“Do you suppose I didn’t know that?” asked Chap, drawing himself up in such an erect position that a great lurch of the vessel nearly threw him off his feet.
“We might as well make the best of it,” said Phil, “and have a good time. In a couple of days we will be in Savannah, and when we have telegraphed home, everybody’ll be all serene, if they are not now.”
“Your head’s level, Phil,” said Chap. “Let’s go and explore the ship.”
On the breezy deck of the steamer, none of the boys felt in the least degree sea-sick, and they went about in high spirits. The purser, a good-natured man, took them in charge, and showed them the engine-room and various parts of the vessel, but it was not long before he gave them a piece of information which nearly took their breath away.
In answer to an inquiry in regard to the time at which they might expect to reach Savannah, the purser told them that the vessel could not stop at that port at all. The captain of the tug-boat had been right in saying that this was a Savannah steamer, but she had been temporarily withdrawn from that line, and was now bound for Nassau, in the Bahamas.
“When will we get there?” asked Chap. “Can we telegraph from Nassau?”
“We shall reach Nassau in about four days,” said the purser, “but there is no cable from those islands. You will have to carry the news of your safety yourselves when we bring you back to New York.”
“Can’t we send a letter?” asked Phil.
“Not any sooner than you can come yourselves,” said the purser, “for we shall bring back the mail from Nassau to the United States.”
“And how long will it be before you get back to New York?” asked Phil.