entirely willing to adopt this plan.

Ole walked about the place for half an hour, accompanied by three of
the boys. Perhaps he was careful not to find what he wanted; at any
rate, no boat seemed to be available for the purpose desired, and when
the excursionists met again, it was reported that no boat suitable for
the accommodation of the party could be found.

"Then can't we engage horses, and go round to Christiansand by land?"
inquired Burchmore.

"In carioles?" queried Ole, with an odd smile.

"Carioles or wagons; anything we can find."

"You can, but it will take you a day and a half," replied Ole.

"A day and a half to go twenty miles."

"About seventy miles by land," added Ole. "You must go almost up to
the north pole before you can cross the river."

"O, nonsense!" exclaimed Burchmore, who could not help feeling that
Ole was not altogether reliable on his figures and facts.

"If you don't believe it, go and ask the postmaster, or any one in the
town," continued the waif.

"That's all very well to talk about asking any one, when no one speaks
a syllable of English."

"I will do the talking for you."

"Of course you will; you have done it all thus far."

"I don't mean to say that you must really double the north pole, or
that it is just seventy miles by land; but it's a long distance," Ole
explained.

"No matter how far it is; we will go," added the pliant coxswain. "I'm
willing to do whatever the fellows wish. It shall not be said that I
was mulish."

"But if it is seventy miles, or anything like it, we couldn't get to
Christiansand before the ship left."

"That's just what I was thinking," answered Sanford, with a puzzled
expression on his face. "Ole says it is a long way, and I have been
told that these Norwegians are very honest, and will not lie; so I
suppose he has told the truth."

It was barely possible that the waif had learned to lie in England,
where he had acquired his English.

"I suppose we must give up the idea of going in a boat, or going by
land. We can only wait till the steamer comes," continued Burchmore,
putting on a very long face.

"We can't stand that," protested Wilde.

"Well, what are you going to do?" demanded Burchmore.

"Can't you tell us, Norway?" said Tinckner.

"I know what I should do if I were in your situation, and wanted to
make a sure thing of it."

"Well, what?" asked Burchmore, gathering a hope from the words of the
waif.

"I should go to Chr