"And will this pilot get into a pilot boat and go back to New York?" asked Rollo.
"Yes," replied the gentleman, "and the passengers can send letters back by him, if they wish. They often do."
"And can I?" asked Rollo.
"Yes," replied the gentleman. "Write your letter, and I will give it to him."
Rollo had a small inkstand in his pocket, and also a pocket book with note papers folded up and envelopes in it. This was an apparatus that he always carried with him when he travelled. He took out one of his sheets of note paper, and wrote upon it the following letter:-
DEAR UNCLE GEORGE:
This is to inform you that we have found a good seat, and are
getting along very well.
Your affectionate nephew,
R. HOLIDAY.
Rollo made his letter shorter than he otherwise would have done, on account of having been informed by the gentleman, when he had just written the first line, that the pilot boat was coming in sight. So he finished his writing, and then folded his note and put it in its envelope. He sealed the envelope with a wafer, which he took out of a compartment of his pocket book. He then addressed it to his uncle George in a proper manner, and it was all ready. The gentleman then took it and carried it to the pilot, who was just then coming down from the paddle box and putting on his coat.
By this time the pilot boat had come pretty near to the ship, and was lying there upon the water at rest, with her sails flapping in the wind. The engine of the ship was stopped. A small boat was then seen coming from the pilot boat toward the ship. The boat was tossed fearfully by the waves as the oarsmen rowed it along. When it came to the side of the ship a sailor threw a rope to it, and it was held fast by means of the rope until the pilot got on board. The rope was then cast off, and the boat moved away. The engine was now put in motion again, and the great paddle wheels of the ship began to revolve as before. Rollo watched the little boat as it went bounding over the waves, afraid all the time that it would be upset, in which case his letter would be lost. At length, however, he had the satisfaction of seeing the skiff safely reach the pilot boat, and all the men climb up safely on board.
"There!" exclaimed Rollo, in a tone of great satisfaction, "now he will go up to the city safe, and I am very glad he has got that letter for uncle George."
In the mean time the captain mounted the paddle box where the pilot had stood, and, with his speaking trumpet in his hand, began to give the necessary orders for the vigorous prosecution of the voyage. The sails were spread, the engines were put into full operation, the helmsman was directed what course to steer, and the ship pressed gallantly forward out into the open sea.
CHAPTER IV. GETTING SETTLED.
The gentleman who had so kindly explained the pilot system to Rollo did not return to the settee after having given the pilot the letter, but went away, and for a few minutes Rollo and Jane were left alone. They observed, too, that a great many of the passengers had disappeared, and now there were very few about the deck. Rollo wondered where they had gone. He soon received some light on the subject, by overhearing one gentleman say to another, as they passed the settee on their promenade,-
"Come, Charley, let us go down and get some lunch."
"They are going to lunch," said Rollo. "We will go too. I am beginning to be hungry."
"So am I hungry," said Jane. "I did not think of it before; but I am, and I have no doubt that Tiger is hungry too."
So Jane took up her cage, and then she and Rollo, walking along together, followed the gentlemen who had said that they were going down to lunch. They walked forward upon the promenade deck till they came to the short flight of stairs, with the green rope balustrade, which led down to the deck below. These stairs were so steep that the children were obliged to proceed with great caution in descending them, in order to get down in safety. They, however, at length succeeded; and then, passing along where they saw that the gentlemen went who preceded them, they entered into a long and narrow passage way, with doors leading to state rooms on either hand. Following this passage way, they came at length to a sort of entry or hall, which was lighted by a skylight above. In the middle of this hall, and under the skylight, was a pretty broad staircase, leading down to some lower portion of the ship. As the men whom they were following went down these stairs, the children went down too. When they got down, they found themselves in a perfect maze of cabins, state rooms, and passage ways, the openings into which were infinitely multiplied by the large and splendid mirrors with which the walls were every where adorned.
"Put Tiger down there," said Rollo, pointing to a place near the end of the sofa, "and we will bring her something to eat when we come from lunch."
Jane was very anxious to take the kitten with her; but she knew that, under the circumstances in which she was placed, it was proper that she should follow implicitly all of Rollo's directions. So she put the cage down, and then she and Rollo went on together through a door where the gentlemen who had preceded them had gone.
They found themselves in another long and narrow passage way, which led toward the forward part of the ship. The passage way was so narrow that they could not walk together. So Rollo went first, and Jane came behind. The vessel was rocking gently from the motion of the waves, and Jane had to put her hands out once or twice, first to one side and then to the other of the passage way, in order to steady herself as she passed along. Presently they came to a place where they had to go up five or six steps, and then to go immediately down again. It was the place where the main shaft passed out from the engine to the paddle wheel. After getting over this obstruction, they went on a a little farther, and then came into a large dining saloon, where several long tables were spread, and a great many passengers were seated, eating their luncheons.
There were a number of waiters in different parts of the room, standing behind the guests at the tables; and one of these waiters, as soon as he saw Rollo and Jane come in, went to them, and said that he would show them where to sit. So they followed him, and he gave them a good seat at one of the tables. As soon as the children were seated, the waiter said, addressing Rollo,-
"Will you have soup?"
"Yes," said Rollo.
"And will the young lady take soup, too?" he asked again.
"Yes," said Rollo; "both of us."
While the waiter was gone to get the soup, Rollo and Jane had an opportunity of looking around the room and observing how very different it was in its fixtures and furniture from a dining room on land. Instead of windows, there were only round holes in the sides of the ship, about a foot in diameter. For a sash, there was only one round and exceedingly thick and strong pane of glass, set in an iron frame, and opening inwards, on massive hinges. On the side of this frame, opposite the hinges, was a strong clamp and screw, by means of which the frame could be screwed up very tight, in order to exclude the water in case of heavy seas. The tables were fitted with a ledge all around the outside, to keep the dishes from sliding off. Above each table, and suspended from the ceiling, was a long shelf of beautiful wood, with racks and sockets in it of every kind, for containing wineglasses, tumblers, decanters, and such other things as would be wanted from time to time upon the table. Every one of these glasses was in a place upon the shelf expressly fitted to receive and retain it; so that it might be held securely, and not allowed to fall, however great might be the motion of the ship.