by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XII.
THE BOATSWAIN AND THE BRITON.
"Where's Ole? I don't understand it," repeated Sanford, after he hadmade another ineffectual search for the missing waif.
"We have been sold, instead of selling those fellows," addedStockwell.
"That's so; and I should rather like to know how it was done. Ole hassold us out."
"Is this your Rjukanfos?" demanded Clyde Blacklock, who had beenlooking for some one upon whom to pour out his wrath.
"Not exactly," answered Sanford, indifferently, for he did notparticularly enjoy the airs of the Briton.
"But what do you mean by bringing me here?" added Clyde.
"I didn't bring you here. You came of your own free will and accord."
"No, I didn't; you said we were going to the waterfall."
"We thought so ourselves; but we have been deceived. Ole has sold outand made fools of us. You are no worse off than the rest of us."
"To whom did he sell out?" asked Clyde, appeased when he learned thathe was not the only sufferer.
"I don't know. I don't understand it at all. We have been cheated outof the Rjukanfos, and brought to Christiania."
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" inquired Stockwell.
"We can't do anything about it. I suppose we shall be on board of theship in an hour or two, telling the principal how hard we tried to behere before."
"But I'm not going back to Christiania," protested Clyde.
"I don't see how you can help yourself. This boat don't stop againtill she arrives there."
"I will not go to the ship again, at any rate," added Clyde.
"Do as you like about that; it isn't our business."
Clyde was much disturbed by the situation. As he always regardedhimself as the central figure of the group, he began to suspect thatthe apparent miscarriage of the plan was a trick to lure him back tothe ship; but Sanford seemed to be honest, and to be entirelydiscomfited by the discovery. Burchmore and Churchill were highlyelated at the success attending their scheme, which had, indeed,exceeded their expectations; but they were as much mystified by thedisappearance of Ole as the victims of the trick. Being unable tospeak the language, they could not inquire for the absentee; but theymade a very diligent search for him. They were more successful thanSanford's party had been, for, in going forward, they heard some highwords in the quarters of the steamer's crew, in the forecastle.Listening for a moment, they heard the voice of Ole, who appeared tohave concealed himself in that part of the vessel, and was properlyregarded as an intruder by the rightful occupants thereof.
"Come out here, Ole," shouted Burchmore. "We want you."
Ole turned from the Norwegian sailors, who were scolding at him fortaking possession of their quarters, to his friends and allies.
"Where's Sanford?" he asked, rather timidly.
"On deck."
"He'll kill me."
"Nonsense! We will take care of you against any odds," said thecashier, laughing heartily at the fears of the waif. "They have onlyjust ascertained where they are. Come up, Ole."
Thus assured, the young Norwegian climbed up the ladder, much to thesatisfaction of the sailors. Burchmore was too well pleased with thetrick he had played upon the conspirators to confine the knowledge ofit to Churchill and himself, and had explained it to all who were notactually in the confidence of the coxswain. A majority of the partywere thus arrayed on his side, though two or three of them would asreadily have chosen the other side. The cashier was evidently thesafer leader.
"Sanford and that Englishman will pound me for the trick," repeatedOle, as he glanced at the quarter-deck, where his victims wereconsidering the situation.
"No, they won't; we are able and willing to protect you," repliedBurchmore. "Come, we will go aft, and hear what they have to say."
The cashier led the way, and the waif reluctantly followed him.
"I believe you wanted to see Ole," said Burchmore, who could hardlylook sober, he was so pleased with the result of his operations.
"Yes; I did wish to see him," answered Sanford, rather coldly. "I willsee him some other time."
"O, I thought you wanted him now," laughed Burchmore. "I am satisfiedthat this is really Christiania Fjord."
"So am I," added the coxswain, with a sickly smile.
"And you were quite right, too, in saying that large place wasDrammen," chuckled Burchmore.
"Certainly I was."
"Neither were you mistaken in regard to Kongsberg."
"I find that I was not."
"I suppose you remember the Irishman's turtle, that swallowed his ownhead, Sanford?"
"Of course."
"I don't mean to say that you swallowed your own head; but you foundit just where you didn't expect to find it. Isn't that so?"
"We are going to talk the matter over with Ole by and by."
"Do it now. I know all about it. You and Ole arranged the first partof our journey, including the day's fishing we had at Apalstoe; and Oleand I arranged the last part of it. It is an even thing now, and ifyou won't complain of the last part, I won't say a word about thefirst."
"I don't understand it."
"Don't you! Well, you gave Ole a sovereign to arrange things for youin the beginning, and I gave him five species to arrange them for meafterwards. You can't complain of a fellow, who sells himself at all,for making as much money as he can. Ole only did that."
"He sold us out," growled Sanford.
"Of course he did; if you buy a man, you mustn't grumble when he doesa second time what you encouraged him to do in the first instance. Butyou were going to take us off to the Rjukanfos, fifty or sixty milesout of our way, without our knowledge or consent. I smelt a mice, andturned the tables," laughed the cashier.
"Yes, and you cheated me," interposed Clyde.
"I had nothing whatever to do with you," answered Burchmore, mildly.
"You led me here when I wanted to go another way."
"You went where you pleased, so far as I was concerned. I neverinvited you to come with me, or even consented to your doing so."
"Did you say the place we came to yesterday was Kongsberg?"
"I did, and so it was. But I think it was Sanford who first proclaimedthe fact, and I cheerfully assented to its correctness," chuckledBurchmore.
"But you deceived me, and I'll have it out with you," continued Clyde.
"Just as you please about that; but you had better let that black eyebleach out before you begin again."
"I can whip you!" blustered Clyde. "I'll meet you anywhere."
"No, I thank you. If we meet for any such purpose as you suggest, itwill be by accident."
"See here, Great Britain; you needn't make another row," said Sanford.
"I'm going to whip this fellow for what he has done, and for callingme a bully."
"You are a bully," added Sanford.
"That's so," exclaimed Stockwell.
"Now you can lick the whole of us, if you insist upon it," continuedthe coxswain.
"Perhaps I will," retorted Clyde, shaking his head fiercely. "You havegot me into a pretty scrape."
"You are in the same boat as the rest of us."
"The squadron isn't here," shouted Wilde; for the steamer had by thistime arrived within sight of the harbor.
"Can the ship have sailed?" asked Sanford, after the party hadsatisfied themselves that not one of the vessels of the little fleetwas there.
"I suppose she has," replied Burchmore. "To-day is Friday, and shedidn't intend to lie here all summer."
"Good!" exclaimed Clyde. "That makes everything all right for me. I'msatisfied now."
Indeed, he was so delighted with the discovery that the ship hadsailed, as to be even willing to forego the pleasure of thrashing hiscompanions. The steamer went up to the wharf, and the party landed.Sanford and his friends appeared to be willing to take a reasonableview of the situation, and to accept it without grumbling, satisfiedthat they had been beaten with their own wea
pons. They were not sorrythat the squadron had departed, for this circumstance gave them a newrespite from the discipline of the ship, and enabled them to prolong"the trip without running away."
"What are you going to do now?" asked Clyde, as they landed.
"We shall follow the ship, and try to join her," replied Sanford."That's what we've been trying to do ever since we leftChristiansand--isn't it, Burchmore?"
"Certainly it is," replied the cashier; "though we were detained oneday at Apalstoe, and narrowly escaped being carried by accident to theRjukanfos."
"Are you going to blow upon us, Burch?" demanded Stockwell, warmly.
"Am I? Did you ever know me to do such a thing?" added Burchmore,earnestly.
"No! no!" replied the whole party.
"I don't think it was just the thing to cheat some of us as you did;but I believe we are about even on that now."
"Of course we all want to get back to the ship as soon as possible,"added Sanford, rubbing his chin, significantly.
"Certainly. She has gone to Gottenburg, and all we have to do is tofollow her," said Churchill.
"But if you want to go there by the way of the Cape of Good Hope,Sanford, it will be better to have the matter understood so in thebeginning," added Burchmore. "I, for one, don't like to bebamboozled."
"I won't try it on again," said Sanford.
"All right, then; if you do, you may fetch up at Cape Horn."
"Where shall we go now?" asked Sanford.
"To the Victoria Hotel. It is the best in the place," replied Clyde.
"That's the very reason why we don't want to go there. We are not madeof money, and we may run out before we are able, with our utmostexertions, to reach the ship," added the cashier.
"But my mother is there," continued Clyde.
"Go to your mother, Great Britain, if you like. We shall stay at somecheap hotel," added Sanford.
Clyde protested in vain against this arrangement, and the Americans,with the aid of Ole, found a small hotel, suited to their views ofeconomy. The Briton went with them; but when they were installed intheir new quarters, he left them to find his mother, at the Victoria.After dinner, the coxswain and his party wandered all over the city.At the Castle of Agerhaus, they saw an English steamer receivingfreight. They ascertained that she was bound to Gottenburg, and wouldsail at seven o'clock that evening. They immediately decided, asthey had seen enough of Christiania, to take passage in her. Thearrangement was speedily made, and they went on board, withouttroubling themselves to inform Clyde of what they intended to do. Whenthe sun went down that evening the party were far down the fjord.
Sanford had ascertained that the ship sailed early on Thursdaymorning, and the steamer on which they had taken passage could notarrive at Gottenburg till nearly noon on Saturday. It was understoodthat the squadron would remain but a short time at this port, and itwas possible that it would have departed for Copenhagen before thesteamer arrived. He hoped this would prove to be the case; but hestudied a plan by which the excursion of the party could be prolonged,if the hope should not be realized. He did not wish to return to theship, because he thought it was pleasanter to travel without therestraints of discipline. Perhaps most of his party sympathized withhim, and thought they could have a better time by themselves. Sanforddesired to inform Clyde of the intention of the party to leave in theEnglish steamer, and to take him along with them; but his companionsoverruled him unanimously, for they were too glad to get rid of animpudent, overbearing, and conceited puppy, as he had proved himselfto be. The coxswain had no better opinion of him than his friends; butas Clyde was a runaway, according to his own confession, it mightsmooth their own way, in returning to their duty, if they coulddeliver him up to the principal. He was even willing to resort tostrategy to accomplish this end; but Clyde was so disagreeable that hewas saved from this trap.
The ship had gone, and every vessel of the squadron had departed withher. Clyde felt that all his trials were ended, and he had nothingmore to fear from the big boatswain. He walked confidently to theVictoria Hotel, where he was sure to find his mother. He had evenarranged in his mind the reproaches with which he intended to greether for delivering him over to the savage discipline of the YoungAmerica, as he regarded it, and as, doubtless, it was for evil-doers.He passed into the passage-way which led to the court-yard. As heentered the office on the right to inquire for Mrs. Blacklock, heencountered Peaks, who no sooner saw him than he laid violent handsupon him.
"Let me alone!" shouted Clyde, struggling to escape from the grasp ofhis powerful antagonist.
"Not yet, my beauty," replied the boatswain, as he dragged his victiminto his own room, which was near the office. "I've been looking foryou."
"I want to see my mother," growled Clyde, when he had exhausted hisstrength in the fruitless struggle to escape.
"I dare say you do; babies always want to see their mothers."
"I'm not a baby."
"Then behave like a man."
Peaks deposited him on a chair, and permitted him to recover hisbreath.
"Where is my mother?" demanded Clyde.
"She is safe and well, and you needn't bother your head to knowanything more about her," answered Peaks. "She has turned over a newleaf, so far as you are concerned, youngster, and is going to have usmake a man of you."
"Where is she?"
"No matter where she is."
"Can't I see her?"
"No, sir."
"I must see her."
"Perhaps you must, my hearty; but I don't think she wants to see youtill you are a decent young gentleman. She told me to be sure and putyou on board of the ship, and I'm going to do it."
"Where is the ship?"
"She sailed for Gottenburg yesterday morning; but we shall find her ingood time," replied Peaks, taking a bundle from the bureau, whichcontained the young Briton's uniform. "Now, my bantam, you don't looklike a gentleman in that rig you've got on. Here's your gear; put iton, and look like a man again, whether you are one or not. Those longtogs don't become you."
The boatswain unfolded the uniform of Clyde, which he had left in hischamber when he leaped out of the window.
"I'm not going to put on those clothes," protested the unhappy youth.
"No?"
"I'm not!"
"Then I'm going to put them on for you."
"I'll cry murder."
"If you cry anything, I shall put a dirty handkerchief in your mouth.Look here, my chicken; don't you know that you are making a fool ofyourself? You mean to strain your own timbers for nothing. You'll putthis rig on anyhow, and it depends on yourself whether you will do itwith or without a broken head."
Clyde looked at the clothes and then at the brawny boatswain. It wasfoolish to resist, and he yielded to the force of circumstances. Heput on the ship's uniform, and threw himself into a chair to await thefurther pleasure of his tyrant.
"Now you look like a respectable young gentleman, my lad," said Peaks.
"What are you going to do with me?" demanded Clyde, in a surly tone.
"I'm going to keep my eye on you every moment of the time till you areon board of the ship again."
"I want to see my mother before I go."
"It can't be done."
Clyde relapsed into silence. He had never before been subjected tosuch unheard-of tyranny. It was useless to resist, and the futurelooked as dark as the present. Probably his mother was in the hotel,but he was not permitted even to see her. Though the boatswain seemedto have it all his own way, he was not at all satisfied with thesituation. Mrs. Blacklock and her daughter had gone to ride, but inthe course of an hour or two they would return. The waiters wouldinform her that Clyde had arrived, and she would insist on seeing him.Though she had fully given up the control of him to the ship, theweakness of the mother might induce her to change her mind. Peaks onlydesired to discharge the duty with which he had been intrusted. Thecrew of the second cutter had not yet arrived, and he could not departwith his prisoner before they came.
He was perplexed; but being a manof expedients, he decided upon his course in a short time. It wasabsolutely necessary to seek another hotel, where the dangerousproximity of Mrs. Blacklock might be avoided. The boatswain rang hisbell, and sent for the _commissionnaire_ whom he had employed whileprosecuting his search for the runaway. When this man came, he ordereda carriage, and paid his bill.
"Now, youngster, we are going to take a ride," said Peaks to hisvictim.
"Where are you going?"
"That's my affair. If you make a row in the street, I shall just handyou over to the police, who will lock you up in that stone castle overthere. You must understand that you are a deserter from your ship, andwill be treated so, if you don't behave like a man. Now come with me."
As a deserter from his ship! The boatswain certainly had theweather-gage of him, and the idea of being thrown into prison wasabsolutely startling to Clyde. He had no doubt the savage boatswainwould do all he threatened, and, almost for the first time in hislife, he felt no inclination to bully. He stepped quietly into thecarriage with Peaks and the _commissionnaire_. The driver was directedto convey the party to the landing-place. The steamer would sail thenext morning; but unless the absent crew of the cutter arrived beforethat time, he could not go in her. Remaining in Christiania, he fearedto encounter Mrs. Blacklock, for the honest tar dreaded a lady's powermore than the whole battery of a ship of the line. He was fullyresolved, if he passed through fire and water in doing it, todischarge the duty intrusted to him by the principal. The lady was inthe city, and the problem was to keep his charge out of sight of herduring the rest of his stay. He might meet her; some one at the hotelmight, and probably would, inform her of the arrival of Clyde.
After deliberating for some time, he directed his _commissionnaire_ toprocure a boat, in which he embarked with his prisoner andinterpreter. By his order the two oarsmen pulled over to the hotelwhich was located so picturesquely on the island. Taking a room, heordered dinner for his little party, and contrived to pass away theafternoon till sunset, when he returned to the city. His man, at hisrequest, conducted him to an obscure hotel, which happened to be theone which Sanford and his friends had just left, to depart by theEnglish steamer. The landlord recognized the uniform which Clyde wore.
"We had more of the young gentleman here," said he, in broken English.
"More of them!" exclaimed Peaks, interested in the intelligence.
"Yes; more as ten of them," added the landlord.
"Arn't they here now?" asked Clyde, who had felt a ray of hope whenPeaks brought him to the hotel where he had left his late companions.
"All gone; no more here."
"Where have they gone?" asked the boatswain.
"To Gottenburg. They eat some dinner in my hotel, and at seven o'clockthey go in the steamer."
"I saw that steamer go out, but I didn't think the cutter's crew werein her. I'm sorry I didn't know it before," said Peaks, chagrined bythis tardy discovery. "How many were there of them?"
"Ten."
"That couldn't be; there were only nine of the crew."
"There was more as ten, but one of them went away."
"I went away," said Clyde.
"You! Were you with them?" demanded Peaks.
"I was."
"Why didn't you say so before?"
"You didn't ask me; and as you were not remarkably civil to me, Ididn't feel obliged to tell you the news."
"But there were not ten of them."
"Yes, ten," said Clyde.
"There were only nine when they left the ship."
"I know there were ten with me. One of them was a Norwegian, and arascal; but he wore the same uniform as the rest of them."
"What was his name?"
"Ole."
"Ole! Why, he's the fellow we picked up out at sea," exclaimed theastonished boatswain. "Where have they been all this time?"
But Clyde suddenly bethought himself that he was altogether toocommunicative, considering the relations that subsisted betweenhimself and his great enemy and persecutor, and he decided to answerno more questions.
"All right, my hearty," laughed the boatswain, when the Britondeclined to answer. "They are on their way to the ship, and you willbe very soon."
Peaks was cunning enough to detain his interpreter so that he shouldnot return to the Victoria and inform Mrs. Blacklock where her sonwas. The way was clear now, for he had no further responsibility inregard to the cutter's crew, and his spirits rose accordingly. He senthis man to engage a "huette," or state-room, in the steamer, and then,at a late hour in the evening, paid and discharged him. He compelledClyde to sleep in the same chamber with him, for it contained threebeds, and it is probable that the boatswain kept one eye open duringthe night, for every time the prisoner moved, his tyrant was on hisfeet. The Kronprindsesse Louise sailed at six o'clock in the morning,and Peaks and his victim were betimes on board. The boatswain was ahappy man when the boat was clear of the wharf, and on her way toGottenburg. He flattered himself that he had managed the affair verywell indeed, for he was not above the vanities of the flesh.
It was midnight when the Kronprindsesse arrived at her destination.Peaks had kept one eye on Clyde all the time, and brought him insafety to his journey's end. Late as was the hour, the first person hesaw at the landing was Mr. Blaine, the chief steward of the ship.
"I'm glad to see you, Blaine," shouted the boatswain when heidentified his shipmate, and grasped his hand. "Shiver my timbers ifI'm not rejoiced to see a man that speaks plain English! Where's theship?"
"She sailed for Copenhagen this evening."
"No; you don't say so!"
"It's a fact. The students went up the canal as far as the falls, andreturned about dark. The squadron got under way at once. I suppose youhave the cutter's crew with you, Peaks?"
"No; arn't they on board yet?"
"I haven't seen them."
"But they came down on an English steamer that left Christiania lastnight."
"An English steamer came in this forenoon, but we haven't seen thecutter's crew."
"That's strange. I shouldn't wonder if those fellows were cutting up alittle."
"But we lost two students yesterday, Scott and Laybold. I suppose theyran away."
"There's a screw loose somewhere. These boys have too much money,"added Peaks. "But what are you going to do, and what am I to do?"
"I was left here to look out for Scott and Laybold, and meet you whenyou came. Now, it seems that about a dozen of the rascals aremissing."
"I have the Briton here."
"If I were you, Peaks, I should go right on to Copenhagen in thissteamer, and you can report the facts to the principal."
The boatswain decided to do this, while the head steward remained tosearch for the absentees; and in due time Peaks delivered his prisoneron board of the ship in the harbor of Copenhagen.