STRANDED IN A STRANGE CITY
"Dan, I've been touched!"
"What's that?"
"Touched, I tell you! Touched," persisted Sam Hickey, raising his voice
with each word.
"You--you don't mean you've lost your money?" demanded Dan Davis
incredulously.
"No; I mean I've been touched for it."
"Nonsense! You have lost it, if you haven't it. Look through your
pockets again. You have put it in some other pocket; that's all."
The boys were strolling slowly toward the pension where they were
staying. They had insisted on walking back to their lodgings, after
having left the residence of the Spanish ambassador, and this despite
his warnings that it was not safe for them to do so at that hour of the
night.
"Have you found it?"
"I have not. And that's not the worst of it."
"What do you mean?"
"I never shall find it."
A troubled expression appeared on Davis' face.
"How much, did you have with you?"
"You mean how much did I have left?"
"Yes."
"I don't know. I never can learn to count this foreign money. I had
quite a bunch of it. Maybe twenty dollars or something like that."
"I am surprised, Sam. You are so careless. It's a wonder you did not
lose your money before this. I take care of my money. You never heard of
my losing any, did you?"
"How about the café where you pay?"
"That was different. That money was not lost."
"Not lost?" exclaimed the red-headed boy. "Well, if it wasn't lost, will
you tell me where it is? Will you tell me that?"
"I spent it."
"You bet you did. And I've spent mine, only I didn't get anything for
it. This town is the limit. I don't wonder they had a revolution here.
They will have another, too--you mark me! Now, you've had so much to say
about my being careless with money, suppose you examine your own
pockets. Maybe you've been touched, too."
Dan laughed.
"No danger of that. No one could go through my pockets without my
knowing it."
"Couldn't, eh? Why these Frenchmen could touch you through a stone
wall, and never move a stone. Just for the fun of the thing, shell out
and let's see what you have in your pockets."
"All right; if it will please you. My money is safe."
Dan thrust a confident hand into his trousers' pocket; then he went into
the other pocket.
An expression of surprise appeared on his face, as he drew forth a
handful of small silver from a vest pocket.
"Well, what about it?" demanded Sam. "Got it?"
"I've--I've lost my money, too; almost every cent of it."
Hickey uttered an uproarious laugh.
"How much have you there?"
"About five hundred centimes, that's all."
"Five hundred centimes! You don't mean it?"
"Yes; that's all."
"All? Good gracious, isn't that enough? Why, man, it's a fortune. We're
all right, even if I have lost mine."
"Wait a minute. Do you know how much five hundred centimes is?"
"No; ask me something easier."
"Well, it is about the equivalent of a dollar in American money."
Sam groaned.
"Broke!"
Dan nodded.
"I don't understand it at all. Where could we have lost our money?"
"Lose it, nothing! I tell you we have been touched--touched good and
properly. It's a wonder they didn't take our clothes while they were
about it. By gracious, they even got my jack-knife. I'll fight somebody
in a minute."
Dan did not answer. He was too amazed and upset to talk just then.
"So no one can touch you without your knowing it!" jeered Hickey. "You
are an easy mark. I am not in the same class with you. Hold me up while
I laugh."
"Don't laugh, Sam; this is serious."
"Of course it is. I wouldn't laugh at it if it weren't. Most of the
funny things aren't worth laughing at. The serious things are, most
always."
"Very well; laugh if you wish. I shan't. I am wondering what we are
going to do. We certainly are in a fix."
"You've got five hundred what-do-you-call-thems, haven't you?"
"Five hundred centimes, yes. They will not go far. A dollar will not
purchase much in France."
"But the five hundred sounds big enough to buy a house and lot with. I
could put up a pretty good bluff on five hundred of anything."
"We had better go home. The hour is late. We can talk there, though
talking will not help us out of this trouble at all."
"Yes; that's a good idea. These Paris folks will have the shirts off our
back if we stay out here much longer. What time is it?"
"I don't know."
The boys wandered on, finding their pension without difficulty. Once in
their own room, they sat down facing each other.
"This is a nice mess we're in, Sam."
"We've been in worse," answered the red-headed boy wisely.
"It is fortunate for us that we have paid our board."
"How about the return tickets? Have you lost those, too?"
Dan went through his pockets again. The more he searched, the more
excited he grew.
"I--I----"
"Stung again?" jeered Sam Hickey. "Maybe I got touched for my money, but
I didn't lose my tickets. You lost them both. But have you lost them?"
Dan nodded helplessly.
"Oh, this is too bad!"
"Yes; I wish I'd changed my mind and stayed aboard ship. Let's get back
there right away."
"How?"
Sam reflected.
"That's so," he said, with a grin.
"There is no other way for it, but to walk."
"How far is it to Boulogne?"
"It must be all of a hundred miles."
"Not for me," declared the red-headed boy, with an emphatic shake of the
head. "Hello, what's that on the table there?" he demanded, suddenly
espying a neatly wrapped package.
Dan rose and took up the package. It was addressed to Daniel Davis and
Samuel Hickey.
"Open it."
Davis was already doing so. He tore off the wrapping, disclosing a neat
plush box underneath.
"This must be the package that the ambassador referred to, Sam."
"Yes, that's it. Hurry up and open it. I hope there's some money in it."
"No; we could not accept it if there was. Ah!"
"Well, what do you think of that!" muttered Sam.
The ease upon being opened disclosed, to their amazement, two handsome
gold Swiss watches, with solid gold chains attached. On the back of the
first case Dan found his initials engraved. Opening the case, he read
the inscription, "Presented to Gunner's Mate Daniel Davis for heroic
conduct in saving two women from the Paris Apaches." Sam's case bore a
similar inscription.
"Beautiful!" breathed the Battleship Boys in one voice.
"We're all right now," exclaimed Hickey.
"How so?"
"We can borrow some money on the watches."
"I guess not," answered Dan firmly. "We'll walk first!"