a tract of mingled land and water as this, as it is easy to
navigate a steamer through it; and, accordingly, the owners of the line
had made arrangements for stopping the trains at Moerdyk, and then
transferring the passengers to a steamer.

"I have great curiosity," said Rollo, "to see whether, when we come to
the water, we shall go _up_ to it, instead of _down_ to it."

"Do you think that we shall go up to it?" asked Mr. George.

"I don't know," replied Rollo. "We do in some parts of Holland. In some
places, according to what the guide book says, the land is twenty or
thirty feet below the level of the water, and so when you come to the
shore you go _up an embankment_, and there you find the water on the
other side, nearly at the top of it."

When at length the train stopped at Moerdyk, the conductor called out
from the platform that all the passengers would descend from the
carriages to embark on board the steamer. Rollo was too much interested
in making the change, and in hurrying Mr. George along so as to get a
good seat in the steamer, to make any observation on the comparative
level of the land and water. There was quite a little crowd of
passengers to go on board; and as they walked along the pier towards the
place where the steamer was lying, all loaded with as many bags, cloaks,
umbrellas, or parcels of some sort, as they could carry, Rollo and Mr.
George pressed on before them, Rollo leading the way. The steamer was a
long and narrow boat, painted black, in the English fashion. There was
no awning over the deck, and most of the passengers went below.

"I don't see what they are all going below for," said Rollo. "I should
think that they would wish to stay on deck and see the scenery."

So Rollo chose a seat by the side of a small porch which was built upon
the deck over the entrance to the cabin, and sat down immediately upon
it, making room for Mr. George by his side. There was a little table
before him, and he laid down his guide book and his great coat upon it.

"Now," said he, "this is good. We have got an excellent seat, and we
will have a first rate time looking at Holland as we go along."

Just then a young man, dressed in a suit of gray, and with a spy glass
hanging at his side, suspended by a strap from his shoulder, and with a
young and pretty, but rather disdainful looking lady on his arm, came
by.

"Now, Emily," said he, "which would you prefer, to sit here upon the
deck or go below?"