Up The Baltic Part 21

"I left him in the hall only a moment since."

"Show me his room, my hearty," said Peaks to the waiter.

"Call a carriage," added Mr. Lowington. "He will make a disturbance in the streets."

The servant led the way to the room of Clyde, followed by the rest of the party. All were rather anxious to see the clever Briton, who had done such wonders of valor and cunning, captured.

But Clyde had a pair of eyes, and, withal, a pair of ears. From the hall where he promenaded were several doors opening into the court-yard. Perhaps the youth had a Yankee's curiosity to see who called upon his new acquaintance, and he went to one of these doors.

He saw Paul walk up to the princ.i.p.al, and shake hands with him. There was the big boatswain too, and there were two of the n.o.bs with the gold bands. It was evident enough to Clyde, then, that he had made a blunder in relating his exploits to a stranger. But the battle was not lost yet. His chamber was on the ground floor, and had a window which opened into Dronningensgaden. Without losing another instant, he opened the window, and dropped out into the street. He did not even wait to take the bundle which contained his ship's uniform.

When Peaks entered the chamber, the bird had flown, and the open window indicated the means by which he had escaped; but Clyde had several minutes the start of his pursuers, and had made good use of his time. The boatswain dropped out of the window, followed by Norwood and Lincoln, while the princ.i.p.al and the doctor went round by the doors as the more dignified means of egress. Peaks went one way, and the two lieutenants the other way.

Clyde, fearful that haste might look suspicious, walked a short distance, till he came to a building on which was a sign, _Hotel du Nord_, and which appeared to be under repairs. He stepped in at the open door, and went up stairs. Men were at work in some of the rooms; but he avoided them, and appeared to be looking over the building. At last he came to an open window on the street from which he had entered. He looked out, and in the distance saw his pursuers running rapidly in opposite directions. After he had remained in the hotel about an hour, he ventured to leave, and walked very cautiously up the street. Feeling the need of an overcoat, he entered a store, and purchased one, which still further disguised him, so that if he met any of his late shipmates, they would be still less likely to recognize him. He walked till he came to a carriage stand; where, entering a vehicle, he pointed in the direction he wished to go, which was towards the king's palace. When the driver stopped at the gate, he pointed towards the hills in the rear of the city. The Norwegian looked astonished, and could not understand him.

"I want to go out of town."

The driver drove his horse to the other side of the street, and hailed a short, stout man, who was pa.s.sing at the time.

"Do you want a guide, sir?" asked the stranger.

"Yes," promptly replied Clyde.

"Where do wish to go?"

"Over there," replied Clyde, pointing again in the direction he wished to go.

"To Sandviken?"

"Yes; that's the place," added the youth, who did not care where he went, if he could only get out of the city.

"It is more than eight miles," suggested the guide.

"I don't care if it is eighty; that's where I want to go. Are you a _commissionaire_?"

"Yes. I belong to the Victoria Hotel."

"All right; jump in."

The man made a bargain with the driver, and in a few moments Clyde was on his way to Sandviken, confident that he had escaped any further pursuit. He had already come to the conclusion not to see his mother until after the Young America had left Christiania.

In the mean time, Peaks had given up the chase. Paul a.s.sured the princ.i.p.al that Clyde would come back as soon as his mother arrived.

Mr. Lowington did not care to have the new scholar see his mother again if he was to be a student in the Academy; but as Clyde could not be found, there appeared to be no alternative.

In a couple of hours, the fugitive reached Sandviken, where he informed his astonished guide that he intended to proceed to Christiansand by land. His courier was willing to go with him so long as he was paid; and as Clyde had plenty of money, and disbursed it freely, there was no difficulty. Though the next day was Sunday, the young traveller continued his journey, and on Monday afternoon arrived at Apalsto, at the head of one of the inland lakes, where he intended to sleep; but the station-house was full. Clyde was tired, and did not feel like going any farther. While he was sending his courier to look up a bed for him, about a dozen boys wearing the uniform of the Academy ship flashed upon his view. He was astonished and alarmed. He suspected that this party had been sent to the interior to head him off. He was determined not to be an easy victim.

One of the party had a good-sized salmon in his hand, which indicated that they had been a-fishing.

They took no notice of him, though they could not help seeing him, and Clyde took courage from this circ.u.mstance.

The fishing squad was composed of the crew of the second cutter--the unfortunates who had been run down by the steamer.

CHAPTER IX.

THE EXCURSION WITHOUT RUNNING AWAY.

The second cutter was a wreck on the water, and the crew saved themselves by climbing up the bow of the steamer which had run down the boat. They received prompt a.s.sistance from those on board, and, as the cutter did not sink, and would not have done so, having no ballast, even if she had been cut in two, the crew were so well trained that not one of them was guilty of the absurdity of jumping overboard, and therefore no one was even very wet.

It appeared to be one of those cases where both parties had struggled to avoid the catastrophe, but the more they struggled the worse was the situation. If the cutter, on the one hand, had continued on her course, she would have escaped. If the steamer, on the other hand, had not changed her course when the calamity was threatened, the boat could have avoided her. The change of purpose in each had confused the other, and rendered unavailing the attempt to avoid the collision. The boat would have gone clear of the steamer if the latter had not put her helm to starboard. But the catastrophe was accomplished so quickly that there was not much time to philosophize; and as nothing worse than a stove boat had resulted from it, there was not much reason to complain. We are not aware that any one did complain; and we only state the appearances, not the facts.

The steamer started her wheels again after the cutter had been secured and made fast astern. The captain spoke only a few words of English, and Sanford found it quite impossible to hold a conversation with him.

But Ole Amundsen was at hand in this emergency.

"Tell him he needn't stop for us, Ole," said the c.o.xswain.

"Don't you want to return to the ship?" asked the astonished waif.

"No, no," replied Sanford, in a low tone, so that some of the doubtful members of his crew might not hear him. "Where is the steamer going, Ole?"

"To Christiania, stopping at all the ports on the coast," answered Ole, when he had obtained the information from the captain.

"All right; we will go to the first place where she stops," added Sanford. "Don't say a word to the rest of the fellows, Ole."

"The first port she stops at is Lillesand," said Ole.

"Very well; we will go there."

Ole explained to the captain that the boys he had picked up wished to go to Lillesand, where they could join their ship. This plan exactly suited the young Norwegian, for he did not like the idea of being landed at Christiansand, or taken back to the ship.

"Where are we going? Why don't he put us on sh.o.r.e, or on board of the ship?" demanded Burchmore.

"It's a mail steamer; she is very late," replied Ole.

"But is she going to carry us off, because she is in a hurry?"

"Only to a port up here a little ways. We can come right back in another steamer," Ole explained; and Burchmore was satisfied.

Now, the captain had certainly declared that he was in a great hurry, and was not willing to wait for the boat which had put off from the ship; but he proposed to hail a boat which was pa.s.sing, and send his involuntary pa.s.sengers to the town in her. Ole a.s.sured him his companions wished to go to Lillesand, and he was too glad to avoid any delay. As the first cutter followed the steamer, it was decided, after consultation with the captain, to turn the stove boat adrift, so that it could be towed back to the ship by the first cutters. Sanford cast off the painter, and the pliant master of the steamer was glad to get rid of this check upon the speed of his boat. The boys watched the water-logged craft till it was picked up by the first cutter, and then pa.s.sing behind an island, the squadron was out of view.

"How came you here, Ole?" asked Rodman.

"Came in the boat; but I didn't think you were going to smash her. I thought I was killed that time, sure," laughed the waif.

"But how came you in the boat?" inquired Wilde.

"I got in, of course; n.o.body put me in."