"If you feel bad about it, Scott, you can take a hand in the job yourself." "I will," said the joker, as the girl passed him, laughing merrily, with the pole in her hand. "Let me carry it for you;" and Scott attempted to take the pole. She stoutly resented this interference, till Captain Ekovetz spoke to her, for he had heard the conversation. The girl laughed, and so did the old woman who worked with her. The poles were laid down and loaded, and Scott picked up his end. His share of the weight was all he could stagger under, and the solemn Russians laughed heartily at his gallantry. "That's enough for me," said the joker, when he had dumped the load. "Here, Miss Maidenoff, I'm off." The girl tittered, and Scott gave her a twenty-copeck piece, which she accepted with surprise and pleasure. "Don't back out, Scott," said Lincoln. "I thought I would back out while I had a back to back out with. The idea of that girl carrying such a load is cruel. It is enough for a pack mule." "But the old woman sold you," laughed Billy Bobstay. "Sold me?" "She evidently understands the mechanical powers in practice, if not in theory, for she loaded the poles so that you carried two thirds of the weight. Probably she takes the other end with the girl." "These women claim this work as their privilege," said the captain. "If the men should attempt to bring the wood on board, the women would think it was mean in them." "Their education has been neglected," replied Scott. "This is going in for women's rights with a vengeance." "At every railroad station where I have bought tickets, they were sold by ladies, and all of them spoke French," added the doctor. "Women have a sphere in Russia, and some of them are well educated. You will find the women at work in the fields in every country of Europe, and in some of them they do all the worst drudgery. In Holland we saw women dragging boats on the canals, while a man stood at the tiller, with a pipe in his mouth, smoking." The steamer started again, and the party went into the cabin to order their dinner; but with the Russian steward this was no easy matter, though he knew half a dozen words of German. He set the table, and brought on the dinner, which, however, was anything but what was ordered. The first dish after the soup was meat, chopped fine, made into cutlets, breaded, and fried. It was followed by a course of small birds with jelly, and ended with a dessert of dried fruit. It was a very good dinner, and the party were well satisfied with it. On the bridge Scott got acquainted with the mate, a short man, and about as thick as he was long. Though he could not speak a word of English, and the joker not a word of Russian, they had some long talks, to the great amusement of the other students. The mate laughed prodigiously when he spoke, and permitted Scott to make his speeches, the joker being equally indulgent to him.