Then he began to mend, but the doctor said that it would be long before he could use his arm again, and that rest and quiet were absolutely necessary to restore him.
A week later, therefore, the midshipmen left the town, Dick having determined that he would travel home by easy stages, while Jack, of course, would journey direct to join his ship.
He had written immediately upon his arrival to acquaint his family, and that of Dick, that both were alive and had escaped from Russia.
The tailors had been set to work, and the midshipmen presented a respectable appearance.

Dick was still so weak that he could scarcely stand, and Jack tried hard to persuade him to stay for another week.
But Dick was pining to be home, and would not hear of delay.

A day's travel in a diligence brought them to a railway station, and twelve hours later they arrived at Vienna.
Here they stopped for a day in luxurious quarters, and then Jack, after seeing his friend into the train on his way home, started to travel over the Semmering pass down to Trieste, where he knew he should find no difficulty in obtaining a steamer to Constantinople.
After forty-eight hours' diligence travelling, Jack reached the pretty seaport on the northern shore of the Adriatic.

He found to his satisfaction that one of the Austrian Lloyd's steamers would sail for Constantinople on the following morning.

He spent the evening in buying a great stock of such articles as he had most found the want of in camp, and had accumulated quite a respectable stock of baggage by the time he went on board ship.