Frank, with his two little cousins, had begged leave to go to Hull in order to see the very, very last of the beautiful ship and that best of uncles, Captain Staysail.  Leave had been given by their parents, because “Wherever Frank is,” said Mr. Dunlop, “the children are sure to be safe.”

There had been a good deal of stir and bustle on the very last evening, and many visitors had been to the Valhalla, for somehow word had gone out that Professor Peterkin, the great Swedish traveller, was off to find the North Pole!

And all believed that he would find it.  Some of the sailors even went so far as to say that he would bring it back with him rigged up as a mast of his ship!

But by the time eight bells had rung out all was quiet.  The hands had turned in, and only Tom and two men were left on watch.

“Go forward,” said Tom, “and have a cup of coffee and a smoke, and I’ll see to the safety of the ship here at the gangway.”

The men took the young officer at his word, and it was not very long ere their smoke was finished, and they, too, were fast asleep.  Had any other eyes than Tom’s been watching the shore, about half an hour afterwards, they must have noticed that something very strange was taking place.

Dark figures could be seen drawing near with stealthy footsteps to the farther end of the gangway.  Then they stopped as if in fear and dread.  But Tom whistled a long, low whistle, and three figures, muffled in oil-skins, stole along the gangway and stepped silently on deck.

Then Tom sprang a small bull’s-eye lantern, and let its light shine right in front of him, so that no one meeting him could have told who or what was stealing up behind.  In the same quiet way he led the little party down a ladder to the deck below, and then beneath hammocks filled with sleeping sailors, and along a passage, until he came to a door, which he carefully unlocked, and soon afterwards locked again.

[Illustration]

* * * * *

By midnight next night the Valhalla was far out at sea, bearing to the north, for Captain Staysail did not mean to touch at any of the English or Scotch ports on this voyage.

The weather at first was very beautiful, and so it remained, with a calm sea and hardly a breath of wind, until nearly sunset of the second day.  Then clouds began to bank up, dark and threatening, and the glass—­so Webb, the first mate, reported to the captain—­was going tumbling down.

“We are going to have a blow, sir,” he said, “and it’s coming up sharp behind us.  I reckon, sir, we’ll have a ten-knotter afore the middle watch is called!”

“Well, then, have the fires banked, Mr. Webb, as soon as the wind is strong enough to get way on her.  I wouldn’t set too much sail, and if it does come a gale, I’d ease her right away.  You know what she can do, Mate.”

“Ay, ay, sir!”