To this the captain answered by spreading his hands and shrugging his shoulders until they nearly reached his ears. Over his beaming face spread a look of despair. He slowly shook his head.
“To New York I cannot go!” he answered dolefully. “Bud I vill put you ashore in England, und from dere you can easy get a ship!”
“Well, that’s better than nothing at all!” admitted Ned.
“Sure!” declared Jimmie. “Anything to get out of this place!”
“When can you be ready to sail, Captain?” inquired Ned.
“Who, me?” questioned the captain in a tone of surprise.
“Nobody else but you, your crew and we boys!” laughed Ned.
“Sure! Dot’s all ridt!” nodded von Kluck. “Vhell, I’m ready now. Yet I haf some cheeses on board to put, und some odder tings!”
“Can you accommodate the boxes containing our airship?” asked Jimmie. “We have the Grey Eagle over here at the railroad station and don’t want to leave it behind us when we leave the country.”
“Maybe it vould on de schip go!” consented von Kluck.