Mr. George and Rollo packed up their valise, paid their bill at the
hotel, and set off for the station.

"Let's go to the station by water," said Rollo.

"Well," said Mr. George, "if you will engage a boat."

"I know a place not far from here where there is a boat station," said
Rollo.

So Rollo led the way until they came to a bridge, and there, by the side
of the bridge, were some stairs leading down to the water. There were
several boats lying at the foot of the stairs, and boatmen near, who all
called out in Dutch, "Do you want a boat?" At least that was what Rollo
supposed they said, though, of course, he could not understand their
language. Rollo walked down the steps, and got into one of the boats,
and Mr. George followed him.

"I can't speak Dutch," said Rollo to the boatman, "but that is the way
we want to go." So saying, Rollo pointed in the direction which led
towards the station. The man did not understand a word that Rollo had
said; but still, by hearing it, he learned the fact that Rollo did not
speak the language of the country, and by his signs he knew that he must
go the way that he pointed. So he began to row the boat along.

"We cannot go quite to the station by the boat," said Rollo, "but we can
go pretty near it, and we can walk the rest of the way."

"How will you find out the way," asked Mr. George, "through all these
canals?"

"I can tell by the map," said Rollo.

So Rollo sat down on a seat at the stern of the boat, and taking out his
map, which was printed on a pocket handkerchief, he spread it on his
knee, and began to study out the canals.

"There," said he, "we are going along this canal, now; and there, a
little way ahead from here, is a bridge that we shall go under. Then we
shall make a turn," continued Rollo, still studying his map. "We shall
have to go a very round-about way; but that is no matter."

So they went on, Rollo at each turn pointing to the boatman which way he
was to go. Sometimes the boat was stopped for a time by a jam in the
boats and vessels before it, as a hack might be stopped in Broadway in
New York. Sometimes it went under bridges, and sometimes through dark
archways, where Rollo could hear carriages rumbling over his head in
the streets above.

At length the boat reached the point which Rollo thought was nearest to
the station; and the man, at a signal which Rollo gave him, stopped at
some steps. Rollo paid the fare by holding out a handful of money in