"What, my dear Count, is it you yourself?" exclaimed Baron Stilkin, for
he it was, and, rushing into each other's arms, they wept, overcome by
their feelings. The Count narrated the extraordinary adventures he had
met with.
"And what about our portmanteaus and umbrellas? what will become of
them?" exclaimed the Baron.
"They are on board the sloop, and, for what I can tell, at the bottom of
the Zuyder Zee," said the Count.
"We must endeavour to regain them forthwith if they are afloat, or fish
them up if they are at the bottom," said the Baron. "Come along. I
left the sober sailor waiting for me. We may possibly find him, and at
once put off in search of our property."
"But I should prefer having some supper first," exclaimed the Count. "I
am well-nigh starving."
"Never mind, my dear Count," said the Baron, "I have eaten enough for
two, and there's no time to be lost. It is of the greatest importance
that we should forthwith recover our portmanteaus and umbrellas. Why,
we have all the money in them, and our note-books and journals."
"And my ties and tooth-brush," put in the Count. "Of course, of course.
I will still the cravings of my appetite and sacrifice my feelings for
the common weal."
"Eight, right; a noble principle," said the Baron. "I shall be able to
enjoy a second supper with you when we return." And the Baron acting as
guide, they set off for the quay where, to the best of his belief, he
had left the sober sailor. Wonderful to relate, the sober sailor was
there, waiting patiently, smoking his pipe with his arms folded, a
picture of resignation. As far as could be perceived in the gloom of
night, he did not appear to be much surprised at hearing of the accident
which had befallen the sloop.
"Cheer up, Mynheers, we will find her," he said. "She's not likely to
have got far. There's a bit of a current round that point, but after
that the tide runs slowly, and she will have been brought up by some
other vessel across which she's been driven, or is still floating slowly
out towards the Zuyder Zee." Saying this, he bent to his oars and
pulled away down the canal. The lights glittered from the upper windows
of many houses, showing that the inhabitants were not yet in bed, and
the tall masts of numerous vessels towered up towards the sky, with
yards across seen indistinctly in the gloom of night. The moon shone
forth and shed her pale light on the smooth surface of the water, which
looked bright and silvery, very different to the hue it is apt to wear
in the daytime.
"If I were not so hungry and so anxious about our portmanteaus and
umbrellas I should enjoy this," observed the Count.
"I do enjoy it," said the Baron, stroking his waistcoat. "As to our
portmanteaus and umbrellas, my mind is greatly relieved by the
assurances of our friend the sober sailor here."
"I hope you are so with sufficient reason," observed the Count, who was
in low spirits, as people often are when they are hungry.
"I told you so, I told you so; there's the sloop," shouted the Baron.
"I am right, am I not, friend mariner?"
"Ja, ja, that's she," answered the sober sailor, pulling towards the
sloop, which was, as he had asserted would be the case, floating
leisurely along, like a snail on a garden path. He soon pulled up
alongside, when the Count and the Baron scrambled on board. The tipsy
skipper and his tipsy crew were still both fast asleep in their
respective bunks.
"Now I consider that it would be right and proper to let them float on
after we have recovered our portmanteaus and umbrellas," said the Baron.
"It would be more kind and charitable to anchor the sloop, or to take
her alongside the nearest vessel we can reach," said the Count. "What
do you say, worthy mariner?"
"We cannot anchor her, because my messmate slipped her cable and left
the anchor in the canal," answered the sober sailor. "But we will tow
her alongside another vessel and make her fast, where she will remain
safe enough till I have conveyed you, Mynheers, and your luggage to the
shore. We sailors make it a point of honour to look after our shipmates
when they get overtaken by too abundant potations of schiedam or any
other liquor."
"But you do not mean to say that you ever get overtaken?" asked the
Count.
"Not unless it is my turn to enjoy that pleasure," answered the sober
sailor. "It was my turn to-night to keep sober, as it would never do
for the whole crew to get drunk together." Having said this, the sober
sailor stepped into the boat, and towed the sloop up to a vessel which
lay conveniently near. Having secured her, and informed her skipper and
crew of the condition of his skipper and crew, he pulled away up to the
landing-place, carrying the Count and Baron, with their portmanteaus and
umbrellas. They were not long, after landing, in finding a hotel, on
entering which the first words the Baron uttered were, "Supper for two."
"I thought that you had supped," remarked the Count.
"My dear Count, do you think I should be so uncourteous as not to eat a
second to keep you company?" said the Baron, smiling blandly. They,
were soon seated at table, and the Baron did ample justice to his second
supper.