For a moment the boys gazed at one another in amazement after the two men had left the room. They were excited and puzzled.
"Well, this is a stunner!" declared Ned at length.
"Who is this Mackinder, who is Norton, what is in this "U-13" package that he wants, how did it get into our baggage, why was it put there, where are we going, when do we eat!" demanded Jimmie in a breath.
"That"s the way to talk, Jimmie!" cried Harry, laughing in spite of the situation that the boys all felt to be a serious one.
"The last question is the most important!" stated Jack. "I"m in favor of the eats part and that without further delay."
"Come on, boys," suggested Ned. "Let"s eat first and talk things over afterward. I"m nearly famished myself, and Jimmie is hungry, too!"
In a short time the lads were seated in a quaint restaurant ordering strange dishes. They were hungry, as only healthy, active boys can be.
The food was well cooked and appetizing. They ate heartily.
"Now, I"m in favor of getting to the docks as quick as possible,"
announced Jimmie, pushing his plate away. "Let"s get our pa.s.sage settled."
All were in favor of this arrangement. After paying for their breakfast the lads set out in search of a ship upon which they might secure pa.s.sage to the United States. But they were not to secure this easily.
Extended inquiry during the forenoon elicited the information that there was no vessel clearing from the port of Amsterdam for any place in America. Although they made every effort to find a steamer which would afford them the accommodations they sought none was found.
Inquiry at the railway station disclosed the fact that their airship, the Grey Eagle, now dismantled and packed in boxes, was at the freight sheds waiting a claimant. Until they could find a vessel to carry it home the boys preferred to let it remain in its present location.
After dinner they continued their inquiries for a vessel. At length they learned of a full-rigged three-masted ship that was to clear in a few days for New York. Regretting even this short delay the lads decided to attempt to secure pa.s.sage, although the journey would be a long one.
Ned secured the services of a boatman, who offered to row them out to the ship, which lay at anchor in the harbor. The man charged them what the boys considered an extraordinary price for the service, but explained that the weather was unfavorable and that at any moment a storm might break. To this the boys could but agree. A glance at the sky convinced them that a storm of rather unusual violence was gathering.
"Take him up, anyhow, Ned!" urged Harry. "We want to get home!"
"All right, then, here goes!" declared Ned, stepping aboard the waterman"s craft. "Pull away, my friend, we"re all aboard."
In a short time the man was threading his way amongst the shipping in the harbor. From their position so low upon the water the masts and spars of the vessels looked to be of extraordinary height to the boys, who viewed every object with keen interest.
A hail from the boatman was answered by a man from the deck of the ship.
He thrust his head over the rail inquiringly.
"Where"s your captain?" asked Ned, as the man appeared.
"What do you want of the captain?" asked the man in a surly voice.
"We want to talk with him," replied Ned. "We"ll explain to him."
"He"s busy now and don"t want to be disturbed. Tell me what you want and I"ll give him your message. Maybe he"ll see you!"
"We want to arrange pa.s.sage on your ship to the United States."
"I"ll see what he"s got to say," replied the man, moving away.
While he was gone the boys examined the vessel closely. Jimmie p.r.o.nounced the vessel very much to his liking. He admired the lines and pointed with pride to the modeling of the stern.
"h.e.l.lo!" the boy cried excitedly, his arm extended still in the act of indicating the ship, "there goes our friend Mackinder in a launch!"
"Where?" asked Ned eagerly, turning about in his seat.
"Right astern of us!" replied Jimmie. "I wonder what he was doing aboard this ship. He seems to be in a hurry to get ash.o.r.e."
"Maybe he wasn"t on this ship at all," was Harry"s objection. "He might have been out on the harbor for a pleasure ride."
"Sure, he"s just the chap to take a pleasure ride on the harbor with a storm brewing! I"ve got a picture of that chap joy-riding!"
"I hope he doesn"t see us," declared Jack. "He might have enough influence with the captain to prevent our securing pa.s.sage on this ship."
The conversation was interrupted by the advent of the captain, who looked over the rail at the little craft riding alongside.
"What do you want?" he inquired in a business-like tone.
"We want to arrange pa.s.sage on your ship to New York, Captain," stated Ned respectfully. "We understand you are to sail soon. We are citizens of the United States homeward bound. Can you help us out?"
"Not this trip!" decided the captain instantly.
"We are able to pay well for our accommodations," continued the boy. "It is rather important that we get home as quickly as possible."
"Possibly," returned the captain shortly.
Nonplussed, Ned was at a loss to find words with which to urge his request further. The captain"s distant manner gave him no encouragement.
"We"ll not be the slightest trouble, Captain," the lad presently continued. "We understand you"ll be loaded in a few days and will sail for New York direct. Cannot you arrange to accommodate us?"
"This isn"t a pa.s.senger vessel," stated the captain.
"Well, then, couldn"t we sign articles and work our way over? We"d be willing to pay whatever you think is right for that privilege."
"You want to get me into trouble with the authorities, don"t you?"
replied the other, preparing to move away.
"But, Captain, just think a moment. There must be some way in which you can arrange it. Don"t leave us in a foreign country!"
"You seem to have done pretty well in foreign countries as it is! If you can pull off the stunts you have just done I guess you"ll get over to New York all right--if that"s where you want to go!"
"What do you mean? I don"t understand you!"
"Oh, you don"t, eh? Well, to put it plainly, this is a peaceable, neutral ship doing honest trading. I carry freight, not spies!"
With these words the captain disappeared. The boys gasped in astonishment at the words and looked at each other speechless.
Ned motioned to the boatman to return to the dock. His puzzled frown showed plainly that the boy was at a loss to understand the situation.
"I"ve got it!" almost shouted Jimmie, as the lads were once more on land.