Ole Amundsen was at hand in this emergency.

"Tell him he needn't stop for us, Ole," said the coxswain.

"Don't you want to return to the ship?" asked the astonished waif.

"No, no," replied Sanford, in a low tone, so that some of the doubtful
members of his crew might not hear him. "Where is the steamer going,
Ole?"

"To Christiania, stopping at all the ports on the coast," answered
Ole, when he had obtained the information from the captain.

"All right; we will go to the first place where she stops," added
Sanford. "Don't say a word to the rest of the fellows, Ole."

"The first port she stops at is Lillesand," said Ole.

"Very well; we will go there."

Ole explained to the captain that the boys he had picked up wished to
go to Lillesand, where they could join their ship. This plan exactly
suited the young Norwegian, for he did not like the idea of being
landed at Christiansand, or taken back to the ship.

"Where are we going? Why don't he put us on shore, or on board of the
ship?" demanded Burchmore.

"It's a mail steamer; she is very late," replied Ole.

"But is she going to carry us off, because she is in a hurry?"

"Only to a port up here a little ways. We can come right back in
another steamer," Ole explained; and Burchmore was satisfied.

Now, the captain had certainly declared that he was in a great hurry,
and was not willing to wait for the boat which had put off from the
ship; but he proposed to hail a boat which was passing, and send his
involuntary passengers to the town in her. Ole assured him his
companions wished to go to Lillesand, and he was too glad to avoid any
delay. As the first cutter followed the steamer, it was decided, after
consultation with the captain, to turn the stove boat adrift, so that
it could be towed back to the ship by the first cutters. Sanford cast
off the painter, and the pliant master of the steamer was glad to get
rid of this check upon the speed of his boat. The boys watched the
water-logged craft till it was picked up by the first cutter, and then
passing behind an island, the squadron was out of view.

"How came you here, Ole?" asked Rodman.

"Came in the boat; but I didn't think you were going to smash her. I
thought I was killed that time, sure," laughed the waif.

"But how came you in the boat?" inquired Wilde.

"I got in, of course; nobody put me in."

"When?"

"When it hung at the davits in the ship, just before the pilot came on
board."

"What d