal, a summer palace of the late king.

On the right was the castle of Agershuus, rising abruptly from the water. At a little distance from the town was a kind of hotel, built on a picturesque island, with its pretty landing-place, not unlike some similar establishments near the head of Narragansett Bay. At the wharf in front of the city, and lying in the bay, was a considerable number of steamers, some of them quite large. The fleet ran up to the front of the city and anch.o.r.ed.

"This is the end of my voyage," said Clyde Blacklock, when everything had been put in order on board of the ship.

"You are not going yet--are you?" laughed Scott.

"Very soon."

"I thought you were going to stop, and whip Peaks and the two lieutenants."

"Time enough for that. I suppose the ship will stay here two or three days--won't she?"

"Perhaps a week. I suppose we shall go on sh.o.r.e this afternoon, and see the sights."

"I say, Scott, if you tell those officers what I've been saying to you, I'll serve you in the same way," added Clyde, as for the first time it occurred to him that he had been imprudent in developing his plans to another.

"No! You won't lick me, too--will you?"

"Not if you behave like a man, and don't peach," answered Clyde, in a patronizing tone.

"I will try to be a good boy, then," laughed Scott.

"I only want to catch them on sh.o.r.e, where I can have fair play. I'm not to be f.a.gged by any fellow that ever was born."

Clyde walked uneasily about the deck till the crew were piped to dinner, evidently thinking how he should carry his big intentions into execution. To one less moved by fancied insults and indignities the case would have looked hopeless. He devoured his dinner in a much shorter period than is usually allotted by well-bred Englishmen to that pleasing diversion, and hastened on deck again. Peaks was there, acting as ship-keeper, while the carpenter was painting the second cutter, the repairs upon which had been completed. The big boatswain was seated on one of the cat-heads, where he could see the entire deck of the ship, and observe every craft that approached her. The new student observed his position, and thought he was seated in a very careless manner. A very wicked thought took possession of the Briton's mind, and he ascended to the top-gallant forecastle. The boatswain sat very composedly on the cat-head, with his feet hanging over the water, and was just then studying the beauties of the landscape. A very slight exercise of force would displace him, and drop him into the water.

"Well, my hearty, you stowed your grub in a hurry," said Peaks, when he discovered the new pupil.

"I was not very hungry, and thought I would take another look at the town," replied Clyde. "What's that big building off there, near the hills?"

"That may be the county jail, the court-house, or the lunatic asylum.

I haven't the least idea what it is," answered Peaks, indifferently.

"The professors can tell you all about those things."

"I wonder where that ship came from?" added Clyde, pointing to a vessel which was standing in ahead of the Young America.

"That isn't a ship," replied Peaks, as he turned partly round, so that he could see the craft. "That's a 'mofferdite brig; or, as bookish people would say, an hermaphrodite brig--half brig and half schooner.

You must call things, especially vessels, by their right names, or you will fall in the opinion of--"

At that instant the big boatswain dropped into the deep waters of the fjord.

"And you will fall, in my opinion," said Clyde, as, taking advantage of his antagonist's attention to the brig, he gave him a smart push, which displaced him from the cat-head.

But Peaks, who was half man and half fish, was as much at home in the water as on the deck, and struck out for the cable, by which the ship was anch.o.r.ed, as the nearest point of support. Clyde walked along the rail till he came to the swinging-boom, where the boats which had been lowered for use after dinner were fastened. Climbing out on the boom, he dropped down by the painter into the third cutter, one of the four-oar boats. Bitts, the carpenter, who had been the only person on board except the boatswain, was in the waist busily at work upon the boat, and did not observe that anything unusual had transpired. Clyde had practised gymnastics a great deal, and was an active, agile fellow. Casting off the painter of the third cutter, he worked her astern, so as to avoid Peaks. Then, shipping a pair of oars, he pulled for the sh.o.r.e.

In the mean time, the boatswain, disdaining to call for a.s.sistance, and not having observed the movements of Clyde, climbed up the cable to the hawse-hole, and then, by the bowsprit guys, made his way to the top-gallant forecastle, where he discovered the Briton in the cutter, pulling with all his might for the sh.o.r.e. Shaking the water from his clothes, he hastened to the main cabin, and informed the princ.i.p.al that the new scholar had left the ship.

"Left the ship!" exclaimed Mr. Lowington. "Were you not on deck while the students were at dinner?"

"Yes, sir, most of the time; but just at the moment when the young sculpin left the ship, I happened to be in the water," answered Peaks, shrugging his shoulders like a Frenchman, and glancing at his wet garments.

"How came you in the water?"

"The little Britisher pushed me overboard, when I was sitting on the cat-head."

"I see," added the princ.i.p.al. "We must get him back before his mother arrives."

By this time most of the students had come up from the steerage, and the order was given to pipe away the first cutter. Peaks was directed to change his clothes, and go in her. He was ready by the time the crew were in their seats, for, as he was not a fashionable man, his toilet was soon made. The boats from the other vessels of the fleet, including those of the yachts, were already on their way to the town.

The first cutter pulled to the sh.o.r.e; but Clyde had already landed, and disappeared in the city.

As at Christiansand, Paul Kendall and lady decided to remain on sh.o.r.e during the stay of the fleet. They had several pieces of baggage, and the custom-house officers on the wharf were obliged to examine them, after which they followed a porter to the Victoria Hotel, which was said to be the best in the place. Peaks found a man who could speak English, and immediately applied himself to the business of finding the runaway. Clyde had been seen going up one of the streets, but no one knew anything about him.

The fugitive felt that he had achieved a victory. He had "paid off"

the big boatswain, and no fellow on board of the ship could believe that he had not kept his word. He walked up the street till he came to Dronningensgaden. People looked at him as though he were a stranger, and he became aware that his uniform was exciting attention. In the Kirkegade he found a clothing store, in which the shop-keeper spoke English. In changing his dress on board of the ship, he had retained the contents of his pockets, including a well-filled purse. He selected a suit of clothes which pleased him, and immediately put it on. At another store he bought a hat, and then he appeared like a new being. With the bundle containing his uniform, he walked till he found a carriage, in which he seated himself, and ordered the driver to leave him at the Victoria Hotel. He thought it would only be necessary for him to keep out of sight till evening, when his mother would probably arrive in the Foldin, and he was confident he could induce her to withdraw him from the Academy. He would stay in his room the rest of the day, and by that time the search for him, if any was made, would be ended.

"I want a nice room for myself, another for my mother and sister, who will arrive this evening, and a place for the man," said Clyde, as the porter of the hotel touched his cap, and helped him out of the carriage.

The young man was evidently a person of some importance. The porter, the clerk, and the head waiter, who came out to receive him, bowed low. A man took his bundle, and he was ushered to a room on the ground floor. As he crossed the court, he discovered several of the Orlando's pa.s.sengers in the reading-room. He had not entered his chamber before there was another arrival,--Paul Kendall and lady,--who were a.s.signed to the next room.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SIGHTS OF CHRISTIANIA AND OTHER MATTERS.

As there was in Christiania much to be seen that needed explanation, the students were required to keep together, and several guides from the hotel were obtained, to conduct the party to the various objects of interest in the city. A walk through some of the princ.i.p.al streets brought them to the new Parliament house, which is called the _Storthingsbyggningen_. It is a fine building, but with nothing remarkable about it. In the lower house, the students seated themselves in the chairs of the members, and Mr. Mapps took the speaker's desk.

"Christiania was founded in 1624, on the site of the ancient city of Osloe, which was destroyed by fire. It is the residence of the king during his sojourn in Norway, and the new palace, which you saw on the hill, was completed for his use in 1848. The city, as you have seen, is regularly laid out, and the buildings are either of brick or stone.

Formerly the dwellings were of wood, but the frequent fires caused the adoption of a law that no more wooden buildings should be erected within the precincts of the city. The place has considerable commerce, and now contains nearly sixty thousand inhabitants.