CHAPTER III
TAKING CHANCES
"Better take a little turn ashore, Josh and George, while I'm gettingbreakfast ready," advised Buster; "you'd hate to say you'd passedthrough Budapest without even setting foot in the city."
"If you go, be careful not to get lost," added Jack, looking as thoughalmost tempted to veto the arrangement; but George proudly declared hefelt sure of being able to find his way about.
"Don't be more than half an hour at the most, fellows," sang outBuster after the couple, and they waved their hands at him as if theyunderstood.
About the time breakfast was ready Jack went ashore to look for theabsent ones, but there was as yet no sign of them. In fact, the two whowere left aboard had more than half finished their meal and werebecoming really worried when the others made their appearance.
George looked a trifle chagrined, while Josh was chuckling to himself.
"What's the joke? Tell us, Josh," demanded Buster.
"Oh, yes, hurry up and give him the full particulars," sneered George,looking daggers at his companion.
"Why, you see, George here tried some of his German on a gendarme wehappened to meet," explained Josh between gurgles. "Say, you ought tohave seen how surprised that cop looked. I'm afraid George got his nounstwisted and called him some sort of bad name. Anyhow, he was for takingus to the lock-up; but I managed to soothe him down some by showing himmy letters with the American postmarks on them, and letting a silvercoin slip into his hand. But he shook his head and looked as if he couldeat poor George. All the way back George has been racking his braintrying to understand what it was he really called that uniformedgendarme. I rather think it stood for pig."
"Well, let that rest, will you, Josh?" growled George. "What I'm mostinterested in just now is pig of another kind, for I see Buster hasfried some bacon for us. Mistakes will happen in the best regulatedfamilies, they say, and I own up I'm afraid I did get my nouns slightlymixed."
"Slightly!" echoed Josh, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well, if theboys could only have seen how that big cop scowled at you they'd havehad a fit."
As Josh was also hungry, he wasted no more time in explanations, and sothe incident was forgotten for the present. Later on it would doubtlessgive Josh occasion for considerable additional merriment and be thecause for more or less acrimonious conversation between the pair.
While they were eating Jack proceeded to settle with the owner of theboatyard for the accommodations, for a bargain had been struck withhim. People over in old Europe are not apt to do things without aconsideration, especially when tourists are concerned.
By the time George and Josh had finished their morning meal everythingwas in order for making a start.
"It's pretty tough to be running away like this without having a chanceto see what sort of movies they have over here in Budapest," complainedGeorge, who was known to be a steady attendant at the little theatre inhis home town, where all manner of dramas, as well as world-wide views,were nightly screened.
"So far as that goes," Josh told him, "they're pretty much all alikehere and at home. Chances are you'd see some cowboy pictures of thewild and woolly West; for they do say those are the ones they like bestabroad. They know all about Buffalo Bill over here. You know we saw anAustrian edition of some highly colored story about his imaginaryexploits hanging up when we passed that book stall."
Working the boat free from all entanglements, they were soon afloat oncemore on the river. The motor had started working as though it meant todo good service. Jack himself as a rule took charge of the machinery,not but that George knew all about such things, but he had a decidedfailing, which was to "monkey" with things even when they were runningsatisfactorily, and thus bring about sudden stoppages through hisexperiments.
"Look at the beautiful bridge we're going to pass under," sang outBuster presently. "It makes me think of one we saw in London."
"There's a bunch of Austrian officers walking across," said Josh, "andsee how one of them is pointing to us now."
"Bet you they're suspicious of us right away, and mean to order us to goback," said George disconsolately.
"Rats!" scoffed Buster. "Don't you see they're only admiring our littleflag?--that's all. I've got the same fastened in the stern, where itcan show well. I only wish it was five times as big, that's all. But itstands for what we are--true-blooded Americans, every one of us."
The officers even leaned over the parapet of the bridge to stare at theboat as it passed under. When the boys looked back a minute or so laterthey saw that the uniformed Hungarians had hurriedly crossed over andwere now gazing after them.
"Shows how seldom Old Glory is ever seen in these parts," said Josh,"for they hardly know what to make of it. If I had my way, can you guesswhat I'd do? Make the flag of the free so well known and respected thateverywhere people'd kowtow to the same and take off their hats."
"Now they're hurrying off the bridge, seems like, as if they'd justremembered an engagement somewhere," reported Buster.
"I only hope they don't start any sort of trouble for us, that's all,"George went on to say, but, finding that no one seemed to be paying anysort of attention to his grumbling, he stopped short, as his kind alwaysdo.
Jack held the wheel and guided the boat along through the numerous mazesof moving river craft. He was a skillful pilot and could be depended onto mind his business every time. Unlike George, Jack was plain andpractical, whereas the other never seemed satisfied with what he had,but was always trying to better conditions, often to his own and others'discomfort, as well as possible delay.
By degrees they were now leaving the twin cities behind them, and theriver began to appear more open and free to travel. The boys, as usual,were calling each other's attention to such features of the landscapethat attracted their admiration, or it might be some of the buildingsthey passed.
All of them were on the watch for special sights, and in this way thetime passed rapidly. The little motor was a very good one, and chuggedaway faithfully as it had continued to do hour after hour ever since thestart, which was made far down the river below Vienna.
They overtook other vessels frequently, since the Danube is navigablefor the greater part of its long course. Rising away over in Germanynear the border of Luxemburg, it winds its sinuous way through thegreater part of Germany and Austria-Hungary, strikes the Serbian border,turns sharply to the east, and then touches Bulgarian territory, formsthe dividing line between Rumania and Bulgaria, then crosses the formermonarchy, and serves as a border between Rumania and Russia, to finallyempty into the Black Sea.
It is by long odds the greatest river in Europe, and in all the worldthere can be found no stream upon whose borders live so many differentnationalities. That was one reason Jack Stormways had yearned to cruisedown the Danube; and he was even now trying to get all the pleasurepossible out of the trip, though the clouds had arisen so early in theventure.
Budapest was now far in the rear, though they could see the smoke thatarose in a few localities, coming from certain factories producingarticles for which the Hungarian capital is famous.
Josh happened to notice about this time that George seemed to be amusinghimself by shading his eyes with one hand and looking backward.
"What now, old croaker?" he ventured to say. "Do you imagine you see apatrol boat chasing after us hotfooted, with orders to bring us back andthrow us in a black dungeon, charged with being desperate spies?"
"Laugh as much as you want to," retorted George stubbornly, "but all thesame there _is_ a boat hustling along after us."
"You don't say!" gibed Josh, without bothering to turn his head to look."Well, since when have we taken out a mortgage on the Danube, pleasetell me? I guess it's free cruising ground for anybody who can afford toown a steam yacht, or even a common little dinky motorboat."
"She certainly is coming hand over fist after us," asserted Buster.
"Well, the river is sure wide enough for two, and when she comes upwe'll give her a chan
ce to pass us by. Whew! but I'm sleepy, if you wantto know it," and Josh yawned and stretched, but still declined to botherturning his head.
A little while later George again made a remark.
"Now that they're coming closer, I believe I can see several people inuniforms aboard that swift little boat."
Jack took a look on hearing this.
"You're right there, George," he assented; "but then there's nothing tohinder Magyar officers going on the river when they choose. In fact, Iimagine they pass plenty of their time that way when off duty."
Josh could not hold out after that any longer, but condescended tolazily turn and indifferently survey the approaching craft.
"Oh, she's a dandy for speed, all right," he frankly admitted, "andcould make circles around our old tub if the skipper wanted. Yes, thoseare soldiers on board, I'll admit, but how can you decide that they wantto overhaul us, I'd like to know?"
"I'm only guessing when I say that," acknowledged George; "but now thatI look sharper it strikes me one of those officers is the tall chapwearing the feather in his hat that we noticed on the bridge. How aboutit, Jack?"
"He looks like that man, but then there are probably scores in Budapestwho wear that same kind of hat, Alpine style. He's probably an officerof the mountaineer corps, those fellows from the Carnic Alps who can dosuch wonderful stunts in scaling dizzy heights."
"Well, we must soon know if there's going to be any sort of a row," saidGeorge, "because in ten minutes or less they'll overtake us."
"There must be no row, remember, boys," advised Jack. "If we attemptedto resist arrest we'd soon be trapped, for they would send worddown-river way about us by telegraph or telephone, and officers would beon the watch for us all along the route. Don't forget that."
"Paste it in your hat, George," advised Josh, "for I reckon you're theonly one in the bunch liable to make trouble. If they want to take meback and give me free lodging, I'll go as meek as Mary's little lamb.But whatever you do, George, _please_ be careful how you fling thatGerman of yours around loose. If you called one of those fiery Hungarianofficers a _donkey_ by mistake I think he'd want to run you through theribs with his sword."
"Huh! wait and see. That German you pretend to make so much fun aboutmay some day keep you from being hung or stood up against a blank wall.Stranger things than that have happened, let me tell you, Josh Purdue."
"They keep pushing us right along," announced Buster, beginning to feelquite an interest in the affair by this time.
"Get ready to give them the right of way, Jack," jeered Josh. "Wewouldn't want to act greedy, you know, and claim the whole river. Andwhen they whiz past look out you don't get splashed, Buster."
"Goodness! I hope you don't mean to say they might swamp us away outhere in the middle of the river. But there, I know you're only beingtrue to your name, Josh. Who's afraid? You don't get me to worrying anyif I know it."
"Look again and see what's happening!" suddenly snapped George, with aring of triumph in his voice.
"They're waving to us, for a fact!" admitted Buster. "Now what d'yesuppose that can be for, Jack?"
"Just saluting our little flag, mebbe," suggested the unconverted Josh.
"They are demanding that we pull up and wait for them, that's what!"asserted George, with a superior air that he liked to assume onoccasions like this.
"Is he right there, Jack?" asked Buster eagerly.
"I think that's what is meant," assented the pilot and engineer of thepowerboat the boys had chartered. "They are suspicious of us, and meanto have a look in before allowing us to proceed."
"But why should anybody be suspicious of four honest-looking boys outfor a little fun?" demanded Josh. "We've met heaps of other peoplebefore now, and they acted just as nice as you please. I don'tunderstand it."
"Well, you must remember," admonished Jack, "that something _terrible_has happened since yesterday morning. Every military man in Germany andAustria has been on needles and pins about this war business ever sinceSerbia defied Francis Joseph and some of her adventurers murdered theheir apparent to the Austrian throne. And now that war has broken out,they are all eager to show their fidelity to their country."
"But will you stop for them, Jack?" asked Josh.
"It would be foolish not to," he was told, "because you can see it'sonly a matter of ten minutes at most when they will have overhauled us.It pays to be courteous, especially, I'm told, when dealing with themilitary authorities over here. Besides, in war times they rule theroost."
"I guess they do all the time," muttered Josh; "but then you're rightabout it, Jack. We must get ready to show them just who and what we are.If they're sensible men they'll let us go on down the river as we'veplanned."
"And supposing they happen to be unreasonable men?" queried Buster.
"Oh, some of the dungeons may be large enough to hold you, perhaps,"laughed George; "but I can see your finish on a diet of bread and water,mostly water. You will waste away to a shadow before you get out,Buster."
The other only gave him a scornful look, as much as to say he was notworrying any about that part of the game, for he knew he could rely onJack to pull them all through safely.
So Jack shut off the power, and the clumsy but comfortable boat laywallowing on the surface of the river, awaiting the coming of the speedycraft containing the Hungarian army officers.