The cabin swayed. "By Jove! we're starting already;" he cried.
"We're starting!"

"Starting!" cried Bert, sitting up. "Where?"

But the young man was out of the room again. There were noises
of German in the passage, and other nerve-shaking sounds.

The swaying increased. The young man reappeared. "We're off,
right enough!"

"I say!" said Bert, "where are we starting? I wish you'd
explain. What's this place? I don't understand."

"What!" cried the young man, "you don't understand?"

"No. I'm all dazed-like from that crack on the nob I got.
Where ARE we? WHERE are we starting?"

"Don't you know where you are--what this is?"

"Not a bit of it! What's all the swaying and the row?"

"What a lark!" cried the young man. "I say! What a thundering
lark! Don't you know? We're off to America, and you haven't
realised. You've just caught us by a neck. You're on the
blessed old flagship with the Prince. You won't miss anything.
Whatever's on, you bet the Vaterland will be there."

"Us!--off to America?"