“Now, young gentlemen, if you are going to Russia, don’t let me detain you. If you wish to go any where else, I shall not meddle myself. I shall let the American consul attend to the matter. I have business here, and I can’t keep an eye on you. But if you want to be fair and square, and not break your hearts because you can’t find the ship, just be in sight when I want to know where you are.”
“We shall be right on your heels all the time, Mr. Peaks. If you don’t object, we will go with you. We know the way round Stockholm, and will help you all we can,” said Stockwell.
“That’s sensible.”
“We will show you out to the Djurgarden,” added Sanford.
“Never mind the shows. I want Ole to talk for me, and I don’t object to your company,” replied the boatswain.
“I beg your pardon, sir,” said the porter, presenting himself to Peaks at this moment. “I made a bad mistake. It was not these young gentlemen who wanted the passports. It was another party.”
“Exactly. I understand,” replied the boatswain, turning to the boys with a significant smile on his bronzed face.
“They were waiting for you, and were very anxious to join their ship.”
“It was very kind of them to wait for me, when they hadn’t the least idea I was coming. All right, my hearty; you needn’t trouble yourself to smooth it over. How much did you pay him for those lies, Sanford?”
“Not a cent, sir!”