"I shall have to keep my eye on them," thought Robert. "That Frenchmen wouldn't like anything better than to get into a fight. I might fight one of them, but I don't think I could get the best of both." Once on the upper deck and away from observation, Hammerditch began to talk earnestly to his companion. "We made a mistake by quarreling with him," he said. "I cannot see eet," muttered Le Fevre. "If we had made friends with him he might have shown us the map." "Ha! zat is so." "I would give a good lot to get hold of the map," continued the Englishman. "Our false map may help us some, but that real map ought to be out of the way." At this Le Fevre clutched his companion by the arm. "I haf an idee," he whispered. "Let us see if ze boy has got a stateroom." "We can find that out at the office." "And if he is to sleep alone." "All right." A little later they went to the office and looked over the register. "Here he is--Robert Frost, room 45," said Hammerditch. "Anybody else in zat room?" They looked over the register, but could find nobody else. "He will haf ze room all to himself," chuckled Jean Le Fevre. "Now if I can find a way to open ze door----" "You mean to search his valise for the map?" "To be sure." "A good idea. We must work the plan, by all means," replied Hammerditch. In the meantime Robert had gone to the bow of the boat and was enjoying the sea breeze. Presently the clerk of the boat came up, followed by two burly Germans. "I believe this is Mr. Robert Frost," said the clerk. "That's my name," answered Robert, wondering what was wanted. "These gentlemen are brothers and desire a stateroom together," explained the clerk. "If you do not mind I would like to put you in stateroom No. 50, along with a very nice gentleman named Porter, and give these gentlemen No. 45. Otherwise I will have to put one of them with you and one with Mr. Porter. They prefer to be together." "It vill pe a great favor," said one of the Germans politely. "All right, I would just as lief go in with the gentleman you mentioned," answered Robert. "Dank you very mooch," said the German. "You vos very kind," added his brother. "All right then, that's settled," said the clerk. "Mr. Frost, I will have your baggage transferred, if you will give me your key." "I will transfer the baggage myself and take a look at the other stateroom," rejoined Robert. Our hero and the clerk went below, and Robert took his bag to stateroom No. 50, which was better than the other. Mr. Porter sat outside of the door reading a newspaper, and the clerk introduced the pair. The stranger proved to be a Chicago hardware merchant on his way into Michigan on a business trip. "I am glad to know you," he said, smiling pleasantly. "I hate to travel alone when there is the chance of an agreeable companion." "Thank you! I think I can say the same," replied Robert, with a smile. The boy retired at ten o'clock, and Mr. Porter with him. Soon Robert was sound asleep.