“It is this: that we enter Paris by boat instead of on foot.”
“And how can we do that?” inquired Stubby.
“I’ll tell you. We will go to the banks of the river Seine, about five miles out of Paris, and try to get on one of the flat canal boats that run right into the heart of the city, and we might be lucky enough to get on a boat that would pass right through Paris and continue on to the sea, where we could embark for America, as the river empties into the sea at a very large shipping port called the city of Havre. From this port there are big merchant ships sailing to all parts of the world, and we would get on one bound for America. If we could only accomplish this it would save us all that long, tiresome walk of about one hundred and twenty-five miles.”
“Gee!” exclaimed Button. “Your plans sound good to me! Saving a hundred and twenty-five mile walk, dodging people, bad boys and troublesome dogs, is worth trying.”
“I should think it did sound good!” said Billy, “and I feel quite sure we can carry it out, for Stubby, Button and I have had lots of experience sneaking on ocean-going vessels, steamers, and so on. We have stolen on board a vessel going from Japan to America, and on still another sailing from Boston for Constantinople, and another plying up and down the Mississippi River, with others too numerous to mention. So I guess we can manage to get aboard a slow going canal boat.”
“Of course we can!” said Stubby. “I feel like thanking you for thinking of such a plan. It is such a good one for us all but more especially for me with my lame leg.”
“About how far do you think we are from Paris now?”
“I should say fully twenty-five miles. But only about seven from the river if we take a straight line to the east until we come to it.”
“Then me for the straight line to the river!” declared Billy.
“Same here!” said Button.