Up The Baltic Part 22

"When?"

"When it hung at the davits in the ship, just before the pilot came on board."

"What do you get in there for?"

"My education has been neglected, and I have to do a great deal of thinking to make up for it. I don't like to be disturbed when I'm thinking; so I got into the boat, and covered myself with the sail."

"Tell that to the fishes," snuffed Wilde.

"You can, if you wish; I don't speak their language," laughed Ole.

"But really, Norway, what did you get into the second cutter for?"

said Sanford.

"The pilot was a first cousin of mine, and I was afraid he would whip me for making faces at him when I was a baby. He never forgets anything."

"Nonsense!"

"Well, if you know better than I, don't ask me any more about it."

Ole was no more inclined to explain how he came in the second cutter than he had been to solve the mystery of being in a water-logged bateau, out of sight of land. It only appeared that while the students covered the rail and crowded the rigging to see the land, he had put himself into the boat. When the hands were called to man the braces, he, having no duty to perform, had not answered the call, and was left alone in the cutter. At sea, every precaution was taken to provide for the safety of the crew in case of any calamity. Each boat was provided with a sail, a mast, a compa.s.s, and several breakers of water, and a quant.i.ty of provisions was ready to be put in when needed. Ole stowed himself beneath the sail, which lay under the middle board, extending fore and aft. Before De Forrest took his place in the stern-sheets, Stockwell had discovered the absentee, and communicated the fact of his presence to those near him. The crew of the second cutter were entirely willing to keep his secret, as they were that of any one who needed their help. Among such boys it was regarded as dishonorable in the highest degree to betray any one; and, indeed, the princ.i.p.al discountenanced anything like "tale-bearing," to which the students gave a very liberal construction. Sanford had proposed that De Forrest should take a walk on sh.o.r.e, in order to give Ole an opportunity to escape from his confinement, which, on account of the singular obstinacy and suspicion of that officer, had threatened to be indefinitely continued, till the collision came to his aid.

"How's this?" said Stockwell, as he seated himself by the side of the c.o.xswain, on one of the settees on the quarter-deck of the steamer.

"How's what?" asked Sanford.

"It seems to me that we are clear of the ship, and without running away."

"Don't say a word. We got spilled out the boat, and it was not our doing. We obeyed De Forrest's orders to the very letter, so that no fault can be found with us."

"Of course not."

"If De Forrest had not ordered me to shove off, I shouldn't have done so."

"Then the boat might have been ground up on the rocks."

"Do you see anything green in my eye?" replied Sanford, suggestively.

"You don't mean to say that you smashed the boat on purpose?"

"Certainly I don't mean to _say_ anything of the sort. I obey orders if I break owners, or boats either, for that matter."

"What are you going to do next?"

"I don't know. The programme is to go back in the steamer that returns to Christiansand to-morrow night."

"O, then you mean to go back."

"Your head's as thick as the broadside of an iron-clad. Of course I mean to go back."

"Immediately?"

"In the next boat."

Stockwell did not exactly like the sharp way with which Sanford dealt with his innocence. Certainly the c.o.xswain and himself had talked about an excursion to the interior of Norway without running away; but now, though the circ.u.mstances favored the plan, his friend plainly announced his intention to return to Christiansand and join the ship.

But it could be said of the c.o.xswain that his ways were dark, and Stockwell was more inclined to wait than to question him. In two hours the steamer arrived at Lillesand, and the party went on sh.o.r.e. The place was only a small village, but they found accommodations for the night.

"What time does the steamer for Christiansand leave this place?" asked Sanford, as the party gathered at the station-house, which is the hotel, post-office, and establishment for furnishing horses to travellers.

"To-morrow evening," replied Ole.

"To-morrow evening!" exclaimed the c.o.xswain. "That will never do! What time?"

"About eight o'clock," answered the waif, whose devotion to the truth did not prevent him from stating the time two hours later than the fact warranted. "She may be two or three hours later."

"The squadron sails for Christiania to-morrow afternoon," added Sanford. "The ship will be gone before we can get there."

"She will not go without us," suggested Burchmore.

"Yes, she will," said Stockwell, who was beginning to fathom the dark ways of the c.o.xswain. "The princ.i.p.al will suppose we have gone on to Christiania."

"That's so."

"But what are we to do?" demanded Tinckner.

"That's the question," added Sanford, with a blank look, as though he considered the situation as utterly hopeless.

"We are not so badly off as we might be," said Boyden.

"I don't see how it could be any worse," replied Sanford. "But I don't know that it is our fault. The captain of the steamer would not stop, after he had picked us up; at least, I don't know anything about it; but Ole said he wouldn't stop."

"He could not stop," protested the waif, vehemently. "He had only just time enough to reach Frederiksvaern in season for the other steamer. If he lost her, he would be turned off. He wouldn't stop for love or money."

"No matter, for that; here we are, and what are we going to do? It's no use to cry for spilled milk," continued Stockwell. "The ship will go to Christiania, and won't come near this place. Mr. Lowington will expect to find us there when he arrives, and all we have to do is to make good his calculation. We have plenty of money, and we can get there somehow or other."

Involuntarily, every fellow put his hands into his pocket; and then, if not before, they recalled the suggestion of the c.o.xswain, made before they took their places in the cutter, that they should bring their money and their pea-jackets; but then, it seemed simply absurd that the boat had been smashed by his contrivance.

"Was it for this, Sanford, that you told us to bring our money?" said Burchmore.

"I should say a fellow ought always to carry his money with him. No one can tell what will happen to him when he goes away from the ship,"

replied the c.o.xswain. "You can see that it's lucky you have it with you. We might have to spend the summer here if we had no money. When will a steamer go from here to Christiania, Norway?"

"Next Friday--just a week from to-day," replied the Norwegian, very seriously.

"A week!" exclaimed Burchmore.

"That is not long; a week is soon gone."