Up The Baltic Part 54

"Yes, sir."

"Where did you stow yourself, when we went into Christiansand?"

"In the second cutter, sir," replied the waif, laughing.

"Exactly so; you were to go with her crew when they left."

"No, sir; I didn't know a single one of them."

"What did you hide for, then?"

"Because I didn't want the pilot to see me."

"Why not?" asked the boatswain.

But this was as far as Ole would go in that direction. Neither man nor boy could extort from him the secret he so persistently retained. A short walk brought the party to the Hotel Rydberg.

"This gentleman wants a room," said Sanford to the porter.

"No. 29," said the man, calling a servant. "Did you get your pa.s.sports, young men?"

Sanford drew back, and made energetic signs to the porter to keep still; but the official failed to understand him.

"No; they haven't got them yet," replied Peaks. "The fact is, all the pa.s.sports are on board the ship."

"But the young gentlemen were very anxious to obtain new ones, so that they could go to St. Petersburg. They intended to leave by this morning's steamer, but no tickets can be had without pa.s.sports."

Both Sanford and Stockwell shook their heads to the stupid porter, who was remarkably intelligent on all other points; but somehow he did not see them, or could not comprehend them.

"It's too bad about those pa.s.sports--isn't it, my lads?" laughed Peaks, turning to the runaways. "Here's more proof that you hadn't the least idea of going to St. Petersburg."

"I was very sorry for the young gentlemen, and did the best I could for them," added the gentlemanly porter.

"No doubt you did; and I'm very much obliged to you for the trouble you took," replied the good-natured boatswain.

"No. 29, sir?" interposed the servant, with the key in his hand.

"Ay, ay, my hearty. But, young gentlemen, I want to save you from any more terrible disappointments and awful vexations in finding the ship.

I'm going up to my bunk, and if I don't find you here when I come down, I shall call on the American consul, and ask him to put the police on your track. You shall find the ship this time, or perish in the attempt, sure."

"Here's a go!" exclaimed Stockwell, as the servant conducted the boatswain up the stairs to his chamber.

"What did you say anything to him about the pa.s.sports for?" snapped Sanford to the porter.

The official in uniform by this time understood the matter, and apologized, promising to make it all right with the tall gentleman, and to swear that not a word had been said to him or any one else about pa.s.sports. It was his business to please everybody, and his perquisites depended upon his skill in doing so.

"What did Peaks mean about police?" said Sanford, as the trio seated themselves near the front door of the hotel.

"He means what he says; confound him, he always does!" replied Stockwell. "He intends to treat us as runaway seamen, and have us arrested if we attempt to leave."

"We are trapped," muttered Sanford. "What's Peaks doing up here?"

"I don't know, unless he is looking for us."

"It makes no difference now. We are caught, and we may as well make the best of it."

"It's all up with us," added the c.o.xswain. "Peaks knows what he is about, and there isn't much chance of getting the weather-gage of him."

The boatswain came down in a short time. He was cool and good-natured, and knew exactly how to deal with the parties in hand.

"Now, young gentlemen, if you are going to Russia, don't let me detain you. If you wish to go any where else, I shall not meddle myself. I shall let the American consul attend to the matter. I have business here, and I can't keep an eye on you. But if you want to be fair and square, and not break your hearts because you can't find the ship, just be in sight when I want to know where you are."

"We shall be right on your heels all the time, Mr. Peaks. If you don't object, we will go with you. We know the way round Stockholm, and will help you all we can," said Stockwell.

"That's sensible."

"We will show you out to the Djurgarden," added Sanford.

"Never mind the shows. I want Ole to talk for me, and I don't object to your company," replied the boatswain.

"I beg your pardon, sir," said the porter, presenting himself to Peaks at this moment. "I made a bad mistake. It was not these young gentlemen who wanted the pa.s.sports. It was another party."

"Exactly. I understand," replied the boatswain, turning to the boys with a significant smile on his bronzed face.

"They were waiting for you, and were very anxious to join their ship."

"It was very kind of them to wait for me, when they hadn't the least idea I was coming. All right, my hearty; you needn't trouble yourself to smooth it over. How much did you pay him for those lies, Sanford?"

"Not a cent, sir!"

"Never mind; don't bother your heads any more about it. I understand the matter now as well as I shall after you have explained it for a week," answered Peaks, as he left the hotel, followed by the discomfited trio.

The boatswain did not deem it expedient to explain to them his business in Stockholm. He found people enough who spoke English, so that he was able to dispense with the services of Ole as interpreter.

He ascertained that no such vessel as the Rensdyr had yet arrived, and satisfied with this information, he went out to the Djurgarden with his charge, dined at Ha.s.selbacken, and made himself quite comfortable.

After breakfast the next morning, with Ole's a.s.sistance, he chartered one of the little steamers, which was about the size of the ship's second cutter, and, taking the trio with him, sailed out towards the Baltic.

"Where are you going, Mr. Peaks?" asked Sanford, deeply mystified by the movements of the boatswain.

"I'm going to make a trip down to the Baltic, to see what I can see,"

replied Peaks.

"Are you going for the fun of it?"

"Well, that depends upon how you view it. I suppose you are going for the fun of it, whether I am or not."

"But we would like to know what is up," added Sanford.

"Young gentlemen should not be inquisitive," laughed the old salt.