Down the Rhine; Or, Young America in Germany by Oliver Optic (romantic books to read .txt) 📗

the primitive structure still remains. Under the centre of the dome is a marble slab in the floor on which are the words Carolo Magno, indicating the spot where the tomb of Charlemagne was located. It was probably a little chapel above ground. It was opened in 1165, and the body was found sitting on a throne, clothed in imperial robes, a sceptre in the hand, and a copy of the Gospels on the knee. The crown was on the bony brow, and his sword and other articles near him. All these relics were subsequently used at the coronation of the emperors, but are now kept at Vienna, except the throne, which is still here.

The church has an abundance of relics, including the skull and arm-bone of Charlemagne, though the latter has, unfortunately, turned out to be a leg-bone! It is said that the rest of the bones of his body were found here in a chest in a dark closet; but we are not told by what means they were identified. If some of the apostles, martyrs, and worthies of the past had had a dozen skulls each, sight-seers might be more credulous. There are also in this church a lock of the Virgin's hair, the leathern girdle of Christ with the seal of Constantine upon it, a nail of the cross, the sponge which was filled with vinegar for the Saviour, blood and bones of St. Stephen, and bits of Aaron's rod.

In addition to these precious articles, the cathedral has what are called the Grand Relics, which are shown only once in seven years, and then for but two weeks. At the exhibition in 1860, half a million people resorted to Aix to see them. Charlemagne received them direct from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and from Haroun-al-Raschid. They are enclosed in a shrine of silver-gilt, of the workmanship of the ninth century. There are four principal articles: The cotton robe, five feet long, worn by the Virgin at the Nativity; the swaddling clothes, of a coarse yellow cloth like sacking, in which the infant Saviour was wrapped; the cloth on which the head of John the Baptist was laid; and the scarf worn by the Saviour, at the crucifixion, which bears the stains of blood. Other articles, such as religious emblems, are doubtless of great antiquity.

The party visited the Hôtel de Ville, on the spot where stood the palace of the Frankish kings, in which Charlemagne was born. This was the last sight to be seen in regular course, and the last city in Germany which the tourists were to visit that season. It had been put to vote whether the company would remain in Aix over Sunday, or make a night trip to Paris, and the latter had been almost unanimously adopted. Captain Shuffles voted against it, because the earl's party were to remain till Monday; but he gracefully yielded, and the tourists left at eight o'clock. Lady Feodora was very sad, and so was Shuffles—Sir William was very glad. His lordship was kind enough to hope that the acquaintance thus begun would be continued by letter, if not possible in any other way.

The excursionists were in Paris at eight o'clock the next morning, and most of them had slept very well in the cars. They were allowed to attend such churches as they pleased, and while some heard the fine singing in St. Roch, others listened to Mass in Notre Dame, while not a few attended at the American Chapel.

On Monday forenoon, after breakfast had been disposed of in the Hôtel du Louvre, Mr. Arbuckle requested all the students to assemble in the grand dining-room. When they were all in the apartment, their kind and liberal friend rose, and was received with hearty applause.

"Young gentlemen, I thank you for this kindly greeting," said he. "I shall never forget the debt of gratitude I owe you, and I hope, when your squadron goes up the Baltic, you will put into Belfast on your way. It has afforded me very great pleasure to contribute something to your instruction and amusement, and I most sincerely regret that we must part to-day. For myself and my family I thank you for all you have done for us."

Mr. Arbuckle paused, and Mr. Lowington, for the ship's company, thanked him for his liberal hospitality, and assured him that "all hands" would remember him and his family as long as they lived.

"I thank you, Mr. Lowington; you are very kind," continued Mr. Arbuckle. "Allow me to speak a word now for my daughter, the Grand Protectress of the Order of the Faithful. Some of the young gentlemen were saying something about perpetuating the association formed on our voyage from Havre to Brest, and Grace desired me to provide a suitable emblem for that purpose. I took the liberty, when we reached Paris, nearly three weeks since, to order a sufficient number of badges for all the members; and this morning I obtained them. They are very neat, and I hope they will please you."

He held up one of the emblems.

"It is a gold anchor, with a star upon it," continued Mr. Arbuckle. "The word Faithful is inscribed upon it. Grace will be happy now to present it to each member of the order."

The students applauded lustily, and one by one they passed before her, and she attached the badge, which was made like a breastpin, to the coats of the members, over the white ribbons. They were admonished always to wear them, and always to be faithful. The Grand Protectress was warmly cheered by the boys, when the ceremony was concluded. The hour of parting had come, for the ship's company was to return to Brest, while the Arbuckles proceeded to London. There was a general shaking of hands, and a general exchanging of kind words. Paul and Grace found the occasion a very trying one. What promises they made to each other need not be repeated.

The Arbuckles attended the party to the station, and when the last words of farewell had been spoken, the train moved off. The excitement of the excursion was ended, and the ride to Brest was rather dull. The buoyant spirit of youth, however, soon furnished a new hope, and they now looked eagerly forward to the meeting of dear friends at home. The train arrived at Brest in the evening, and the students slept that night in their berths on board the ship.

The next morning the Young America sailed for Lisbon. She did not make so quick a passage as the Josephine had made, and after a three days' run, dropped anchor in the Tagus; but the consort had not yet arrived.

 

CHAPTER XX.

HOMEWARD BOUND.

The moon shone brightly on the deserted deck of the Josephine after the runaways had departed in the four boats,—deserted by all save Bitts, who was endeavoring to free himself from the rope by which he had been secured. Before the conspirators had gone a cable's length, he succeeded. Reaching the rope over his head, he went up, hand over hand, till he had slack enough to make a bight for one of his feet. Then, holding on with one hand, he loosed the rope from his neck with the other, and descended to the deck.

Rogues always overreach themselves. Phillips had intended to secure the arms of his prisoner by winding a line around his body, but, considering him safe without it, he had neglected to do so. If he had done this, the runaways might have reached the shore before any one could come to the aid of the sufferer. He was free in three minutes after Phillips left him. The boats were pulling for the shore, and those below were laboring to release themselves from their imprisonment. He went to the companion way, and tried to open it; but the nail held it fast. Descending to the steerage, he removed the handspike with which the cabin door was fastened.

"What does all this mean?" demanded Mr. Fluxion, as he hastened on deck.

"The boys have taken all the boats, and left the vessel," replied Bitts.

"Left the vessel!" exclaimed Mr. Fluxion. "Were you asleep on deck?"

"No, sir. Half a dozen of them hung me by the neck till I was nearly choked to death," pleaded the carpenter.

"Where was Cleats?"

"I stepped below for half a minute, and they clapped the slide on over me," answered Cleats, very sheepishly.

"You stepped below! I ordered you not to leave the deck," added the vice-principal, angrily. "You are responsible for this."

"I did not think the young rascals would do such a thing as this," pleaded the culprit.

"I did; and I told you they would do anything. You have disobeyed my orders. Take the helm, Gage."

Mr. Fluxion glanced at the boats, and gave a few hasty orders, by which the Josephine was headed towards the shore. The cooks and stewards in the forecastle were released, and the chase commenced.

"I did not think they were quite so bold as this," said Dr. Carboy.

"They will do anything. Cleats thinks more of his stomach than of his duty, or it would not have happened," replied Mr. Fluxion. "I have seen the boys talking together a great deal on this cruise, and I was sure something was brewing. I charged all the officers not to leave the deck for a single instant. Probably the young rascals have been watching for this opportunity during the whole cruise."

"It is a very foolish movement on their part," added Dr. Carboy.

"Yet if they had kept us in the cabin half an hour longer, it might have succeeded, for the boats would have been out of sight. If they had tied Bitts's arms behind him, it might have been half an hour before we could have broken out of the cabin."

Mr. Fluxion questioned the watch officers very closely in regard to the conduct of the crew on deck, and he soon understood the whole matter. He was very severe upon Cleats for leaving the deck, declared that he could not be trusted, and that he should be discharged. The latter was very humble, acknowledged his error, and made no attempt to palliate it. He had always been faithful, so far as was known, and probably had never been guilty of any graver offence than that of leaving the deck for a few minutes during his watch. But he had been expressly cautioned not to do this, and had sent a hand below for his lunch, until the present time.

In the boats the runaways were pulling with all their might to get out of sight of the Josephine before the officers should set themselves at liberty. Perth urged the oarsmen in the captain's gig to the most tremendous exertion. But in less than ten minutes, and before they had made a single mile, they saw the Josephine fill away, and stand towards them.

"Did you fasten Bitts?" said Perth, to Phillips, who was in the gig with him.

"I did. He couldn't get away, I know," replied Phillips.

"They are after us, and I'm afraid the game is up," added Perth. "The Josephine can make two knots to our one in this breeze."

The leader was very anxious for the result. The plan had really failed because the officers had released themselves so much sooner than was expected. But Perth hoped to make it partially successful. Standing up in the gig, he ordered the other boats to separate, so that the Josephine could not capture them all at once. He directed the first cutter to pull to the north-west, while the gig went to the south-west, and the second and third cutters were to take intermediate points. The Josephine was headed to the north-west, with the evident intention of getting between the boats and the shore. The second cutter would therefore be her first victim; and Perth hoped that, by the time she had picked up the other three boats, his own would be in shoal water, where a schooner of her tonnage