“Where is he going to?” asked Matt, his interest increasing as Lon proceeded. “He told me, but I have forgotten where it was: it was to some place in Europe.” “Will he take us on board?” “I am afraid not; but we must provide for that in some way.” “I don’t see how you can provide for it, if he is not willing to take us.” “We needn’t let him see us till we have been out a day or two. We can do as Wade Brooks did with us. He got into the boat, and went to sleep there; and when he woke the boat was miles from Midhampton.” “Where is his ship? I should like to see it.” “I don’t know where she is; but we can easily find her. She is called the ‘Housatonic.’” “Let us find her,” said Matt. “Then if we like the looks of her, and we find a good chance, we will get on board of her.” They went down to the East River, and asked a great many men where the ship “Housatonic” was; and they soon found her. She was a large and noble-looking vessel. A steam-tug was waiting to tow her down the harbor, but she was not quite ready to go. “What do you say, Matt? Shall we go on board of her?” asked Lon. “I am ready to do so,” replied Matt. “We can hide in her, and no one will see us until we are willing to be seen. But we must have something to eat during the time we hide on board of her,” said Lon. “The captain knows me; and he will give us a berth in his cabin, and we shall be all right. He said he should not be gone more than three months.” Matt agreed to every thing that Lon suggested. They went up to a shop near the pier, and bought as much to eat as would last them a couple of days, consisting mostly of cakes and crackers. Matt took the bundle; and without much difficulty, for the officers were busy getting the ship ready for sea, and took no notice of them, they got on board. They found the house on deck where the sailors were lodged; and they slipped into it, and stowed themselves away. They found room enough to coil up their bodies under the berths where the sailors slept. In the course of an hour, the ship was hauled out of the dock, and proceeded down the harbor, towed by the tug. About dark, the steamer cast her off; and she continued her course along the south shore of Long Island. The runaways were not very comfortable in their narrow quarters; and, as soon as the ship left the pier, some of the sailors came into the forecastle, and began to stow away their luggage. About the only place for it was under the bunks; and they jammed in their bags without regard to the bones of the stowaways. But the latter braced themselves up, and stood it till a second lot of the crew, released from duty, came into the house to stow away their effects. But by this time the tug had left the ship, and she was proceeding under sail. When the men came to crowd in another lot of bags under the bunks, Matt could not stand the pressure; and he yelled out like a good fellow.