“No, mein herr, I think not. They’ll only take all our money.”
Mr. Schmidt groaned piteously, and for the fiftieth time execrated his folly in selling out a lager bier saloon, in which he was making money, to start in quest of the mines. Ah, little did the plump Katrine and the children, waiting eagerly to hear of his success, dream that he was even now in the clutches of robbers.
But the longest journey has an ending, and this was not a very long journey.
They reached a rude wooden building, backed by a precipitous elevation. There was nothing peculiar in its appearance, except that it had no windows. In fact, the main wonder was, that in this lonely place there should be any building at all.
“Halt, gentlemen,” said the captain, “it is here that we stop.”
“Is this our hotel?” asked Tom lightly.
“Yes,” said the captain, relaxing his stern features with a smile. “Shall I announce to you the rules of this house?”
“What are they?”
“Payment in advance.”
Morton’s face changed, and the Dutchman looked unhappy.