So one warm June morning Frank and Ned set out for the station of the Long Island Railroad, and took a train for the metropolis.
“Some change in our prospects from what we looked forward to a couple of weeks ago,” remarked Ned, as he settled in his seat.
“That’s right. I’m going to miss that motor boat a whole lot; aren’t you?” Frank asked.
“Don’t speak of it,” and Ned’s voice was a trifle husky. “Remember how we were out in that storm?”
“I should say so! That’s the day uncle got the bad news.”
“Yes. And that’s the day we saw the battleship plowing along the big waves, and had an idea we might get on one. Well, I guess that idea has gone overboard and is in Davy Jones’ locker by this time.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Frank, with a somewhat mysterious air.
“What do you mean?” asked Ned, quickly, as the train gathered speed.
“Tell you later,” his brother responded. “I’ve got an idea in my head, that isn’t altogether worked out.”
“Well, don’t crowd yourself too hard,” and Ned laughed.
Really, they were in better spirits than they ever hoped to be after they had heard the bad news. But youthful spirits are very elastic, and easily bound back after being depressed. Which is a very good thing.
Ned and Frank were familiar with New York, as they spent a great part of their time there when college was in session. So it was no novelty to them to enter the metropolis. Their thoughts were busy with various matters as the train speeded along over the flat and not very interesting Long Island plains.
At Jamaica an electric locomotive replaced the steam one, and they were soon shooting along through the East River tunnel, swallowing rapidly to overcome the pressure on the ear drums caused by the low level and the air compression in the big tube.
“Well, I’m glad that’s over,” Frank said, as they ran into the big Pennsylvania Station at Seventh Avenue and Thirty-third Street.
“In little old New York once more!” remarked Ned. “What’s the first thing on the programme, captain? I’m going to let you lead this expedition as long as you behave yourself.”
“Oh, I’ll do that,” promised Frank. “I should say the first thing was to look for a stopping place, and then get some dinner. It will soon be noon.”
“I’m with you. Oh, say, while we’re at it, let’s pay a visit to the aquarium at Battery Park. I was reading about some new big fish from Bermuda they’ve just put in the tanks, and I want to see them.”
“We’ll have plenty of time to see the sights of New York; don’t fret yourself about that,” said his brother, with a laugh. “We aren’t going to get jobs right away, unless this turns out more of a fairy story than any I’ve read.”
“I’m not worrying,” was the answer. “But come on, let’s take in the aquarium.”
“All right. But first let’s check our grips in the station. No use carting them around with us,” said Frank.
This done, they took an elevated train for lower New York, and soon were at the entrance to the aquarium, which is located in old Castle Garden, once the landing place of immigrants, before the Ellis Island station was established.
CHAPTER VI – ROBBED
“Now for that big fish of yours – where is it?” asked Frank of his brother, as they prepared to enter the circular building which forms one of the finest educational features of New York.
“We’ll find it when we get inside,” was the answer. “It’s a porpoise, and the accounts of it in the papers said it cut up all manner of tricks. Porpoises are very playful, you know.”
“I thought it was a dolphin,” Frank remarked.
“Well, maybe dolphins are playful, too, but this is a porpoise I want to see.”
“A ham sandwich and a cup of coffee would be more in my line,” was the other’s comment. “Don’t be too long at this fishing game, Ned.”
“I won’t. Then we can come out and get a bite. There are plenty of restaurants around here.”
Together they entered the aquarium, and were soon gazing with interested eyes at the porpoise, which was kept in one of the large central tanks. Around the walls of the place were other tanks, with the light coming in from the top in such a way that the fish were plainly visible. There was a new exhibit of fishes from Bermudian waters, and looking at them after having watched the porpoise for some time, Ned remarked:
“Well, Frank, if we are ever lucky enough to get on a battleship that’s sent to Bermuda, I suppose we’ll see such fish as these in their native waters.”
“Yes, it would be great!” agreed Frank, and as he spoke he noticed that a man standing near him and his brother looked at them in a peculiar and sharp manner. Frank did not like the looks of the fellow, and he was even less pleased when the man moved a little nearer and addressed them.
“Are you lads from some ship?” he asked. “If you are, shake! I’m from the Kentucky myself, on shore leave, and it does my heart good to meet a couple of the boys in blue. What’s your berth?”
“We haven’t any,” Frank said, hoping to pass the matter off lightly and leave the man, for he did not like his face or manner.
“Excuse me,” the fellow went on, “but I thought I heard youse say something about a battleship – ”
“Oh, that was just talk,” broke in Ned, more open and ingenuous than his brother. “We’ve been talking of getting on a battleship for some time, but I don’t suppose we ever shall.”
“Well, it’s a great life, believe me!” exclaimed the man. “I’ve put in eight years of it. Hard work, but lots of fun, too. I’ve seen these fish swimming around so thick that you’d think there wasn’t enough water for ’em,” and he waved his hand – not a very clean hand, Frank thought – toward a tank of angel fish.
“Have you been in Bermuda?” asked Ned, eagerly.
“Lots of times,” boasted the other. “Two or three times the ships I was on were sent there on cruises. It’s a great life. Are you boys stopping in New York?”
“For a while, yes,” assented Frank, not wishing to give too much information about themselves to a stranger. He well knew the wiles of some of the unprincipled men of New York.
“I took you for strangers,” the fellow went on, and there came a queer gleam in his eyes.
“We’re Columbia students,” put in Ned, who was very proud of the fact. And then, like a pang, it came to him, that he and his brother would have to give up their places at the university. No longer would they be able to keep on with their studies there. Well, there was no use in vain regrets.
“I thought youse looked like college boys,” went on the man who claimed to be a sailor. “But what’s the trouble? Flunked in your studies that you want to get on a battleship? You can’t be officers first crack after you enlist, you know.”
“Oh, that talk of battleships didn’t amount to anything,” Frank said, wishing the fellow would take himself off. “And we don’t expect to be officers. Ned, come along,” he said, “it’s time we were going.”
They started for the exit, but their new acquaintance persisted in following them. And when Ned, who was an ardent fisherman, stopped at another tank, the stranger halted also.
“I wouldn’t like one of those chaps to get after me,” the man said, indicating two big green morays. The eel-like fish were swimming about and tearing to shreds a smaller fish that had been put into their tank for food.
“They are fierce,” agreed Ned, pressing close to the tank.
“And