tand him.

"No; they haven't got them yet," replied Peaks. "The fact is, all the
passports are on board the ship."

"But the young gentlemen were very anxious to obtain new ones, so that
they could go to St. Petersburg. They intended to leave by this
morning's steamer, but no tickets can be had without passports."

Both Sanford and Stockwell shook their heads to the stupid porter, who
was remarkably intelligent on all other points; but somehow he did not
see them, or could not comprehend them.

"It's too bad about those passports--isn't it, my lads?" laughed
Peaks, turning to the runaways. "Here's more proof that you hadn't the
least idea of going to St. Petersburg."

"I was very sorry for the young gentlemen, and did the best I could
for them," added the gentlemanly porter.

"No doubt you did; and I'm very much obliged to you for the trouble
you took," replied the good-natured boatswain.

"No. 29, sir?" interposed the servant, with the key in his hand.

"Ay, ay, my hearty. But, young gentlemen, I want to save you from any
more terrible disappointments and awful vexations in finding the ship.
I'm going up to my bunk, and if I don't find you here when I come
down, I shall call on the American consul, and ask him to put the
police on your track. You shall find the ship this time, or perish in
the attempt, sure."

"Here's a go!" exclaimed Stockwell, as the servant conducted the
boatswain up the stairs to his chamber.

"What did you say anything to him about the passports for?" snapped
Sanford to the porter.

The official in uniform by this time understood the matter, and
apologized, promising to make it all right with the tall gentleman,
and to swear that not a word had been said to him or any one else
about passports. It was his business to please everybody, and his
perquisites depended upon his skill in doing so.

"What did Peaks mean about police?" said Sanford, as the trio seated
themselves near the front door of the hotel.

"He means what he says; confound him, he always does!" replied
Stockwell. "He intends to treat us as runaway seamen, and have us
arrested if we attempt to leave."

"We are trapped," muttered Sanford. "What's Peaks doing up here?"

"I don't know, unless he is looking for us."

"It makes no difference now. We are caught, and we may as well make
the best of it."

"It's all up with us," added the coxswain. "Peaks knows what he is
about, and there isn't much chance of getting the w