Then the Frenchman opened the door several inches.
"Ha! he is snoring loudly—he is fast asleep," he thought, not noticing that two persons were in the stateroom instead of one, for the German in the upper berth happened just then to be silent.
In the dim light the French Canadian made out a valise standing on the floor and grabbed it hastily. Then he came away, shutting the door behind him.
"I haf eet!" he whispered. "Come!" And he almost ran for the stateroom assigned to him and Hammerditch. Once inside, the pair secured the door and then turned up the light.
"It's a mighty rusty-looking bag," was the Englishman's comment. "Have you got the key?"
"It ees in ze lock," answered La Fevre.
Soon the valise was opened, and out tumbled a few articles of dirty underwear and a pair of embroidered slippers.
"I don't see any map!" exclaimed Hammerditch, in disgust.
"'Tis ze wrong bag!" groaned the French Canadian. "See, ze clothing is too big for a boy, and so are ze slippers."
"You've made a mess of it," answered his companion. "Better take that bag back or there'll be a jolly row all for nothing."