"First rate! That's the best coffee I ever drank in my life," replied the coxswain.
"No; you pay at the end of the trip for all you have had," replied the waif.
"But who keeps the account?" asked Scott.
"Nobody," laughed Ole. "On the boats from Christiania every passenger tells what he has had, and pays for it."
"Not much," added Sanford, shaking his head. "Of course you don't pretend to be honest, Norway."
"You didn't take a sovereign from me, and another from Burchmore--did you?"
"It may be honest, but I don't see it in that light, Norway."
"Never mind that now, Sanford," interposed Burchmore. "He sold out the last time for the public good."
"Do you expect to find the ship in Stockholm when we get there?" asked Scott.
"Of course I do," replied Sanford. "We shall not get there till Tuesday."
"I suppose so. I have been trying hard to join the ship ever since we left her at Christiansand," continued the coxswain, solemnly.
"Honor bright! I don't believe in running away."
"Nor I; but Laybold and I have put our foot into it. I suppose we shall have to spend a week in the brig, and make love to Peaks while the rest of the fellows are seeing Russia."
"You will find some way to get out of the scrape."
"I don't know. We have lost Copenhagen and Denmark already, and I suppose we shall not see much of Russia."
"I don't think you can do it," added Scott, who had evidently come to the conclusion that running away "did not pay."
The steamer stopped, and the captain informed the party that passengers usually walked three miles around the series of locks, by which they were enabled to see the Falls of Trollhätten. The carrying of the canal around these falls was the most difficult problem in engineering in the construction of the work. It is cut through the solid rock, and contains sixteen locks. The passage of the steamer occupies an hour and a half, which affords ample time for the voyagers to see the falls. The party immediately landed, and were promptly beset by a dozen ragged boys, who desired to act as guides, where no such persons are needed. Not one of them spoke a word of English; but they led the way to the path, each one selecting his own victims, and trusting to the magnanimity of the passengers for their pay. A walk, covered with saw-dust, has been made by some public-spirited persons, and the excursion is a very pleasant one.