It was the first day of summer, and it was the last day of the ocean
trip.
Jack and Joe, two Overall Boys, had crossed the big Atlantic. They were
now sailing into a strange city, in a strange country, with a strange
language.
The city was Antwerp. The country was Belgium, and the language
was--well, almost anything one cared to speak, French or German or
Dutch or English.
Jack said he should try English first. Then, if people did not
understand him, he should use the Dutch words which the Sunbonnet
Babies had taught him. But if people did not understand him then, he
should have to keep still, or talk with his hands.
"Oh! I shall not keep still," said Joe. "I shall speak everything all
at once, French and German and Dutch and English. You just watch me!"
"Ho! ho!" laughed Jack. "We _will_ watch you, and so will all the
people in Antwerp. But now watch that great houseboat. I believe it is
like the boat Molly and May's Uncle Dirk owns. A family is living on
it. They have a canary bird and a dog and a cat and flowers, just as
they have on Uncle Dirk's boat."
"I should rather go to Holland than to Switzerland," said Joe. "Let's
ask the people on that houseboat to take us up to their Water Land."
"No, sir! I want to go to Switzerland," said Jack. "I want to see the
great mountains all covered with snowbanks and forests and flowers.
There is not a mountain in the whole of Holland."
"Look!" shouted Joe. "I see the first castle! We are sailing right up
beside it. I wonder if a really, truly King and Queen are living in it."
"Of course," said Jack, "unless they have been killed and their castle
turned into a prison or a museum."
"Do you suppose it has a dark dungeon under it?" asked Joe. "How I
should like to see a real dungeon!"
"Come on, father is calling us," said Jack. "Our boat has stopped. It
is time to get off."
"Oh! Perhaps father will take us into that old castle, Jack. Then we
can see if it really has a dungeon under it," cried Joe.
So the Overall Boys said good-by to their friends on the ocean steamer.
They said good-by to the Captain. They said good-by to the Cook.
The Cook and the Captain were their _special_ friends and they were
_specially_ sorry to leave them.
But the boys had something very important in their minds.
When the heavy plank was pulled over from the dock to the steamer, the
two Overall Boys were the first to step on it. They ran as fast as they
could run down the steep plank.
Everybody wondered why those two boys were running so hard. There was
plenty of time. No one needed to run. But in a second everybody knew,
for Joe was throwing his cap high into the air and shouting, "Hurrah
for Europe! Three cheers for Antwerp!" And in half a second more Jack
was throwing his cap high into the air and shouting three cheers for
Europe, too.
Yes, the Overall Boys were the first in their party to step foot on
Europe, and they were the first to give it three cheers.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: ON THE RIVER RHINE.]
[Illustration]