ON THE WAY TO THE RJUKANFOS.
"What may the Rjukanfos be?" asked Clyde Blacklock, after his courier
had started on his return to Christiania.
"O, it's a big thing," replied Sanford. "You can bet high on it."
"Doubtless I can; but is it a mountain, a river, or a lake?"
"'Pon my word, I don't know. Here, Norway!" he shouted to Ole, who was
with the rest of the party.
"I'm here, Mr. Coxswain," replied the waif.
"What's the Rjukanfos? You told me we ought to go there; but I'll be
hanged if I know whether it's a lake or a river."
"Neither a lake nor a river," replied Ole. "It's a big waterfall.
_Fos_, on the end of a word, always makes a waterfall of it. There's
another, the Voeringfos; but that's too far away."
"How far is it?"
"I don't know; but it's a long distance," added Ole. "All the other
fellows think we are going to Christiania in the morning."
"All but Stockwell and Rodman," answered Sanford, who had told Ole
about the new recruit.
"So you are going to play it upon them--are you?" laughed Clyde.
"Just a little. We don't want to leave Norway without seeing something
of the country, and the rest of the fellows won't go. So we are going
to take them along with us."
"Excellent! That will be a magnificent joke," exclaimed Clyde. "I'm
with you. I suppose you all ran away from the ship when you found the
tyranny was too much for you."
"O, no! We didn't run away. We wouldn't do that. Somehow, by an
accident, our boat was stove, and we were carried off by a steamer.
Then we couldn't get back to Christiansand before the ship sailed, and
we were obliged to come across the country to Christiania, you see."
"I see," replied Clyde, knowingly. "But you don't mean to go back to
the ship--do you?"
"Certainly we do," protested Sanford.
"Then you are bigger spoonies than I thought you were."
"But we are afraid the ship will be gone before we can reach
Christiania."
"O, you are afraid of it."
"Very much afraid of it."
"You wouldn't cry if you found she had gone--would you?"
"Well, perhaps we should not cry, for we think we ought to be manly,
and not be babies; but, of course, we should feel very bad about it."
"O, you would!"
"Certainly we should; for if we were caught running away, staying
away longer than is necessary, or anything of that sort, our liberty
would be stopped, and we should not be allowed to go on shore with the
rest of the fellows."
"You are a deep one, Mr. Coxswain," added Clyde.
"O, no! I'm only a simple-minded young man, that always strives to do
his duty as well as he knows how."
"I dare say you think it is your duty to visit
the--what-ye-call-it?--the waterfall."
"You see it is just as near to go that way as the other."
"Is it?"
"Well, if it isn't, we shall not know the fact till after we have been
there."
"I think I understand you perfectly, Mr. Coxswain; but I don't intend
to return to the ship under any circumstances."
"You can do as you please, but if we should happen to miss the ship,
why, we shall be obliged to travel till we find her."
"Exactly so," laughed Clyde.
"But don't understand me that we mean to run away, or to keep away
from the ship any longer than is absolutely necessary; for we are all
good boys, and always mean to obey our officers."
"I don't mean to do any such thing. After I hear that the ship has
left Christiania, I shall go there, find my mother, and travel where I
please."
The next morning the party started on their journey, and by the middle
of the afternoon arrived at a station between Lysthus and Tinoset,
where the road to the Rjukanfos branched off from that to the
capital. They were compelled to wait an hour here for a change of
horses. Rogues rarely believe that they are suspected, and Sanford
was confident that his companions, with the exception of Rodman and
Stockwell, had no idea of his intentions. Burchmore had not failed to
notice the repeated conferences between those who were plotting the
mischief. He was not quite satisfied with the delay which had enabled
the party to catch that solitary salmon at Apalstoe. He was one of the
first to enter the station-house where the carioles stopped. On the
table he found "The Hand-book of Norway," which contained a large map.
He was anxious to possess this book.
"_Hvor_?" said he, using a word he had learned of Ole, which meant
"how much," at the same time holding up the book, and exhibiting his
money.
"_Tre_," replied the woman in the room; by which he understood her to
mean three marks, for at the same time she laughingly held up three
fingers.
Burchmore paid the money, and put the book into his pocket. Retreating
behind the stable with Churchill, who rode in the cariole with him, he
produced the volume, and spread out the map. Without much difficulty
he found the road by which the party had come. Everything was right so
far, and he was satisfied that they should arrive at Kongsberg that
night.
"Can you make out what's up, Burchmore?" asked Churchill, with whom
the former had discussed his doubts and fears.
"No; everything is right. Here we are, at the branching off of these
two roads," replied Burchmore, indicating the locality with the point
of his knife.
"But Sanford is up to something. He, and Ole, and Stockwell are
whispering together half the time. Perhaps they mean to leave us
somewhere on the road."
"They can, if they like," added Burchmore. "I am cashier, you know.
Each fellow has paid me seven pounds, which I have changed into
species and marks. No other one has any Norwegian money, or, at least,
not more than a specie or two. They won't leave me."
"They wouldn't make anything by it."
"And Sanford runs with that English fellow, who seems to be a little
fast."
"He's a hard one," added Churchill, shaking his head.
"Let them go it; I can keep the run of them now," said Burchmore, as
he folded up the map, and put the Hand-book in his pocket. "Don't say
anything about this book, Churchy."
"Not a word."
"I know where we are now, and I think I shall know better than to wait
a whole day for horses again. That was a sell."
"Do you think so?"
"I thought so at the time, but I didn't want to make a fuss. I changed
a sovereign for Ole yesterday, and I believe Sanford has bought him
up. Never mind; we take the right hand road here, and as long as we
keep moving I haven't a word to say."
In less than an hour the horses were ready, and the procession of
carioles moved off. Ole and Sanford led the way, and turned to the
left, instead of the right.
"That's wrong," said Burchmore, very much excited.
"But what do they mean by going this way?" added Churchill.
"I don't know, and I don't care; I only know it is the wrong way.
Hallo!" he shouted to Sanford, and stopped his pony, which compelled
three others behind him to stop also.
"What's the matter?" called Sanford.
"You are going the wrong way," replied the cashier.
"No, this is right; come along;" and the coxswain started his team
again.
But Burchmore refused to follow him, and continued to block the way
against those behind him.
"Out of the way!" cried Clyde, who was in the rear.
"This is not the right way to Kongsberg," said Burchmore.
"Out of the way, or I'll smash you!" added the imperious Briton.
The cashier was a peaceable young gentleman, and turned his horse out
of the road. The cariole of Sanford was now out of sight.
"Why don't you go ahead?" demanded Tinckner. "How do you know it is
the wrong road?"
"I am certain of it. Those fellows are up to some trick."
As a portion of the procession did not follow its leader, Sanford and
his companions turned back.
"What's the matter, Burchmore? Why don't you come along?" cried the
coxswain, angrily.
"This is not the right road."
"Isn't it, Ole?" added the coxswain, turning to his companion in the
cariole.
"Certainly it is."
"I know it isn't," protested the cashier, vehemently. "You are up to
some trick."
"What trick?" asked Sanford, mildly, as he put on his look of injured
innocence.
"I don't know what; but I know this is not the right road to
Kongsberg."
"Who said anything about Kongsberg? We intend to go by the shortest
way. Don't we, Ole?"
"To be sure we do," replied the ready waif. "We are not going way
round by Kongsberg."
"You can't bluff me."
"Don't want to bluff you. Go whichever way you like; and the one who
gets to Christiania first is the best fellow. That's all I have to
say."
Sanford turned his pony, and drove off again, followed by Clyde,
Stockwell, and Rodman.
"How do you know this isn't the right way?" inquired Tinckner.
"I'll tell you," replied the cashier, jumping out of the cariole, and
taking the Hand-book from his pocket.
The others soon joined him, and exhibiting the map, he explained his
position to his friends.
"Here's another road to Kongsberg," said Summers, indicating its
direction on the map. "They may be going that way."
"It is possible," added Burchmore, puzzled by this discovery. "It is
farther that way than by Lysthus."
"Not much; there's hardly any difference. I'm in favor of following
Sanford."
So were nearly all of them, and the cashier finally yielded. The
tourists resumed their seats, and soon overtook the coxswain, who
had evidently expected to be followed. Burchmore was annoyed by the
discovery he had made, but as the pony attached to the cariole slowly
climbed the hills, he studied the map and the text of the book he had
bought.
"We can't go much farther on this tack," said he, as he folded up his
map.
"What's to prevent us from keeping on to the north pole?" asked
Churchill.
"It is almost night, in the first place, and in the second, we shall
come to a lake in the course of an hour, where we must take boats."
"I don't believe anything is wrong about the matter."
"Don't you? Then what are we doing up here?"
"Never mind; we shall soon come to that other road, and then we shall
know whether Sanford means to go to Kongsberg or not."
"He has stopped ahead of us. He is waiting for us to come up," added
Burchmore.
"Yes; and there is the road which turns off to the right."
"Why don't he go ahead?"
Sanford and those who had arrived with him left the carioles, and
gathered at the junction of the two roads. Burchmore followed their
example.
"What's the matter? What are you stopping here for?" demanded Clyde
Blacklock, rather imperiously.
"Some of the fellows think we are going to play them a trick," said
Sanford, with his sweet and innocent smile.
"Who thinks so?" asked Clyde.
"Burchmore."
"Which is Burchmore?"
"That's my name," replied the cashier, rather indifferently.
"Are you the fellow that wants to break up the party?" blustered
Clyde.
"No, I'm not. I'm the fellow that wants to go to Christiania. We ought
to have kept to the right at the last station."
"I insist on going this way."
"I don't object; you can go whichever way you please," added the
cashier, very gently.
"But we mean to keep the party together; and we might as well fight it
out here as in any other place."
Clyde threw off his overcoat, as though he intended to give a literal
demonstration of his remark.
"I don't consider you as one of the party," added Burchmore.
"Don't you?"
"No, I do not. You don't belong to our ship, and I don't pay your
bills."
"No matter for that. If you are not willing to go the way the rest of
us wish to go, I'll pound you till you are willing."
"No, no, Old England; we don't want anything of that sort. Burchmore
is a first-rate fellow," interposed the politic Sanford.
"You leave this fellow to me; I'll take care of him. I can whip him
out of his boots."
"I shall stick to my boots for the present," replied Burchmore, who
did not seem to be intimidated by the sharp conduct of the Briton. "I
am willing to listen to reason, but I shall not be bullied into
anything."
"What do you mean by bullied? Do you call me a bully?" foamed Clyde.
"You can draw your own inferences."
"Do you call me a bully?" demanded Clyde, doubling his fists, and
walking up to the cashier.
"Enough of this," said Sanford, stepping between the Briton and his
intended victim. "We shall not allow anybody to lick Burchmore, for he
is a good fellow, and always means right."
"I don't allow any fellow to call me a bully," replied Clyde.
"He didn't call you a bully. He only said he would not be bullied into
anything."
"It's the same thing."
"No matter if it is, Old England. You volunteered to pound him if he
wouldn't go with us; and it strikes me that this is something like
bullying," added the coxswain, with a cheerful smile.
"I shall thrash him for his impudence, at any rate."
"It isn't exactly civil to tell a fellow you will pound him if he
won't go with us; and who shall thrash you for your impudence, eh, Old
England?"
"I mean what I say."
"We shall allow no fight on this question, my gentle Britisher. If you
should happen to hit Burchmore, I have no doubt he would wallop you
soundly for your impudence."
"I should like to see him do it," cried Clyde, pulling off his coat,
and throwing himself into the attitude of the pugilist.
"No, you wouldn't, Albion; and if you would you can't have that
pleasure. There will be no fight to-day."
"Yes, there will," shouted Clyde.
"Not much;" and Sanford, Rodman, and Stockwell placed themselves
between Burchmore and Clyde.
"Dry up, Great Britain!" added Wilde.
"We have a point to settle here," continued Sanford, taking no further
notice of the belligerent Briton. "The right hand road goes to
Kongsberg; but there is no hotel in that direction where we could
sleep to-night. I propose, therefore, that we go on to--what's the
name of the place, Norway?"
"Tinoset," replied Ole.
"To Tinoset, where there is a big hotel."
"How far is it?" asked Churchill.
"Only two or three miles. Then to-morrow we can go on to Kongsberg,
unless you prefer to go a better way. I'm always ready to do just what
the rest of the fellows say," added Sanford.
The matter was discussed in all its bearings, and even Burchmore
thought it better to sleep at Tinoset.
"All right," said Sanford, as he moved off towards his cariole.
"Not yet," interposed Clyde, who still stood with his coat off. "I
haven't settled my affair with this spoony."
Burchmore and Churchill walked leisurely towards their vehicle, while
Rodman and Stockwell covered the retreat.
"If you thrash him, you thrash the whole of us, Great Britain," said
Rodman.
"What kind of a way is that?" demanded the disgusted Briton.
"We won't have any fight over this matter," added Stockwell. "Jump in,
and let us be off."
"We'll settle it when we get to that place," replied Clyde, seeing
that this opportunity was lost.
The procession resumed its journey, and in half an hour arrived at
Tinoset. As it was early in the season, the hotel was not crowded, as
it sometimes is. The town is at the foot of Lake Tins, upon which the
little steamer Rjukan made three trips a week each way. The boat was
to depart the next morning for Ornaes, which is only a few miles from
the Rjukanfos. Sanford declared that the most direct route to
Christiania was by steamer through this lake, and then by cariole the
rest of the journey. Ole, of course, backed up all he said, and most
of the boys wished to go that way. For some reason or other, Burchmore
kept still, though he did not assent to the coxswain's plan, and the
question was still open when the tourists were called to supper.
"Ole, I want to see you alone," said the cashier, after the meal was
finished.
"What for?" asked Ole.
"I have some money for you."
"For me?"
"Come along."
Burchmore led the way to the lake, where they found a retired place.
"What money have you for me?" demanded the astonished Norwegian.
"How much did Sanford give you for humbugging us?"
"For what?"
"For playing this trick on us?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"The coxswain gave you a sovereign for fooling us. I'll give you five
species, which is more than a sovereign, if you do what I want."
"I will," replied Ole, promptly.
"In the first place, where are you taking us?"
"To Christiania."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the cashier, producing his book. "I know all
about it. You ought to have gone to Lysthus, instead of taking the
left hand road. We are two Norwegian miles out of our way now. Sanford
has paid you a sovereign to lead us to some place he wishes to visit.
Where is it?"
"I only do what's right," protested Ole.
"Bah! I know better! The story that no horses could be had at Apalstoe
was a humbug. I'll give you five species if you will do as I tell
you."
Ole looked complacent, and held out his hand for the money.
"I don't pay till the work is done; but my word is as good as my
bond."
The waif had an "itching palm," and, after considerable discussion,
the terms of payment were settled.
"Now, where are we going?" asked the cashier.
"To the Rjukanfos. It is a big waterfall, with high mountains--one of
the finest places in Norway."
"Exactly so; but we are not going there," added Burchmore, decidedly.
"You will engage the carioles for to-morrow morning, and we must be in
Kongsberg by noon, and near Christiania by night."
"Sanford will kill me," replied Ole.
"No, he won't; we will take care of him."
"I can manage it, first rate. I will tell Sanford that we can go up
quicker on the other side of the lake, and then cross over."
"Tell him what you please, but my plan must be carried out," answered
Burchmore, who, perhaps, believed that he should be justified in
fighting the coxswain with his own weapons.
"Here you are; I've been looking for you," said Clyde, presenting
himself sooner than he was wanted. "You thought you would keep out of
my way--did you?"
"I have not given that subject any attention," replied Burchmore,
coolly.
"Yes, you have; you sneaked off here to keep out of my way."
"As you please," replied Burchmore, who began to walk slowly towards
the road.
"You don't escape me this time," added Clyde, placing himself in front
of the cashier.
"I have no wish to escape you."
"Yes, you have; you are a Yankee coward!"
"Perhaps I am; but I'm not afraid of a British bully."
"Do you call me a bully?"
"Most distinctly I do, and I can prove my words."
Clyde was rather startled by this exhibition of pluck, which he had
not expected.
"You call me a bully--do you?"
"I do."
"Then we'll settle it here. Off with your coat," blustered Clyde, as
he divested himself.
"I never fight if I can help it; but I always defend myself," replied
Burchmore, resuming his walk towards the road.
"Do you mean to run away?" demanded Clyde.
"No; I mean to walk very leisurely back to the station-house."
"No, you don't!" said the Briton, again placing himself before the
cashier.
Ole, who did not care, under the circumstances, to be seen with
Burchmore by any one of the party, had disappeared by this time; but
meeting Sanford near the lake, he had informed him what Clyde was
doing. The coxswain hastened to the spot, with Stockwell and two or
three others. But they were a little too late; for Clyde, feeling that
he had gone too far to recede with honor, had struck Burchmore. When
Sanford and the rest of the party reached the place, the belligerent
Briton lay on the ground, where, after a sharp set-to and a black eye,
he had been thrown by his cool opponent. He picked himself up, and was
preparing for another onslaught, when the coxswain stepped between the
combatants.
"Enough of that, Albion," said he.
Clyde made a rush towards Burchmore, but the others interfered, and
held him back. In vain he struggled in his wrath, but the stout
coxswain and his companions threw him upon the ground, and held him
there till his anger had in a measure subsided.
"Be off, Burchmore," said Sanford. "We will take care of him."
"I am not afraid of him," replied the cashier.
"Of course you are not; but clear out, and let us have peace."
"He is afraid of me!" roared Clyde.
"Nonsense, Great Britain! He would have mauled you to death if we
hadn't interfered. He can whip his weight in wildcats."
Burchmore walked away, and soon disappeared beyond the houses. Clyde
foamed in his wrath for a while, but finally consented to be pacified,
promising, very faithfully, to whip the cashier the next time he
caught him alone.
"Don't you do it, Albion. You never will see your mother again if you
attempt it. Wait a few days, and then, if you insist upon it, we will
let Burchmore thrash you all you want," replied Sanford, as they
walked back to the station-house.
Clyde had a bad-looking eye, and perhaps believed that he had had a
narrow escape; but he still maintained his credit as a bully. At the
hotel, the question of the route for the next day came up. Burchmore
insisted upon going to Christiania by the way of Kongsberg, and
Sanford, who had consulted Ole again, assented. The waif had assured
him that they could reach the Rjukanfos quicker and better by the
road than by the lake.
The next morning the carioles were ready, and the tourists renewed
their journey, and went back on the road by which they had come, till
they came to that which led to Kongsberg. The "forbud" had been duly
forwarded, and there were no delays or interruptions.
"Where's the lake?" asked Sanford, when they had been riding about two
hours.
"O, the road don't go near the lake, till we get to the place where we
cross," replied Ole, who was carrying out in good faith the
arrangement he had made with the cashier.
"How shall we cross the lake?"
"In a steamer which goes at seven o'clock in the morning."
"All right," replied the unsuspecting Sanford.
"We shall come to a large town at noon; and we musn't stop a minute
there, or those fellows will find where they are. We can tell them it
is Kongsberg, you know," added the wily waif.
"Just so," laughed Sanford; "we'll tell them it is Kongsberg, and they
won't know the difference."
"I don't think they will."
At noon, agreeably to the promise of Ole, the travellers arrived at
the large town, where they were obliged to change horses.
"This is Kongsberg, Burchmore," said the coxswain.
"Is it, really? or are you playing some trick upon us?" replied the
cashier.
"'Pon my word this is Kongsberg. Isn't it, Ole?"
"Yes, certainly," answered the waif, winking slyly to Burchmore.
"All right, Sanford; if you are satisfied, I am."
"I know it is Kongsberg. I have been here before," added Clyde,
wishing to give his testimony in carrying out the deception.
It was quite true that he had been in Kongsberg, but Ole took care
that he should not go to the part of the town he had visited before.
The road looked familiar to him; but as he rode alone, he had no
opportunity to state the fact to others. Before night the party
arrived at Drammen, where a regular line of steamers runs to
Christiania.
"That's the lake--is it?" said Sanford, pointing to the Drammen River,
which, below the town, is nearly two miles wide.
"That's it."
"What does Burchmore say? Does he know where he is?"
"Not yet; I shall tell him this is Drammen, and he will believe me."
"Good! and we will all stick to it that this is Drammen," added
Sanford.
"But suppose we should meet some one here who knows about the ship?
This is a large town--bigger than that other which we called
Kongsberg."
"Whom can we meet?"
"I don't know."
"I should hate to have any one tell the principal that we have been to
the Rjukanfos."
"Some of the officers may come up here."
"We must keep out of sight, then."
Others thought this would be good policy in a large town. As they were
fatigued, they retired early, and did not come down the next morning
till it was nearly time to leave in the steamer. They all went on
board, and were soon moving down the river.
"Are we going across the lake, Ole?" asked Sanford.
"This is a kind of arm of the lake, about a dozen miles long. We shall
come to the lake in a couple of hours," replied the waif.
"All right; but it must be a very large lake."
"The biggest in Norway."
In a couple of hours the steamer arrived at Holmsbo, on the
Christiania Fjord.
"Now you can see that this is a large lake," said Ole.
"But where are we?" demanded Burchmore. "Is this the way to
Christiania?"
"Certainly it is," replied Sanford, who did not yet recognize the
fjord, though the truth could not be much longer concealed. "Don't you
know this water?"
"No, I don't."
"This is Christiania Fjord."
"Is it, really?"
"Yes, it is; you can bet your life upon it."
"I am satisfied then."
In another hour the steamer was fairly in the fjord; Sanford and
Stockwell began to rub their eyes; for the scenery looked strangely
familiar, though they could not fully identify anything.
"What place is that ahead?" asked Sanford. "I am almost sure I have
seen it before."
"So am I," replied Stockwell.
"That place?" added the cashier.
"Yes; what is it?"
"If this is Christiania Fjord, that must be Droebak. I have a map
here," said Burchmore, producing his book, and displaying the map.
"Here we are; there's Holmsbo, and this must be Droebak."
"I don't understand it," replied the perplexed coxswain.
"Don't you? Why, I think it is as clear as mud," laughed Burchmore.
"We shall be in Christiania in a couple of hours. I thought you were
playing some trick upon us, Sanford; but I see now that you were all
right. There's the captain; he speaks English."
"What town is that, captain?" asked the coxswain.
"Droebak; we shall be in Christiania in about two hours," answered the
master.
"Where's Ole?" demanded the coxswain, much excited.
"What does it mean?" said Clyde.
"I don't know. Where's Ole?"
The waif evidently considered discretion the better part of valor, for
he could not be found; and the coxswain and those in his confidence
realized that they had been "sold" in their own coin.