Erik had sunk down on the side of the road, and Johan now collapsed beside him.
"We—can—t-take the next b-boat!" he puffed. "It leaves t-tomorrow and will get us to S-Stockholm a day later."
"That will be all right," said Erik. "We're in no hurry."
It was like an adventure to Erik, and he was enjoying it. He did not realize what a day later would mean. He did not realize that it would bring him to Stockholm only the day before Midsummer Eve, when Greta was to be married to the Baron.
After a while they felt refreshed, so they decided to return to the river bank and find out whether, by any chance, the boat had waited for them.
THE BOYS FELT REFRESHED
They hardly expected this; but it is exactly what had happened. Herr Banker had persuaded the captain to hold the boat.
Herr Banker had growled angrily, "Those young rascals have forgotten the time. It's fortunate that their heads are connected with their bodies, else they'd forget them, too, and leave them somewhere."
He was trying to cheer Fru Banker, but she was distressed and quite certain that the boys were at the bottom of the river.