Up The Baltic Part 30

"I don't object; you can go whichever way you please," added the cashier, very gently.

"But we mean to keep the party together; and we might as well fight it out here as in any other place."

Clyde threw off his overcoat, as though he intended to give a literal demonstration of his remark.

"I don't consider you as one of the party," added Burchmore.

"Don't you?"

"No, I do not. You don't belong to our ship, and I don't pay your bills."

"No matter for that. If you are not willing to go the way the rest of us wish to go, I'll pound you till you are willing."

"No, no, Old England; we don't want anything of that sort. Burchmore is a first-rate fellow," interposed the politic Sanford.

"You leave this fellow to me; I'll take care of him. I can whip him out of his boots."

"I shall stick to my boots for the present," replied Burchmore, who did not seem to be intimidated by the sharp conduct of the Briton. "I am willing to listen to reason, but I shall not be bullied into anything."

"What do you mean by bullied? Do you call me a bully?" foamed Clyde.

"You can draw your own inferences."

"Do you call me a bully?" demanded Clyde, doubling his fists, and walking up to the cashier.

"Enough of this," said Sanford, stepping between the Briton and his intended victim. "We shall not allow anybody to lick Burchmore, for he is a good fellow, and always means right."

"I don't allow any fellow to call me a bully," replied Clyde.

"He didn't call you a bully. He only said he would not be bullied into anything."

"It's the same thing."

"No matter if it is, Old England. You volunteered to pound him if he wouldn't go with us; and it strikes me that this is something like bullying," added the c.o.xswain, with a cheerful smile.

"I shall thrash him for his impudence, at any rate."

"It isn't exactly civil to tell a fellow you will pound him if he won't go with us; and who shall thrash you for your impudence, eh, Old England?"

"I mean what I say."

"We shall allow no fight on this question, my gentle Britisher. If you should happen to hit Burchmore, I have no doubt he would wallop you soundly for your impudence."

"I should like to see him do it," cried Clyde, pulling off his coat, and throwing himself into the att.i.tude of the pugilist.

"No, you wouldn't, Albion; and if you would you can't have that pleasure. There will be no fight to-day."

"Yes, there will," shouted Clyde.

"Not much;" and Sanford, Rodman, and Stockwell placed themselves between Burchmore and Clyde.

"Dry up, Great Britain!" added Wilde.

"We have a point to settle here," continued Sanford, taking no further notice of the belligerent Briton. "The right hand road goes to Kongsberg; but there is no hotel in that direction where we could sleep to-night. I propose, therefore, that we go on to--what's the name of the place, Norway?"

"Tinoset," replied Ole.

"To Tinoset, where there is a big hotel."

"How far is it?" asked Churchill.

"Only two or three miles. Then to-morrow we can go on to Kongsberg, unless you prefer to go a better way. I'm always ready to do just what the rest of the fellows say," added Sanford.

The matter was discussed in all its bearings, and even Burchmore thought it better to sleep at Tinoset.

"All right," said Sanford, as he moved off towards his cariole.

"Not yet," interposed Clyde, who still stood with his coat off. "I haven't settled my affair with this spoony."

Burchmore and Churchill walked leisurely towards their vehicle, while Rodman and Stockwell covered the retreat.

"If you thrash him, you thrash the whole of us, Great Britain," said Rodman.

"What kind of a way is that?" demanded the disgusted Briton.

"We won't have any fight over this matter," added Stockwell. "Jump in, and let us be off."

"We'll settle it when we get to that place," replied Clyde, seeing that this opportunity was lost.

The procession resumed its journey, and in half an hour arrived at Tinoset. As it was early in the season, the hotel was not crowded, as it sometimes is. The town is at the foot of Lake Tins, upon which the little steamer Rjukan made three trips a week each way. The boat was to depart the next morning for Ornaes, which is only a few miles from the Rjukanfos. Sanford declared that the most direct route to Christiania was by steamer through this lake, and then by cariole the rest of the journey. Ole, of course, backed up all he said, and most of the boys wished to go that way. For some reason or other, Burchmore kept still, though he did not a.s.sent to the c.o.xswain's plan, and the question was still open when the tourists were called to supper.

"Ole, I want to see you alone," said the cashier, after the meal was finished.

"What for?" asked Ole.

"I have some money for you."

"For me?"

"Come along."

Burchmore led the way to the lake, where they found a retired place.

"What money have you for me?" demanded the astonished Norwegian.

"How much did Sanford give you for humbugging us?"

"For what?"