"No; nor wine nor women,' interrupted Bob, despondingly. The old man has given orders that not a soul quit ship to-night. All shore-boats are to be prohihited from approaching within thirty yards.' "Why, the d- -d old tyrant! what's in the wind now ?' "Can't say ;-should'nt be surprised if we were off to the coast of Africa before morning you now his way.' 66 6 Well, well; I'll go ashore ;-yes,' said I, at that moment catching the eye of a Greek fisherman who was sculling upon the edge of the tabooed distance, and who seemed to understand our conversation and wishes; I'll be cursed if I don't go ashore. Dare you go along? When is your next watch; Can't you steal two or three hours.' 66 6 I may. I—may. would be observed now. But we must wait until night; we "As Bob spoke, we observed the skiff of the fisherman glide swiftly towards the ship, and her minute figure was soon lost under the shade of our giant stern. The tongue is not the only maker of assignations. My eyes met those of Palinurus once more, and we had a perfect understanding upon the subject of our wished-for visit to the shore. "Night came, and we found our wily Cypriot under the fore-chains; and we were soon at a miniature little city, built upon a promontory, that jutted out towards the ship, and which seemed to welcome our approach by the louder swelling strains of various music, and happy-hearted laughter. That night-that night!-I cannot tell the incidents of that night now.-No-never-never. We got back safely, however, and, as good fortune would have it, undiscovered, and unsuspected. Not having been found out, I went to my hammock with a quiet conscience, as indeed, with such a consolation, after what had happened, I was bound to do, aboard the commodore's ship. The next morning, however, changed the face of affairs; the non-intercourse regulation was repealed, and free trade and sailors' rights let the crew ashore, and a dark-browed Frank, the keeper of the cassino, where we danced the night before, aboard. The old man was in his cabin. Bob ran up into the main-top, and I turned into my nest. Bob was on the sick-list at his next watch. I myself was exceedingly disposed to be under the weather, and out of the way of recognition, and identification by the sorrowful host of the three spears.' But the next morning the ship stood away for the opposite coast of Africa, and we happily recovered. I got well just in time to see the devil in the old man's eyes, as I walked up towards him, in obedience to his summons. "Sick! nephew, ha ?' he began, half frowning, half sneering. I felt sick at heart, indeed. But when he asked me what had made me sick, and I replied that I attributed it to eating too many Cyprian oranges, he shut his eyes half up, and glimmering at me, sidewise, he turned slowly upon his heel, rapped the rattan in his hand hard upon his leg, and walked away. I saw it was all over. "About six bells A. M., the officers, with myself, were all called aft. 66 6 ‘I Gentlemen,' said the old man, looking black and digni. fied as an incipient thunder-squall, I regret that any individual under my command should disgrace the national flag, by riot, and violence in a foreign port; but much more do I regret that any officer of the Winnipissiago should so far forget his duty to his country, and his commander, as to break the order of the day.' Then he ripped out a few appropriate juramenta-juramentorum—that is, whoppers, boys. After letting off steam, he went ahead again. "My good friend, Kapitanos Antistratikos, the American consul for Famagusta, and keeper of a highly respectable cassino there, informs me that two persons from the Winnipissiago- --but no matter; that will be for charges and specifications. Here; who'-pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket' owns this piece of documentary evidence? Mr. Shelley, will you do me the favor to read the name of the happy proprietor ?? "With what a savage sneer the old man put the question! I quailed and trembled. I knew that Bob had lost his handkerchief in the scuffle, and faint, very faint was the hope that his ingenuity could excuse us. As to the offence itself, that was nothing, in reality, in the old man's judgment, compared with the sin of our leaving our tracks behind us, so that we were sure of being detected. "Guilty sir,' said Bob, touching his hat. He knew that there was no humbugging the old man. 'The document is my own.' 66 6 Enough. A court-martial will no doubt give due honor to your unofficer-like conduct. Consider yourself arrestedthat is all, gentlemen. Pipe down.' “‹ Mr. Locus,'—and the old man bowed to me with an ineffably increased suaviter in modo, your tongue need not confess that you were Mr. Shelley's companion. Your buttermilk face has saved that member the trouble. You will That ought in my So much for your quit the ship at the first land we make. opinion, to be the rule in Shelley's case. comfort. I promised your father to take good care of you; I shall keep my word, for I shall shortly leave you in Grand Cairo.-D-n you, sir, do you laugh?—that's no never made a pun in my life.' 17* pun. I "Is our friendship, then, sir,' said I, 'forever annihilated?' 66 6 Exactly, nephew. It ends at the mouth of the Nile, where we shall shortly drop both you and our anchor. I have only one word of advice to give you; it is, look out for the crocodiles, and don't eat too many oranges. Good morning.' "I could have burst into tears, but Bob came running up to me, and grasping my hand, cried,' Bear it like a man. They'll cashier ine, and I'll get permission to quit the ship with you; we'll travel together and seek our fortunes. Generous fellow! "Bob was correct in his anticipations; he was found guilty, and sentenced to be cashiered. His petition to the old man to be allowed to accompany me was readily granted, and about dusk, that evening, we were landed on the coast of Africa, near the western mouth of the Nile, a few miles from Rosetta, and about eighty miles north-west from Grand Cairo. We slept that night at the hovel of a Jew, and early in the morning started upon our journey. We had nothing to encumber us but the clothes upon our backs, our fowlingpieces, and Bob's favorite fiddle. The last article we brought along, as the means of earning our livelihood until we could get into some regular employment. Our pistols and dirks we had of course secured, together with a few pieces of gold. With these appointments we started for the great city of the Nile. "Not being much used to walking, we progressed only thirty miles the first day, and at the setting of the sun, rested under a sycamore tree, to dispose of our frugal meal of dates. Our repast was here suddenly interrupted by the appearance of three marauding Bedouins, who dashed in upon us on their beautiful Arabs, cutting and slashing at us with their sparkling cimeters. We very coolly cut two of them down in a flash, with the first shot from our pistols. The third fellow turned his horse and dashed his rowels into his bloody flanks. But we gave him, each, the other barrel, and tumbled him off, with one bullet in the elbow of his sword arm, and the other in the small of his back. We then helped ourselves to a few miscellaneous articles, that could have been of no further service to them, and buried their bodies in the sand. After this we had no further interruption until we arrived at Cairo, which we reached, on the second following night. "Our appearance here did not excite any very especial wonder. There were people of all colors, and countries, and religions, and habits, crowding along the narrow, dirty streets, seeking their business or their pleasures. The dogs seemed to be the most numerous and important part of the population, and we had little trouble from any of the rest of the inhabiSo having sought out a caravansary, or boardinghouse, we sallied out and commenced our vocation of streetminstrelsy. It was the most taking and profitable occupation that we could have chosen. I led the air, and Bob warbled bass, accompanying the melody with his cremona. 'Cease rude Boreas,'Begone dull care,' Ye sons of freedom,' 'Barbara Allen,' and several others of the most distinguished Christian pieces of profane music we absolutely coined into gold. The Cairoites were delighted with the novelty of the entertainment, and we became most decided favorites. Turks, Copts, Mamelukes, Jews, and Syrian Christians, voted us stars, invited us to their entertainments, and vied with each other in their unbounded hospitality. "Wake up Peter, Cypress. Dan, take this tumbler. "Well, boys, to be brief, in the course of three months we |