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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75149 ***
+
+
+
+
+
+                      _All-Over-the-World Series_
+
+                         AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT
+
+                                  OR
+
+                        CRUISING IN THE ORIENT
+
+                            By OLIVER OPTIC
+
+    AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD" FIRST
+    AND SECOND SERIES "THE BOAT-CLUB SERIES" "THE GREAT WESTERN SERIES"
+    "THE WOODVILLE STORIES" "THE ONWARD AND UPWARD SERIES" "THE LAKE
+    SHORE SERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES" "THE RIVERDALE STORIES" "THE
+    BOAT-BUILDER SERIES" "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY SERIES" "A MISSING
+    MILLION" "A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN" "A YOUNG KNIGHT-ERRANT"
+    "STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD" ETC.
+
+                                BOSTON
+                      LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS
+                            10 MILK STREET
+
+                  COPYRIGHT, 1893, BY LEE AND SHEPARD
+
+                         _All Rights Reserved_
+
+                         AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT
+
+                   TYPE-SETTING AND ELECTROTYPING BY
+                  C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U.S.A.
+
+            S. J. PARKHILL & CO., PRINTERS, BOSTON, U.S.A.
+
+                                  TO
+                          MY EXCELLENT FRIEND
+                        DR. WILLIAM P. LEAVITT
+                      ONE OF MY FELLOW-TRAVELLERS
+                           IN FOREIGN LANDS
+                              This Volume
+                        IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED
+
+
+
+
+                                PREFACE
+
+
+"American Boys Afloat" is the fifth volume of the "All-Over-the-World"
+series; and it is a continuation of the travels and adventures of Louis
+Belgrave and his faithful and life-long friend and constant associate,
+Felix McGavonty, who are still inseparably united wherever they are
+and whatever they do. But they have been reinforced by two other
+American boys, and "The Big Four," as they have been named by some of
+the humorously inclined passengers in the Guardian-Mother, become the
+heroes of the adventures recounted in the volume.
+
+These additions to the force of the young millionaire are not wholly
+strangers to the readers of this series, for Morris Woolridge filled
+a prominent place as an actor in some of the events already related,
+though he had not then become one of the party whose moving home
+was on board of the steam-yacht. From the beginning the Belgraves
+and the Woolridges have been intimate friends; and at the close of
+the preceding volume the manner in which they became members of the
+expedition around the world in the same steamer was narrated.
+
+The wild and reckless Scott, reformed by the excellent discipline of
+the commander of the steamer, and his association with such high-minded
+young men as Louis, Felix, and Morris, becomes more of a character than
+even his companions. The little steam-yacht, the Salihé, is discovered
+at Gibraltar, and the events which caused her owner to dispose of her
+to the combined millionaires of the Guardian-Mother are detailed. This
+little steamer, with her Mohammedan name changed to one more Christian,
+becomes the tender of the ship, and very naturally falls into the
+possession of the big four. They organize a regular ship's company,
+and the reformed member of the quartet, who is more of a sailor and
+navigator than the others, becomes Captain Scott. Under his command,
+the little craft, though not so small as to be uncomfortable, makes the
+voyage from Gibraltar to Constantinople, keeping on the African side,
+and thus "cruising in the Orient" all the way.
+
+The steamer and her little consort visit Algiers and Constantinople,
+where the party devote themselves to sight-seeing, and listen to
+historical and descriptive lectures of the countries in whose waters
+they float, for the commander insists upon the instructive element of
+the cruise.
+
+While the author was wondering how he could crowd the story of the
+voyage of the Guardian-Mother, including the adventures of the big
+four, into six volumes, his publishers very graciously permitted him
+to extend the series to twice that number. The voyage will therefore
+be continued on the same plan, the little steamer, with the young
+navigators on board of her most of the time accompanying the ship.
+
+                                                      WILLIAM T. ADAMS.
+
+                                      DORCHESTER, MASS., Aug. 15, 1893.
+
+
+
+
+                               CONTENTS
+
+
+              CHAPTER I. THE SALIHÉ ALONGSIDE THE GUARDIAN-MOTHER
+
+             CHAPTER II. THE BIG FOUR ARRANGE AN EXCURSION
+
+            CHAPTER III. THE POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE VOYAGE
+
+             CHAPTER IV. AN EXPLORATION OF GIBRALTAR BAY
+
+              CHAPTER V. AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER
+
+             CHAPTER VI. THE BATTLE ON THE DECK OF THE SALIHÉ
+
+            CHAPTER VII. THE BIG FOUR AS PRISONERS IN THE CABIN
+
+           CHAPTER VIII. A MORAL CONSPIRACY ON BOARD THE SALIHÉ
+
+             CHAPTER IX. WORKING UP THE DETAILS OF THE SCHEME
+
+              CHAPTER X. LASSOING THE SCOTCHMAN
+
+             CHAPTER XI. THE RETURN OF THE VICTORIOUS KNIGHT-ERRANT
+
+            CHAPTER XII. THE SMUGGLERS MAKE A TRIP TO ALGECIRAS
+
+           CHAPTER XIII. WHAT IS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT GIBRALTAR
+
+            CHAPTER XIV. AMERICAN WITNESSES IN A SPANISH COURT
+
+             CHAPTER XV. EXPLORING THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR
+
+            CHAPTER XVI. AN ADDITION FOR THE FUN OF THE BIG FOUR
+
+           CHAPTER XVII. THE SHIP'S COMPANY OF THE STEAMER MAUD
+
+          CHAPTER XVIII. AN AFTERNOON EXCURSION TO TANGIER
+
+            CHAPTER XIX. ENTER ALI-NOURY PACHA AND THE FATIMÉ
+
+             CHAPTER XX. AN UNEXPECTED PERIL IN VIEW
+
+            CHAPTER XXI. EUCHRING THE GRAND MOGUL
+
+           CHAPTER XXII. CONSTERNATION ON BOARD THE SHIP
+
+          CHAPTER XXIII. A FUGITIVE FROM THE ENEMY
+
+           CHAPTER XXIV. A STORMY INTERVIEW WITH ALI-NOURY PACHA
+
+            CHAPTER XXV. THE STARBOARD AND PORT WATCHES OF THE MAUD
+
+           CHAPTER XXVI. THE PACHA FINDS HE HAS CAUGHT A TARTAR
+
+          CHAPTER XXVII. A FEW LESSONS IN NAVIGATION
+
+         CHAPTER XXVIII. MORRIS ON "THE RULE OF THE ROAD"
+
+           CHAPTER XXIX. THE PROSPECT OF A WATER-FAMINE
+
+            CHAPTER XXX. THE MAUD INCLINED TO TURN SOMERSETS
+
+           CHAPTER XXXI. CAPTAIN SCOTT SETS A REEFED FORESAIL
+
+          CHAPTER XXXII. THE MEETING OF THE TWO STEAMERS
+
+         CHAPTER XXXIII. THE PROFESSOR'S LECTURE ON ALGERIA
+
+          CHAPTER XXXIV. ORIENTAL VIEWS IN ALGIERS
+
+           CHAPTER XXXV. THE ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE
+
+          CHAPTER XXXVI. THE CITY OF THE SULTAN
+
+         CHAPTER XXXVII. THE SULTAN AND THE DANCING DERVISHES
+
+        CHAPTER XXXVIII. HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY
+
+
+
+
+                         AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER I
+
+               THE SALIHÉ ALONGSIDE THE GUARDIAN-MOTHER
+
+
+"It seems to me that I have seen that little steam-yacht before," said
+Louis Belgrave, as the four young Americans stood upon the promenade
+deck of the Guardian-Mother, of which the speaker was the owner, though
+the young man was only seventeen years of age.
+
+"Be the modther of me, it's the Sally Hay!" exclaimed Felix McGavonty,
+the Milesian of the party, though he could pronounce the President's
+English as well as any of his companions when he chose to do so.
+
+"She certainly looks just like the Salihé," added George Scott
+Fencelowe, whom everybody on board addressed as Scott simply: and the
+three who had spoken had made a voyage in the little steamer from
+Funchal in Madeira to Gibraltar, where the Guardian-Mother was now
+moored inside of the New Mole.
+
+"You fellows who have made a long cruise in her ought to know her if
+she is the Salihé," said Morris Woolridge. "I never even saw her but
+once, and I can throw no light on the subject."
+
+"She was painted white when we made our trip in her, and now she is the
+color of a black cat," continued Scott, the oldest of the party and
+the best sailor and boatman, for he was eighteen, while Morris, the
+youngest, was only fourteen.
+
+"It seems to me to be hardly possible that she can be the Salihé,
+though she looks like her in everything except her color," replied
+Louis. "If the Fatimé were here, I should have no doubt it was she."
+
+"But the large steam-yacht of His Highness, Ali-Noury Pacha, is not
+here, and we know that she passed through the strait and went to sea;
+and that is what makes me think the craft is not the Salihé," added
+Scott, who had been for a short time in the service of the Pacha, and
+had made the voyage in the little steamer from Funchal.
+
+"I suppose Ali-Noury could not very well take her with him on his trip
+up the Mediterranean, and he left her here," suggested Louis.
+
+"If that were true, the Pacha would not have had her painted black,"
+reasoned Scott; and there seemed to be a good deal of force in the
+argument.
+
+"Where is Philopena?" demanded Felix. "Sure, he ought to know the
+shtaymer if he's acquainted wid his own fadther, for he was ingineman
+of the craft."
+
+Felipe Garcias, a young Spaniard of eighteen, had been the engineer
+of the Salihé in the service of the Pacha, and being ill-treated by
+his Mohammedan employer, he had run away from Mogadore with the small
+steam-yacht. The steam-launch which was the subject of the conversation
+was coming out from the dockyard inside of the New Mole, and
+approaching the Guardian-Mother. Felipe, who was now an oiler on board
+of the steamer, was called by Morris, and his attention was directed to
+the approaching steam-yacht. He looked her over very carefully; but the
+change of color evidently perplexed him at first, though a little later
+he came to his conclusion.
+
+"Salihé!" he exclaimed.
+
+When Felipe came on board of the Guardian-Mother, he could not speak
+a word of English; but in the time that had since elapsed he had made
+good progress in acquiring it, though he was not yet fluent in the use
+of it.
+
+"Are you sure of it, Phil?" asked Louis, who had translated his Spanish
+name into English, and then abbreviated it.
+
+"Ver sure," replied Felipe decidedly. "I see some things what I know."
+
+"She was white when we brought her here," added Louis.
+
+"She has become black now; but I know some marks," persisted Felipe;
+and he proceeded to mention and point them out; but he spoke in Spanish
+to Louis, who had become tolerably fluent in the language by this time.
+
+"Why don't ye's shpake to the man forninst her poilot-house,"
+suggested Felix. "Perhaps he knows somephwat about her."
+
+"That's a bright idea of yours, Felix; he would be likely to know
+something about her," laughed the owner of the Guardian-Mother.
+
+The Salihé was making a course within twenty feet of the side of the
+steamer, and it was not a difficult matter to hail her. The man in the
+little box that was dignified with the name of pilot-house was the only
+person that could be seen on board of the little steamer, though there
+was doubtless another in the engine-room. The boat was moving along
+very slowly, and the pilot seemed to be looking about him all the time
+and in every direction.
+
+"Salihé, ahoy!" shouted Louis.
+
+"On board the steamer!" replied the man at the wheel, as he threw it
+over so as to direct the boat towards the gangway.
+
+The Guardian-Mother was the steam-yacht of Louis Belgrave, who had
+become a millionaire at sixteen, less than a year before; and she was
+also the college of the young gentleman, for the vessel was provided
+with a study, or schoolroom, abaft the principal cabin, in which
+Professor Giroud, a very learned Frenchman, instructed him and his
+fellow-students in literature, science, history, and languages.
+
+In what manner the steamer became the yacht and college of the young
+millionaire has been fully related and repeated in the preceding
+volumes of this series, and need hardly be repeated at length. She had
+sailed from New York on the first of December before, and had made an
+eventful voyage to the Bermudas, to Nassau, and around the island of
+Cuba, visiting all the principal ports.
+
+Louis Belgrave, on account of the peculiar family circumstances that
+surrounded him, had fallen into many and various adventures, and passed
+through and out of not a few perilous situations. None of them were of
+his own choice, and he was not a seeker after Quixotic enterprises,
+though his excellent friend and trustee had dubbed him a knight, and
+called him "Sir Louis;" and his example had been followed by the
+commander and others on board.
+
+Captain Royal Ringgold, commanding the steamer, had always been a
+friend of Louis, and especially of Mrs. Belgrave, his mother. The
+young millionaire had requested him to visit and examine a schooner he
+proposed to purchase for a yacht; and his mother and Felix had been
+his companions. The stirring adventures to which this visit gave rise
+strengthened the friendship before existing.
+
+The captain had advised the purchase of the steamer to which Louis gave
+the name of "Guardian-Mother" as a sort of recognition of her who had
+given him being, and to whom he was devoted to a degree rarely observed
+even in good and worthy sons. He originated the idea of making the
+vessel the young gentleman's college, in which the study of books could
+be combined with foreign travel.
+
+Squire Moses Scarburn was an old-fashioned lawyer, usually called
+Uncle Moses, and was one of the party. Dr. Philip Hawkes, an eminent
+physician and surgeon of New York, and Professor Pierre Giroud had
+become passengers in consequence of an accident. The doctor and the
+lawyer each weighed two hundred and twenty-six pounds and a fraction,
+and both of them were humorously inclined.
+
+Mrs. Blossom had been the housekeeper of the squire, and a friend of
+Mrs. Belgrave; and she was on board as the companion of the owner's
+mother. The party in the state cabin of the steamer who had made the
+voyage to the West Indies, across the Atlantic, visiting Teneriffe and
+Madeira, voyaging from one port to another in European waters till they
+had spent several months in England, Holland, France, and the western
+part of Spain, consisted of the seven persons named.
+
+Among the Bahama Islands they had picked up a bank defaulter, whose
+adopted son, Scott Fencelowe, had brought him there in the Seahound,
+his yacht. When Captain Ringgold realized that the bank officer was
+a defaulter, and had secured his plunder, he sent him back to the
+United States, forwarding the money he had stolen at the same time. The
+adopted son was a wild and reckless fellow, and his foster-father had
+practically bound him to the captain as a sort of apprentice.
+
+The young scapegrace had run away three times, but had been reclaimed.
+He had reformed his life and manners, and was now a worthy young man,
+as he had been for about three or four months. From a common sailor,
+berthing with the crew, the captain had promoted him to the rank of
+quartermaster, messing with the officers, for he was a good steersman.
+He was also a student in the study, where the professor had four pupils.
+
+Mr. Lowell Woolridge was a Fifth Avenue millionaire of New York,
+whose wife, son, and daughter, as well as himself, had increased the
+number of the party in the cabin to eleven, making up a dozen with the
+commander, who spent with them all the time he could spare from his
+duties. Mr. Woolridge had become acquainted with the Belgrave family
+through the agency of his yacht, the Blanche.
+
+His daughter, a very beautiful and graceful young lady of sixteen,
+having some slight symptoms of a pulmonary disease, had been sent to
+Orotavo, in the island of Teneriffe, by the physicians, and her father
+had been advised to take her there in his yacht. In a long and violent
+gale the Blanche had nearly foundered; but the Guardian-Mother had
+saved the vessel and the family. Dr. Hawkes declared that nothing ailed
+the fair patient, and the Blanche accompanied the steamer on her voyage
+as far as Southampton.
+
+On the passage there the commander and the Belgraves decided to invite
+the Woolridges to join the party on board of the steamer; and the
+arrangements had been completed at Southampton, so that the expense
+of the voyage around the world should be equally divided between
+the two millionaires. While the two parties were travelling in the
+United Kingdom, some needed alterations were made in the cabin of the
+steamer, increasing the number of staterooms.
+
+Six of the rooms on board were provided with bathrooms, with all the
+appendages, and were as luxurious as the suites of a first-class hotel.
+Mr. Melancthon Sage, the chief steward, was a caterer of established
+reputation, and Monsieur Odervie, the chief cook, was an artist in
+his profession of the highest rank. In fact, everything on board of
+the Guardian-Mother was luxurious. The ship was good for eighteen
+knots an hour when driven, and was officered by men of skill and long
+experience. Besides the boatswain and three quartermasters, her crew of
+sixteen seamen were all picked men, and it would have been difficult to
+find their equals as a whole in any yacht that sailed the seas.
+
+Felix McGavonty was born of an Irish father and mother, but within the
+United States; and he claimed to be as much an American as his friends
+and companions; and his claim was freely allowed by all of them. His
+mother was dead, and his father had "disappeared." The four young
+Americans on board of the Guardian-Mother were fast friends at the time
+of their introduction, though Scott had been heartily received as such
+at a recent date.
+
+The little steam-yacht, though she was large enough to have a cabin,
+engine-room, and pilot-house, came up to the gangway of the ship.
+The boys, as the commander always called them when speaking of them
+collectively, went over the rail and descended the steps to the
+Salihé. Individually, Captain Ringgold, as well as all the officers
+and seamen, called Louis "Mr. Belgrave." Though he never put on airs,
+some little deference was extended to him by his companions on account
+of his ownership; but among themselves the boys were equals in every
+respect.
+
+The man in the pilot-house stepped out, and when he had made fast
+to the side of the steamer, he invited the party on board. He was
+evidently an Englishman, for he slaughtered his h's without mercy,
+and was over fifty years old. He was well dressed, and one might have
+taken him for the mate of a merchantman. He was polite in his way, and
+provided his guests with seats.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER II
+
+                   THE BIG FOUR ARRANGE AN EXCURSION
+
+
+"What steam-yacht is this, sir?" asked Louis, as he seated himself on a
+stool in front of the pilot-house.
+
+"She's the Sali'é, sir," replied the man, pointing to the name above
+his head.
+
+"That's an odd name; is it English?" added the young millionaire.
+
+"Not at all, sir; it is a 'eathen name. She was built on the Clyde for
+the Grand Mogul of Mogadore; and a very fine craft she is, too, sir."
+
+"But how came she here? This isn't a heathen place, and you don't have
+a great many Grand Moguls in Gibraltar, I believe."
+
+"Bless you, no, sir! This place is a part of the realm of the Queen of
+Hengland, which she is likewise also the Hempress of Hindia, and is a
+Christian sovereign. Is it 'ow comes she 'ere?"
+
+"His it the Queen? His she 'ere?" demanded Felix, opening as though
+he was immeasurably astonished; and Louis looked at him and shook his
+head in deprecation of the Milesian's travesty of the language of the
+present skipper of the Salihé. "If her gracious majesty's here, I'll
+go ashore and give her the top of the mornin' as the shades of aiv'nin'
+are gadtherin' forninst the big bit of a rock," continued he, taking
+his friend's decided hint and promptly acting upon it.
+
+"The Queen which she is not in Gibraltar," replied the skipper,
+apparently not at all pleased with the style of the last speaker. "I
+was speaking of the Sali'é, sir, and not of the Queen."
+
+"I beg your pardon, sir; I assure you on the honor of an Oirishman I
+mint no offince," added Felix, taking off his cap and bowing to the
+Englishman, entirely appeased by the apology.
+
+"Is it 'ow the steam-yacht comes to be 'ere in Gib, sir? Well, it's
+a bit hodd 'ow she comes 'ere. The Grand Mogul as owned 'er 'ad a
+Spanish hengineer which he run away with the Sali'é, and brought 'er
+to Gib. But the Grand Mogul 'imself was 'ere in 'is big steam-yacht,
+and the Spaniard which 'e got frightened, and made fast the Sali'é to
+the Fatimé which it is the Grand Mogul's big yacht, and left for Spain
+without stopping to wipe the grease off 'is fingers."
+
+"Then the engineer went to Spain?" queried Louis.
+
+"I s'pose 'e did; where helse would a Spaniard go?" replied the skipper
+with a vacant stare.
+
+"I give it up."
+
+"You gives it hup! If any one gives hup the thief as stole the yacht,
+the Grand Mogul would cut 'im hup hinto five quarters."
+
+"Four would be enough," interjected Felix.
+
+"Is the Grand Mogul here now?" asked Louis.
+
+"Not in Gib now, and I reckon he went back to Mogadore. He spoke
+Henglish like a rock scorpion."
+
+"Like a what?" demanded Felix.
+
+"Like a rock scorpion, Flix; and that is a pet name for a person born
+in Gibraltar," interposed Louis. "Where were you educated?"
+
+"Not among the scorpions, moi darlint."
+
+"Then the Spaniard returned the Salihé to her owner, did he?" asked
+Louis.
+
+"'E left 'er alongside the Fatimé, and fled like a rat with a cat
+after 'im. The Grand Mogul was madder'n a bull with a bunch of Chinese
+fire-crackers tied to 'is tail. 'E couldn't do nothing with the yacht
+'ere 'n Gib. 'E offered me ten pounds to sail 'er down to Mogadore; but
+I wouldn't go to sea in a craft no bigger'n she is. Then 'e sold her
+'nd I bought 'er."
+
+"What did you give for her?" inquired Felix.
+
+"A 'undred pounds, which she is worth five 'undred," replied the
+skipper, whose name, later on, proved to be Giles Chickworth.
+
+"And what do you do with her?" asked Louis.
+
+"I makes 'er pay the interest on what she cost me, and good wages
+besides. I takes out parties as comes to the Rock," replied Chickworth.
+
+"What do you charge for her?"
+
+"Five shillings an hour, sir; and that's only two pound ten a day,
+which it is very cheap for a beauty like the Sali'é, sir. Per'aps you
+young gentlemen would like to take a turn in 'er?" suggested Giles
+Chickworth.
+
+Louis liked the idea, and the boys had a hasty conference in regard to
+the matter. The passengers on board had not yet been on shore; for the
+Viking, whose commander and his wife were their friends, was moored
+near the Guardian-Mother, and they were having very pleasant times in
+visiting each other. Three of the young gentlemen had to dine that
+day with the guests of Mrs. Belgrave; and they thought it would be
+more agreeable to make the excursion in the evening, when it would be
+cooler, and the full moon would lend her splendors to the occasion.
+
+"We cannot go now; but we should like to engage the Salihé for this
+evening at six o'clock," said Louis, at the close of the conference.
+
+"Me and the hengineer is engaged this evening," replied the skipper.
+"We 'ave to go to a meeting of our society, and I must be there, for
+I'm the chairman;" and the latter clause seemed to be the idea he
+particularly wished to convey to his auditors.
+
+"Very well, Mr. Chairman; but will you let the Salihé without the
+captain or engineer?" inquired Louis.
+
+"Sergeant Files told me as 'ow the Guardian-Mother was owned by a young
+gentleman in his teens as was sailing in 'er. With all due respect,
+which is the gentleman as owns 'er?" inquired Chickworth, touching his
+tarpaulin at random to the big four, as Captain Ringgold sometimes
+facetiously called them, evidently borrowing the term from a western
+railroad folder.
+
+With one accord Felix, Morris, and Scott pointed at Louis, as though
+they were rehearsing a Scriptural tableau of what Nathan said unto
+David: "Thou art the man!"
+
+"Which his name it is Mr. Belgrave," added Chickworth, taking off
+his tarpaulin and bowing low to the young gentleman indicated by his
+companions, for he had more respect for millions than for birth and
+attainments.
+
+"My name is Louis Belgrave, at your service, Mr. Commander of the
+Salihé," replied the young millionaire, laughing heartily at the
+pantomime of his friends and the obsequiousness of the skipper.
+
+"I knowed it was you, sir, from the gentility which it is marked on
+your honor's face, and shows itself in every motion you make," gushed
+Mr. Chickworth. "My name which it is Giles Chickworth."
+
+"Mr. Chairman, I move that you use no more blarney; and I should say
+you had kissed the Blarney stone if you were an Irishman."
+
+"The motion is not seconded, and I can't put it to the 'ouse," said the
+skipper.
+
+"Put it to yourself and not to the house, and I shall be satisfied.
+Now, Mr. Giles Chickworth, let us talk business. Will you let the
+steam-yacht without captain or engineer?"
+
+"Which I will do with the greatest pleasure in the world to a gentleman
+with millions in his trousers' pocket; for if you wreck or injure the
+beauty of a craft, you will pay for 'er like the Christian you are."
+
+"Certainly, I will; but we do not intend to wreck or injure her," added
+Louis, as he proceeded to arrange the terms more definitely.
+
+Everything was satisfactorily adjusted, and Chickworth promised
+to have the Salihé at the gangway of the ship at six o'clock. The
+Guardian-Mother had arrived at Gibraltar about noon on the day that the
+boys discovered the little steam-yacht. The Viking had come a couple
+of hours sooner. Captain W. Penn Sharp, her commander, had formerly
+been the third officer of the steamer, and his wife had been intimately
+connected with the affairs of the Belgrave family.
+
+They came on board of the ship as soon as she was moored; and the
+rest of the party, including Captain Ringgold, were in the cabin
+while the big four were bargaining for the use of the Salihé. The two
+commanders had some business, and the ladies had more to say than could
+be disposed of in half a day. Fourteen persons sat down at luncheon
+together, and just escaped the fatal number by one, so that no life was
+sacrificed to the ominous thirteen.
+
+The boys went on deck as soon as the meal was finished, for they were
+anxious to see more of the famous Rock, while the rest of the party
+remained in the cabin. The little steam-yacht cast off her cable, and
+stood off towards the town, where her enterprising captain probably
+expected to obtain a job for his boat.
+
+"You have not said anything to Captain Ringgold about this excursion,
+Louis," suggested Morris Woolridge, as they observed the departing
+steamer.
+
+"I did not consider it necessary to say anything to him," replied the
+owner of the Guardian-Mother.
+
+"He will charge you with getting up another adventure like that you
+three had in the same little craft, or that we had in the felucca off
+Teneriffe, Sir Louis."
+
+"If there is any adventure in a moonlight excursion in Gibraltar Bay
+in which you cannot get away more than five miles from the ship, I do
+not see it," added the young knight-errant, as Uncle Moses and Captain
+Ringgold insisted upon regarding him.
+
+"I'm go'n' wid ye's, moi darlint, and Oi shall see that no harrum comes
+to ye's," interposed Felix. "I'll take as good care of ye's as your
+modther wud if she went wid ye's."
+
+"Then I shall be perfectly safe, Squire Felix; but who will take care
+of you, my broth of a boy?" laughed Louis.
+
+"St. Patrick hisself, long loife to 'm! is allus on the lukout for me;
+an' ye've nothin' to faer as long as Oi'm wid ye's."
+
+"We have no pilot for these waters," suggested Scott.
+
+"You can take a look at the big chart of this locality before we go,
+and then we shall be all right," replied Louis. "The water here is a
+hundred fathoms deep, and I believe there is only one island in all the
+bay."
+
+"But there may be shoal places in the northern part of the bay, and it
+would not be pleasant to get aground and have to stay all night stuck
+in the mud," argued Scott.
+
+"The tide rises and falls about four feet here; and by the looks it
+will not be at the flood before nine or ten this evening; and if we get
+caught, we can work off any shoal without much trouble. You will be the
+pilot, Scott, and you must study up the tide and the shoals before we
+leave."
+
+"In what conspiracy are the big four engaged just now?" asked the
+commander, as he came out of the boudoir, in which was the grand
+staircase to the state cabin; and those rather high-sounding names were
+so marked on the plan of the interior of the ship, made by the original
+owner before she was purchased for the young millionaire. "Do you
+intend to set Gibraltar Bay on fire, blow up the Rock, or bridge over
+the Strait?"
+
+"We may set the bay on fire to-night if it will only burn. Do you see
+that little steam-yacht, Captain, making for the town?" replied Louis,
+as he pointed to the pretty craft.
+
+"I see her; and she is quite a handsome steam-launch," answered the
+commander.
+
+"That is the Salihé, in which Flix and I, with the 'middy,' made the
+voyage from Madeira to Tarifa," added Louis.
+
+"That? It seems to be quite impossible."
+
+"She has been at the gangway, and her captain and owner, Mr. Giles
+Chickworth, told us all about her, and how he happened to buy her of
+the Grand Mogul;" and Louis proceeded to relate the entire history of
+the craft, and to inform the commander that the big four had engaged
+her for a moonlight excursion on the bay.
+
+Captain Ringgold made no serious objection to the enterprise.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER III
+
+                  THE POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE VOYAGE
+
+
+Scott Fencelowe, who had been on probation over three months,
+proved very unexpectedly to the captain and others on board of the
+Guardian-Mother to be thoroughly reformed. As soon as the commander
+was satisfied on this point, he treated him with great kindness and
+consideration. The young man had been a very diligent student, and,
+having rather remarkable ability, he made rapid progress in his studies.
+
+The stateroom formerly occupied by the third officer, leading off the
+promenade deck, like those of the first and second officers, had been
+assigned to him. He was nominally a quartermaster, though his services
+were seldom required at the wheel. He was the commander's messenger,
+and had come to be called the "middy." He had the charge of the flags
+and signals, and was made useful in any capacity in which he could be
+of service.
+
+He messed with the officers, and as a sort of reward of merit he was
+occasionally invited to dine with the cabin party, as were the other
+principal officers of the ship. The other boys treated him as though he
+had been in every respect their equal, as indeed he was, except that
+he was a petty officer, as Felix was the captain's clerk. Scott was a
+very skilful boatman, and in three months he had learned his duty as a
+seaman.
+
+"I suppose this moonlight excursion means an adventure of some sort,
+Sir Louis," said Captain Ringgold, when the serious part of the
+business was settled, and no objection had been made to the enterprise
+of the big four.
+
+"Of course I am bound to be a knight-errant wherever I go and whatever
+I do, and I am as sure to get into an adventure as I am to get into my
+berth when I turn in," replied Louis, laughing with the captain all the
+time.
+
+"It generally happens so. You were going to the top of the Peak of
+Teneriffe; but instead of going there, you had a battle with banditti,
+and whipped out your captors in a felucca."
+
+"But the big four came back safe and sound, and brought the enemy with
+them."
+
+"You were all plucky, and I believe you never fail to get the better of
+all enemies in whatever form they come."
+
+"Now, beloved commander of the Guardian-Mother, can you tell me what
+possible chance there is for an adventure in the excursion we have
+arranged?" asked Louis, rather more seriously.
+
+"If you should undertake to capture the Rock of Gibraltar, it will
+be well for you to know that it is garrisoned by about five thousand
+soldiers of all arms; and that number of full-grown men are too many
+for even the big four," continued the commander, not disposed to be
+serious.
+
+"The big four don't mind five thousand soldiers; if there were ten
+thousand of them, we might hesitate."
+
+"Perhaps you will prefer to pick up the entire Rock and drop it into
+the bay; but the water is not deep enough to cover up the highest
+points of it, and somebody might find out what you had been about."
+
+"Now, Captain, could you be reasonably serious for a moment, only long
+enough to guess the conundrum I put to you just now?" asked Louis.
+
+"I might try. What was the conundrum?" asked the commander, smoothing
+off his face.
+
+"If my mother knew I was going ashore, or off in a boat, she would
+immediately conclude that I was to be shot, pitched over a precipice,
+or sunk to the bottom of the bay with a fifty-six tied around my neck."
+
+"Formerly she would; but Dr. Hawkes has wonderfully improved her
+nervous system, so that she would not conclude that anything of the
+sort would happen to you. You have got into so many scrapes and always
+come out of them without the singeing of a hair of your head, that
+she has acquired some confidence in your happy destiny," replied the
+captain.
+
+"Then can you indicate nearly or remotely what possible adventure I can
+fall into in this excursion?"
+
+"I give up the conundrum; I cannot guess as to how it is to come about;
+but if I were a sporting man, I should be willing to wager that you
+will have an adventure of some kind; but I should wish to wager at the
+same time that you would come out of it unscathed, and with the head of
+the enemy under your arm," answered the captain, resuming his mirthful
+rallying.
+
+"I cannot see for the life of me where the adventure is to come in.
+John Scoble is hard at work in Sing Sing prison, and"--
+
+"He may have been pardoned, or escaped from the stone walls that held
+him," interposed the commander, very cheerfully, as though he did not
+anticipate either of these events.
+
+"Mr. Fobbington, _alias_ Wilson Frinks, is mending roads with his
+ankles chained together in Santa Cruz, in the island of Teneriffe;
+these two were the most virulent enemies I ever had, and I do not know
+where to look for any others," replied Louis, as he saw his mother with
+the rest of the party come out of the boudoir.
+
+Captain Ringgold told her all about the proposed excursion of the big
+four; but Mrs. Belgrave did not offer a single objection. She asked her
+son some questions about it, and then joined Mrs. Sharp in a walk on
+the deck.
+
+"But which of the big four is to be the engineer of the Salihé?" asked
+the commander.
+
+"No one of them, Captain; and that reminds me that I wish to borrow
+Felipe Garcias, the oiler, for that office," replied Louis.
+
+The commander sent the middy to summon Felipe; and both of them soon
+returned together. The young Spaniard was very willing to undertake
+the duty, as he was anything that was for Louis, to whom he was fully
+devoted. The dinner in the cabin, complimentary to Captain and Mrs.
+Sharp, was served at five o'clock in Monsieur Odervie's best style. The
+boys retired early, and were at the gangway when the steam-yacht came
+alongside.
+
+Giles Chickworth was in the pilot-house, and the same engineer as when
+they had seen the craft before was at the door of the engine-room.
+Felipe was in readiness to take the place of the latter, as Scott was
+that of the former. But the young engineer did not appear to be in a
+very cheerful mood, and looked furtively about the vicinity of the ship
+as if in search of somebody or something.
+
+"Ali-Noury Pacha here?" he said, looking earnestly at Louis, for he had
+been generally confined to his duties below, and had not heard the news
+that the Pacha's yacht had gone to the southward three weeks before.
+
+"The Grand Mogul is not here now," replied Louis, laughing at the fears
+of the young Spaniard. "His steam-yacht has probably gone back to
+Mogadore."
+
+"Sure?" persisted Felipe.
+
+"I am sure the Fatimé is not here, though I am not sure where she has
+gone. Besides, he has sold the Salihé to the man in the pilot-house,
+and he has no claim to her," Louis explained.
+
+"I don't know; the Grand Mogul is a bad man; I am afraid," added the
+engineer, shaking his head doubtfully.
+
+"He cannot harm you now."
+
+"He send me back to Mogadore; he whip me on the feet; he put me in the
+prison," continued Felipe.
+
+"He cannot touch you here."
+
+"I am not so sure of that," interposed Uncle Moses, the lawyer. "He
+could be arrested for stealing the steam-yacht;" but the trustee spoke
+in a low tone, so that the Spaniard could not hear him, and he could
+not yet speak or understand English very readily.
+
+"He could in Morocco, but not here, under the British flag," suggested
+Louis.
+
+"There may be an extradition treaty between the two countries," replied
+Uncle Moses. "But I don't think Filopena is in any great danger of
+being arrested. Don't be afraid, my boy," he added to the engineer.
+
+"It is all right, Felipe; the Pacha can have no idea of what has become
+of you," said Louis, as he led the way down the steps and on board of
+the Salihé. "You are here on time, Mr. Chickworth."
+
+"Which I am halways on time, sir," replied the owner of the craft.
+
+"This man owns the Salihé now," added Louis, turning to Felipe, who
+closely followed him.
+
+"_Lo he comprado_" (I have bought her), said the skipper, seeing that
+the engineer was a Spaniard. "She is mine now."
+
+But he had no idea that the person he addressed was the one who had run
+away from the home of the Pacha with the steamer; and Louis did not
+deem it wise to enlighten him in this particular.
+
+"_Esta aqui el Pacha?_" (Is the Pacha here?) asked Felipe of the
+skipper.
+
+"_No esta aqui_" (He is not here), replied Chickworth. "Now, Mr.
+Belgrave, I suppose you are in no 'urry, and per'aps you would not
+mind setting me and my hengineer on shore by the Ragged Staff," he
+continued, turning to Louis.
+
+"In no hurry at all, and we had as lief go to the Ragged Staff,
+whatever that may be, as anywhere else. Run for the shore at any place
+you please. By the way, Mr. Chairman, where shall we leave the Salihé
+when we return?"
+
+"Just make 'er fast by the gangway of your ship, and I will come on
+board to-morrow morning," replied the skipper, as he rang the bell to
+go ahead.
+
+Scott stood at the door and asked some questions about the navigation
+of the bay; but Chickworth seemed to have no doubt that the temporary
+pilot would be able to keep the steamer on the top of the water. It was
+a run of only half a mile to the stairs where the skipper wished to
+land, and a few minutes later he was set ashore there. He stood at the
+head of the steps observing the Salihé as she headed up the bay, and
+seemed to be informing himself whether or not her new crew knew how to
+manage her.
+
+Of course Felipe was entirely at home in the engine-room, for he had
+served there in the employ of the Pacha, as well as on the broad ocean
+when all his present shipmates were with him. Scott was a skilful
+wheelman, and had steered the craft on the voyage from Madeira.
+No commander had been chosen for the present trip, but Louis fell
+naturally into this position without any appointment, for his ability
+invariably made him the leader in all enterprises in which the big
+four engaged. In fact, he had a talent for commanding as well as for
+obeying; and the latter sometimes requires more talent than the former.
+But he was modest and did not make himself offensive by an overbearing
+manner.
+
+The Salihé was abreast of the town of Gibraltar after she left the
+landing stairs, where there is a fixed light, showing green, which
+Scott noted as his guide for the return run. Four miles from it to
+the westward was a light on Verde Island, near the city of Algeciras,
+visible nine miles; and between the two the helmsman was not likely to
+get lost, unless a dense fog should shut them out from his view, of
+which there was no immediate prospect.
+
+"It is about time to give the pilot some instructions in regard to the
+course," said Scott, addressing Louis, who stood on the forecastle with
+Felix. "It won't take long to use up this bay, which don't pan out more
+than five miles in any direction."
+
+"Sailing for itself don't amount to much, for we are somewhat
+accustomed to that sort of thing," replied Louis. "I think you had
+better keep her within about a quarter of a mile of the shore, and make
+the circuit of the entire bay as far as Carnero Point on the other
+side. Then we can see the coast by daylight or moonlight. If anybody
+objects, let him say so."
+
+This course was followed, and the voyagers had a good view of the town
+and of the Rock. Scott had studied the chart, and announced to his
+companions the Old Mole, the Neutral Ground, and finally Point Mirador,
+with St. Roque on the hills above it.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER IV
+
+                    AN EXPLORATION OF GIBRALTAR BAY
+
+
+"I say, Flix," said Louis, as he seated himself on one of the stools
+with which the forecastle was provided, as they were passing the
+Old Mole, "did it ever occur to you that our voyage from the Bahama
+Islands was over about the same track as that taken by Columbus when he
+discovered the New World?"
+
+"I never thought a word about it, my darling," replied Felix.
+
+"I wonder you didn't, for I persuaded you to read Irving's 'Life of
+Columbus'; and you know he took his final departure from the Canary
+Islands."
+
+"I know he did; but he did not come back that way, and he had some
+mighty tough weather, just as we had in coming to the Canaries."
+
+"He returned by the Azores. But I was going to ask you a question,
+Flix."
+
+"Is it a question?"
+
+"Do you remember seeing the word 'cosmography' in the book?"
+
+"I do remember that same; and I remember seeing the dictionary in
+regard to it. It is a very big word for a mighty small matter."
+
+"Not at all. What do you understand by the word?"
+
+"I should say that, according to Columbus, it meant the science or the
+art of drawing maps."
+
+"More than that; for it includes geography and astronomy and something
+more than that, for it is the science of the universe, comprehending
+the laws and relations of all its parts."
+
+"Then it is a big subject; but Captain Columbus did not mean by it much
+more than the description of countries, seas, and oceans. He might as
+well have called it geography. A cosmographer is one who studies the
+world or the universe; and that is what Columbus was, for he had an
+astrolabe, and took the sun like any other old salt."
+
+"Very good, Flix; and I am glad you read so understandingly."
+
+"Did you think I was a fool?" asked Felix with a little gentle
+indignation in his tone and looks.
+
+"I knew you were not; and, like Captain Columbus, you are a
+cosmographer," replied Louis, rallying his companion with a laugh.
+
+"Is it I? Not much!"
+
+"But you are"--
+
+"Neutral Ground!" called Scott from the pilot-house. "It's about a
+half-mile wide, and then comes San Felipe."
+
+"Named after our engineer," added Felix.
+
+"Precisely so: and that place is in Spain. You are studying the coast
+of that country, and therefore you are a cosmographer," continued
+Louis.
+
+"Well, I haven't got it bad," protested Felix.
+
+"You have it as badly as any of us; for we are all studying the
+cosmography of the countries we visit, and especially the shores we
+approach. We are all cosmographers."
+
+"The hill directly ahead of us is the Carbonera Mountain," shouted
+Scott; and it is possible that he desired to display the knowledge he
+had picked up during the afternoon to prepare himself as a pilot.
+
+"Carbonera!" exclaimed Felix. "What a word! I wonder if it means
+anything. What does it mean, Scott?"
+
+"I'm no Spaniard, and I don't know; all I study is the navigation,"
+replied the pilot.
+
+"Navigation! Are you going to take us up to the top of that hill in the
+Sally Hay?" chuckled Felix, believing he had made a point.
+
+"Not at all; and I am not going to take you to the top of the
+lighthouse on Verde Island when we return; but I shall use it all the
+same as a guide to assist me in the navigation, as I do the mountain,
+which is nine hundred and seventy-one feet high, and therefore in sight
+even in the night."
+
+"You have got him, Scott," laughed Louis. "Flix, you talk as though
+you were an old lady who believed that lighthouses were put up to
+illuminate the watery region where they are placed, instead of to give
+the mariner his bearings."
+
+"I am not quite so green as the Ragged Staff Light," replied Felix,
+rather cut up by Scott's victory over him. "But I am as wise as the
+pilot, for I don't know any more than he does what the name of that
+mountain means."
+
+"Well, Flix, you ought to have studied Spanish with me, as I asked you
+to do before we left New York," added Louis.
+
+"Oh, bother! What do I want of Spanish?"
+
+"To inform you what the meaning is of the name of that hill."
+
+"And do you know what it means, darling?"
+
+"It means a place where they burn charcoal."
+
+"I am not going into the charcoal business at present; and it is of no
+great consequence to me," added Felix.
+
+"Knowledge is not all for business purposes; and it is worth while to
+have it, even if you cannot make any money out of it in detail."
+
+"Point Mala," said Scott.
+
+"And what does that mean, Louis?" asked Felix.
+
+"_Malo_ means bad, wicked, or sickly. _Mala_ is the feminine of the
+same word; and it also means the mail, or a mail-bag. I don't know the
+history of this _punta_, or point, so that I cannot tell whether it is
+a sickly place, a wicked locality, or is the place where they formerly
+landed the mail on its way to San Roque."
+
+"That is San Roque on the hill to the left of Carbonera Mountain," said
+Scott, who could hear all that was said on the forecastle.
+
+"Then learning Spanish don't teach you everything, Louis, my darling,"
+chuckled Felix. "It ought to let you know whether Mala is a wicked
+place or a mail-bag."
+
+"Knowledge has its limits; and generally they are not very far off.
+But you might as well refuse to believe you had any hair on your head
+because you can not tell how many capillary shafts it consists of."
+
+"I have none of those things on my pate," laughed Felix, shaking his
+head vigorously. "If I have, I will scatter them. Are those shafts like
+the one that whirls the propeller of the Guardian-Mamma, Louis?"
+
+"I am afraid the limits of your knowledge of the ornamental appendage
+of your fine head are not as near as they might be, for you do not seem
+to know the nomenclature of the hairs of your head."
+
+"Are you talking Spanish just now, my darling? If not, I ought to have
+brought a dictionary with me," said Felix with a gasp to denote the
+depth of his despair.
+
+"Point Mirador," called the pilot.
+
+"Punta Mirador," added Louis.
+
+"You ought to have your head bound with iron hoops, like a beer-barrel,
+to keep it from bursting with the fulness thereof, for some of the long
+words are sticking out through the cracks now."
+
+"If it collapses, Flix, I hope you will gather up some of the fruits of
+the explosion; but at present I do not feel any extraordinary pressure,
+and I think you will have to acquire your own knowledge in the ordinary
+laborious manner."
+
+"I don't see the p'nt of that point which you call a punta"--
+
+"I don't call it a punta, but a poon-ta. Pronounce it correctly when
+you speak Spanish, Flix," interposed Louis.
+
+"Poonta Mirador, then. There is more Mira-Por-Vos in it," added Felix,
+alluding to the group of islands among the Bahamas on one of which the
+foster-father of Scott had been picked up.
+
+"Unfortunately for you there is none of that in it, for mirador means
+a person looking on, or a balcony. You pay your money and take your
+choice."
+
+"Do you pay it in English or Spanish money? There is something on
+the hill that looks like a balcony; and I pay my money for that
+interpretation."
+
+"There is another point before we come to Algeciras called
+Rinconcillo," added the pilot.
+
+"Call it Rin-con-cil-yo, for double 1 in Spanish is treated like a
+single letter, sounded like ly joined," Louis explained.
+
+"Cilyo it is, Don Louis; and I shall be wilying to remember it when
+I am spelying out a Spanish word and filying up my empty head with
+such eroodition through the capilyary shafts. But I suppose that
+four-sylyabler means something."
+
+"You observe that the word is a diminutive."
+
+"I observe," replied Felix, shrugging his shoulders, and extending his
+two hands like a puzzled or a deprecating Frenchman. "I always thought
+a diminutive meant something small, and this is a four-syllabler, with
+eleven letters, counting in the y."
+
+"Does infinitesimal cover the length of the word or its meaning, Flix?"
+
+"Give it up! You always beat me in a literary discussion, my darling;
+and Oi'm moighty proud of your lairnin'."
+
+"Rinconcillo, without regard to the length of the word, means a small
+corner," said Louis.
+
+"And that's just where I am!" exclaimed Felix. "There is only one thing
+in which I can beat you."
+
+"What's that, Flix?" asked Morris, who had been too much amused to say
+anything before.
+
+"In using the swate brogue of Ould Ireland, which I lairned from me
+modther, long life to her, though she died when I was a babby."
+
+"Welcome to your superiority in that line, my boy; but I hoped you
+would forget your brogue before this time, for you have talked all the
+evening till now without a touch of it," added Louis.
+
+"Forgit me brogue? Niver! I'd dhrown mesel' in half a point o' wather
+afore I'd forgit me modther tongue!"
+
+"There is an opening in the land on the starboard side, just ahead of
+us," Scott announced. "I suppose it is the River Palmones, and there is
+a village on the north side of it. I missed the Guadarranque River.
+
+"Small loss; but are we going into this river, Scott?" asked Louis.
+
+"I guess not; I don't know the navigation, and it is not sounded on the
+chart of the bay. But there are some small vessels in there, for I can
+see their masts not half a cable's length from the shore."
+
+"We don't want anything of them."
+
+"There is a boat coming out of the river," said Morris.
+
+"All right: there is room enough in this bay for both of us," added
+Louis, as he glanced in the direction of the outlet of the stream.
+
+"I can see the lights in the houses on the shore of the river,"
+continued Morris.
+
+The moonlight did not produce a very brilliant illumination of
+Gibraltar Bay, though it was light enough to enable the voyagers on
+its waters to see all prominent objects on the shores, and to make out
+the shape of the points projecting from them. There was not a sail in
+sight in this part of the bay, though the masts of the small craft in
+the creek could be plainly distinguished. Both of them were schooners,
+and they were evidently larger than most of the feluccas seen on the
+Mediterranean.
+
+The boat that was approaching contained five men, two of whom were at
+the oars. They were pulling out in a direction to intercept the Salihé.
+Louis examined the boat and the men as well as he could, and though he
+had been utterly unable to imagine any possible danger in connection
+with the moonlight excursion, he made up his mind that he, for one,
+did not care to encounter a group of five men in just this lonely and
+silent locality.
+
+Scott had strictly observed his instructions to keep within about a
+quarter of a mile of the shore, and the steam-yacht was now at this
+distance from the land. The rowers in the boat did not seem to be
+hurrying themselves at the oars, and Louis concluded that it would be a
+very easy matter for the Salihé to run away from the strangers when it
+seemed necessary to do so.
+
+The steamer continued on her course, and no one expressed any alarm.
+Suddenly the Salihé stopped short, her keel grinding in the sand or
+mud.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER V
+
+                  AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER
+
+
+Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart,
+which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than
+might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several
+towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night. There was one
+of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.
+At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep;
+but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the
+vicinity was mud.
+
+The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though
+the steamer was now aground. As soon as the grating of the keel was
+heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop
+her, and then to back her. But she had run on the bar when going at
+full speed, and she did not come off so easily as desired.
+
+"How does she head now, Musther Shcott?" asked Felix in a rallying tone.
+
+"South south-west by north north-east," replied the pilot, who was
+always good-natured except when he got mad.
+
+"Faix, I think she's headed down for the place the volcanos vintilate."
+
+"She isn't making any headway in that direction," added Scott.
+
+"She will come off in a few minutes, for it will not be high tide for
+some time yet," said Louis. "You may as well stop the screw and take it
+easy, for she seems to be stuck hard. We are in no great hurry."
+
+"What do you call this river, Scott?" asked Felix.
+
+"The Palmones."
+
+"And what might that mean, Dr. Belgrave?"
+
+"If you mean me, I don't know," replied Louis.
+
+"Is there anything you don't know, Professor?"
+
+"There is at least one thing in particular that I don't know, and that
+is why you call me doctor and professor, Flix. I am not a pedant, and
+if you call me by such names, I shall give you the highest-sounding
+title I can find," replied Louis, rather tartly.
+
+"I won't do it then; I didn't mean to vex you."
+
+"You didn't vex me; but you talk to me as though I set myself up for a
+very learned or a very pretentious fellow. Barbers and bootblacks call
+themselves professors in these days; and there is no honor in the title
+unless a man is really a graduate of a college, and is what the name
+implies. I don't know what Palmones means, and it may be the proper
+name of some Spanish don."
+
+"The boat is close aboard of us," said Scott, coming out of the
+pilot-house.
+
+"And we are in for an advinture," chuckled Felix.
+
+"I don't see any adventure yet," added Louis.
+
+"Steamer, ahoy!" shouted a man in the bow of the boat.
+
+"Answer him, Scott," said Louis.
+
+"_En el vapor!_" shouted one in the stern-sheets of the craft, as
+though he thought the steamer's people might not understand English.
+
+"In the boat!" replied the pilot.
+
+The strangers did not wait for anything more to be said, but came
+alongside the Salihé, the man in the stern grasping the rail to hold
+the boat. As well as they could be made out in the dim light of
+the moon, they were not English lords nor Spanish grandees. On the
+contrary, they were rather a piratical-looking set of men. They were
+talking among themselves, but in Spanish; and the man in the bow
+appeared to be the only one who spoke English.
+
+Louis was not at all pleased with the situation; and he thought it was
+possible, after all, that there might be an adventure to wind up the
+moonlight excursion in the bay. He found his knowledge of Spanish was
+likely to be serviceable, for he could understand all that he could
+hear of what was passing in the after part of the craft. The man in the
+stern called to the one in the bow to leap on board of the steamer.
+The former looked like a cut-throat villain. He wore a woollen cap in
+sugar-loaf form with the point of it turned over on the side of his
+head.
+
+It looked as though the party intended to board the Salihé, and Louis
+took Felix by the arm, and led him to the rail of the yacht, in order
+to prevent anything of this kind if possible. At the same time he told
+Scott to make another attempt to back the steamer off the bar. The
+pilot returned to the wheel and rang two bells. The screw began to
+revolve, and the boat began to shake, for Felipe had a full head of
+steam, having just replenished the furnace with coal, in preparation
+for the work he was now called upon to perform. For a minute or so the
+yacht was shaking under the pressure applied.
+
+Setting the wheel amidships, Scott came out of the pilot-house, and
+placed himself at the side of Louis. In the adventure on the island of
+Teneriffe, in which his present companions, with the exception of the
+engineer, had been captured to obtain a ransom from the millionaires,
+Scott had been on the wrong side, and was engaged against his present
+friends. On the current occasion he seemed to be desirous of redeeming
+his character, so far as it had not already been done, and to prove his
+loyalty to the owner of the Guardian-Mother.
+
+"Board her!" called the Spaniard in the stern in his own language,
+evidently supposing from the answer in English, and from the appearance
+of those on the forecastle of the steamer, that they could not
+understand him. "Board her, Gray!"
+
+"No, no," replied the man called Gray, in Spanish. "We don't want any
+trouble about this business. This is Giles Chickworth's steamer; but he
+is not on board of her, so far as I can see."
+
+"There is not a particle of wind, and we cannot sail the Golondrina
+down the bay," continued the Spaniard impatiently. "You waste time, and
+we shall all be lost, and all the goods with us."
+
+This remark fully enlightened Louis in regard to the character of the
+villanous-looking fellows in the boat. They were _contrabandistas_, as
+smugglers are called in Spanish. The town of San Roque on the hill has
+the reputation of being largely the abode of this class of people, and
+the surrounding country doubtless is inhabited by great numbers of them.
+
+"Gibraltar is a free port, and a resort in consequence of Spanish
+smugglers, who drive an amazing trade by introducing contraband goods
+into Spain. The British government is not altogether free from a charge
+of a breach of faith, in the toleration it has given to these dishonest
+men; for it is bound by many engagements to use its best exertions
+to prevent any fraud on the Spanish revenues, in consequence of its
+possession of this peninsula." This is an extract from an English book,
+published in London. The writer has not set up a windmill for the
+purpose of giving the knight-errant on board of the Salihé a job to
+knock it down.
+
+It was plain enough to Louis, who had read the account of Gibraltar
+from which we have quoted, that the occupants of the boat alongside had
+a small vessel in the Palmones, loaded for a voyage to some port in
+Spain. The wind had been tolerably fresh during the afternoon, but at
+sunset it had entirely subsided, and at the present time the surface
+of the bay was glassy in the moonlight. The custom-house officials from
+Algeciras or elsewhere might pounce upon them before morning, or the
+next day if the vessel was compelled to remain in the river for the
+want of wind.
+
+"Is Captain Chickworth on board of the steamer?" asked Gray, addressing
+those on the forecastle of the steamer.
+
+"He is not on board," replied Louis.
+
+At this moment the engine, which had been doing its most vigorous work,
+triumphed over the mud, and began to move, to the great satisfaction
+of all the party on board, and perhaps to the discomfiture of those
+in the boat. She went astern very slowly, as though she had not yet
+fully conquered her enemy at the bottom of the bay. Gray, who was still
+holding on at the rail of the steamer, looked about him, as if to
+interpret the motion he could not help feeling. Then he said something
+to the man nearest to him, who passed up to him the painter, though
+those on board could not see what was done.
+
+"All right now!" exclaimed Scott, as he ran into the pilot-house and
+grasped the spokes of the wheel.
+
+"Don't crow till you are out of the woods," added Louis.
+
+"She has got started and she will go it now," said Felix, as he went to
+the bow to see what progress the steamer was making.
+
+The opportunity for which the boatmen had probably been watching
+appeared to have come when Louis turned his attention to the movement
+of the Milesian, for at that moment Gray sprang over the rail of the
+yacht to the deck, with the painter in his hand. There was a movement
+of his companions in the boat to follow him; but the English-speaking
+member of the band interposed, and prevented them from doing so.
+
+"We will try gentle measures first," said he, as Louis interpreted his
+Spanish; and he spoke it very fluently, if not as correctly as Louis
+had been taught by his learned professor.
+
+"If Captain Chickworth is not on board of the steamer, who is in
+command of her?" demanded Gray, as he made fast the painter of the boat
+at the rail.
+
+"I am in command of her," replied Louis; and the situation seemed
+to call upon him to act without any election or appointment to the
+leadership of his party.
+
+"Do you happen to have any name?" inquired Gray.
+
+"My name is Belgrave, at your service."
+
+"Then I suppose you hail from Belgravia in London."
+
+"No, sir; I hail from Von Blonk Park."
+
+"Then you speak English very well for a Dutchman. I never heard of the
+place you come from; but it is all the same," continued Gray, evidently
+proceeding to use the gentle measures of which he had spoken. "The
+Dutch are a very thrifty and money-making people."
+
+"They are, like the Scotch, of whom you are one, I should judge,
+though you have but little of the dialect in your speech, and you
+speak English very well indeed, to return your compliment," replied
+Louis, seeing that Felix and Morris were keeping a close watch over the
+Spaniards in the boat.
+
+If Gray wished to use gentle measures, the self-appointed commander of
+the Salihé was willing to meet him half-way, and was not disposed to
+resort to violence as long as it could be avoided, or even to harshness
+of speech.
+
+"I am a Scotchman, and I am proud of my country," added Gray. "You
+are a Dutchman, though you speak English perfectly. I suppose you are
+ready, as Scotchmen and Dutchmen always are, to make a little money."
+
+"I cannot say that I am," replied Louis rather coldly.
+
+"Then you are a very odd Dutchman."
+
+"And you are a very odd Scotchman."
+
+"I dare say I am; but I do not see in what particular I am odd at the
+present moment."
+
+"Why, you propose to give me a chance to make some money instead of
+making it yourself, which is not at all like a Scotchman."
+
+"_Quiere V. atropellar?_" (Will you hurry up?) shouted the Spaniard in
+the stern of the boat angrily.
+
+"My friend is impatient," added Gray.
+
+"I see he is."
+
+"Do you speak Spanish?" demanded the Scotchman, evidently startled at
+the suggestion of Louis's reply.
+
+"I do not just now; but if your friend is impatient, I will not detain
+him or you a single moment more, and you can return to your boat at
+once."
+
+By this time the Salihé was under full headway, and the boat was
+dragged at a rather uncomfortable speed for those on board of it. At
+this stage of the proceedings the pilot rang one bell to stop the
+steamer.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER VI
+
+                 THE BATTLE ON THE DECK OF THE SALIHÉ
+
+
+Scott had heard all the conversation with Gray on the forecastle, and
+fully acknowledged the authority of the self-appointed commander. He
+had rung one bell without any order to that effect. As he explained it
+afterwards, the fact that the steamer had been aground led him to fear
+that she might stick the heel of her false keel, if she had one, into
+another mud-bank, and perhaps cripple her rudder.
+
+The acting captain did not object, for he knew that the pilot was more
+of a sailor than he was himself, and he took the trouble to nod his
+approval of what had been done. Fearing some interference on the part
+of Gray, Louis did not care to make an issue by directing him to go
+ahead. But Scott rang one bell again without any order, and the Salihé
+began to go ahead. The boat was whirled about by this movement, and
+came up alongside of the steamer as she gathered headway. Gray watched
+the craft and the men in it; but the latter made no demonstration,
+though Diego, as he called him, occasionally demanded that the
+Scotchman should "hurry up."
+
+"I have a bit of business with you, Captain Belgrave," said Gray, when
+things had become quiet again on deck. "My friend Diego has a small
+vessel loaded with merchandise."
+
+"I suppose he bought it at some of the houses whose light we can see
+half a mile up the Palmones," added Louis.
+
+"That is neither here nor there. What odds does it make where the goods
+came from?" asked the Scotchman, beginning to manifest some of Diego's
+impatience.
+
+"It does not make the least difference in the world to me; but it might
+to the Spanish custom-house officers," replied Louis lightly.
+
+"You know more than the law allows to a young fellow; and I hope you
+are as prudent as you are wise," replied Gray, in a tone somewhat
+severe. "Captain Chickworth is my friend; and if he had not been
+obliged to go to a society meeting, he would have been here with the
+Salihé to assist me."
+
+"But Captain Chickworth does not happen to be here to assist you; and
+my party have chartered his steamer, and they have the right to use her
+as they please."
+
+"But, my dear Captain Belgrave, I will give you two pounds in good gold
+if you will assist me with your steamer; and we won't disturb your
+party in the least degree," pleaded the Scotchman, in tones that were
+now quite obsequious. "The money I give you will pay for the steamer."
+
+"We are able to pay for her without any such assistance from you, and
+I must respectfully decline your munificent offer," answered Louis.
+
+"Make it three pounds, though Chickworth would have charged me only
+two," persisted Gray.
+
+"I must still decline."
+
+"I am willing to say four pounds, though you are rather hard on me."
+
+"Make it twenty pounds, and I shall decline it all the same. I am not
+in want of a job just now," replied Louis very firmly.
+
+"But we must have the steamer, and I hope you will be reasonable,
+Captain Belgrave. If we proposed to turn you and your party out of the
+steamer, and take full possession of her, it would be quite another
+thing," argued Gray. "You can all remain on board of the steamer and
+enjoy the sail just the same. If you wish to retire to the cabin, we
+have some excellent wine on board of our vessel, and we will supply you
+with half a dozen bottles of it, which will help you to pass away the
+evening."
+
+"Not one of our party drinks wine."
+
+"We only ask you to tow the Golondrina down as far as Carnero Point,
+and we shall get a breeze of wind by that time."
+
+"It is no use to talk, Mr. Gray. I will not tow the Golondrina down
+to Carnero Point on any terms you can name," said Louis, so decidedly
+that the Scotchman was evidently satisfied he could not accomplish his
+purpose.
+
+"You are a very obstinate Dutchman!" exclaimed Gray, as he turned away
+from the acting captain, and blew a whistle which it was evident he had
+carried in his hand during the conversation.
+
+When the boat swung around as the steamer went ahead, it was held by
+the painter abreast of the engine-room. Felix heard that whistle,
+and had been an attentive listener to the interview in front of the
+pilot-house. He had stationed himself at the rail near the point where
+the painter of the Spanish boat was made fast. He realized before the
+close of the conference that Gray "meant business," as he expressed
+himself. The instant he heard the whistle, he cast off the painter,
+which he had partly unloosed before. The boat began to slide aft, and
+Gray used some expletives which indicated that he was not in good
+standing in the Scottish Kirk.
+
+Diego was not asleep, for he instantly detected the fact that his craft
+was adrift. He laid hold of the rail of the steamer with desperate
+energy, for he knew that once lost the Salihé could not be overtaken
+with oars, and the custom-house officers would settle their business in
+due time. The Spaniard held on to the rail, and his men did the same.
+
+Gray had hurried aft as soon as he had blown his whistle, which must
+have been agreed upon as the signal to board, before he put his
+foot aboard the planks of the steamer. On the way he seized upon a
+heave-line, which was attached to a fast in the stern, and dropped it
+into the boat. It was caught by one of the men, and passed around the
+fore thwart. With this assistance the Spaniards were able to hold the
+craft, though it fell astern of the steamer when they let go of the
+rail.
+
+Louis, Felix, and Morris now realized that the smugglers intended to
+take forcible possession of the Salihé, and their blood was stirred
+accordingly. All three of them had revolvers in their hip pockets for
+reasons set forth in the preceding volumes; though Morris had purchased
+his in London, for the adventure with the brigands in Teneriffe had
+satisfied his father that it was needed. All three of them followed
+Gray, and saw that the Spanish boat was again attached to the steamer.
+
+Scott looked out for the wheel; but he had gone to the door of the
+pilot-house, where he had seen all that occurred farther aft. He had
+been the owner of two revolvers, but Captain Ringgold had ordered
+them to be taken from him when he was a rebellious character, and
+they had never been restored to him. He was not armed, therefore, as
+his companions were; but if there was to be any fighting he earnestly
+desired to do his share of it, for he was far from being a coward.
+
+Under the binnacle in front of the wheel were several tools, including
+a hammer, two hatchets, and a common hand-saw. From this arsenal of
+available weapons he selected the smaller hatchet, because it was quite
+sharp, and the saw. He had heard an old shipmaster who resided near his
+foster-father give an account of a mutiny which he had suppressed, and
+his only weapon was a saw such as that he found in the pilot-house.
+
+Thrusting the handle of the hatchet through the back of his belt, and
+with the saw in his hand, he secured the wheel amidships, and hastened
+aft, following closely at the heels of his three companions on board.
+Gray stood by the heave-line he had thrown to those in the boat, and
+which he had made fast at a cleat under the rail. Scott took in the
+situation at a glance, and noted the place where the line was made
+fast. But he did not wish to interfere with any plan Louis had made.
+
+"I have fastened the wheel amidships, Louis, and I can be with you for
+a few minutes," said he to the leader.
+
+"Gray has dropped a line into the boat, and the Spaniards have made it
+fast," replied Louis. "All we have to do is to beat them off if we can.
+I don't like the idea of shooting them;" and he had his hand on his hip
+pocket.
+
+"Here is the line: shall I cut it?" asked Scott.
+
+"Yes, if you can."
+
+Drawing the rope up to the rail, he chopped it off with a single blow
+of the hatchet. It dropped on the deck, and was running out when the
+Scotchman unfortunately discovered what had been done, and seized upon
+it just before the end of it was going overboard. He could not have
+done this if Diego and a couple of his companions had not still been
+holding on at the rail.
+
+Gray held fast at the line, passing it around the small iron davit, to
+a pair of which a little tender was hoisted up, and made it fast. Then
+he turned upon the four boys who were in the gangway abreast of the
+cabin, and he was evidently no longer in favor of gentle measures, for
+he swore at them in a manner to make a Christian weep.
+
+"I gave you a chance to be decent and earn some money," said he
+angrily. "You would not listen to me, and now you have lost your chance
+to make three or four pounds, and I have taken possession of the
+steamer, and I intend to keep her as long as I please."
+
+"This is piracy!" exclaimed Louis.
+
+"You may call it what you like," replied Gray savagely. "You have had
+your chance, and now you have lost it. Go forward, every mother's son
+of you!" And he rushed at them in a body as they stood, with his two
+fists doubled up as though he intended to annihilate them, and so
+furiously that those who had revolvers had no chance to use them.
+
+He absolutely fell upon Louis and Felix who were ahead of Morris and
+Scott, and except the last they all fell back involuntarily, and in
+a moment more the revolvers were drawn and in readiness for use; but
+Scott did not budge a foot. He had restored the hatchet to the belt
+behind him, and had transferred the hand-saw to his right hand. He
+stood his ground like a brave fellow, for he had a plan in his head
+upon which he meant to act.
+
+The Scotchman struck at him with his fist, directing the blow at his
+head; but Scott had raised the saw in readiness for action, and he
+brought it down upon his assailant's hand with a force which made him
+howl with pain, and caused him to retreat a pace, while he poured
+forth a volley of oaths which must have well-nigh exhausted his
+piratical vocabulary.
+
+[Illustration: "SCOTT RAISED THE SAW IN READINESS FOR ACTION."]
+
+"Don't fire, fellows, if you can help it," said Louis to his followers,
+for the worst the smugglers were likely to do was to use the Salihé
+to tow their schooner down to Carnero Point, a distance of about five
+miles, and he could not feel that his party would be justified in
+killing the assailants.
+
+He spoke in a low tone so that Gray could not hear him, for he was
+still disposed to use the revolvers for their moral effect, and he
+did not believe that even the Scotchman would be willing to stand up
+in the face of a dozen and a half of bullets that might be shot into
+his head. Louis was filled with admiration at the pluck which Scott
+exhibited, for he had not expected it of him. Still levelling blows at
+the Scotchman with the saw, the pilot drove him aft, hitting him once
+in the face, for he was not as tender of the enemy as his leader was.
+
+Gray defended himself as well as he could, avoiding most of the
+blows by dodging them, or warding them off with his arm. Near the
+standing-room he found a spare tiller, kept for use in case the wheel
+should be disabled in the pilot-house. As he stooped to take it from
+the brackets, he received the cut in his face, which maddened him
+more than any other he had received. With this weapon he rushed upon
+the pilot, and the efficiency of the saw was somewhat neutralized,
+though Scott continued to wield it vigorously as he retreated upon his
+companions.
+
+In the first of the struggle Gray had called upon the Spaniards to
+board the steamer, which they had done, and now the whole five of
+the smugglers were on the deck of the Salihé. The situation looked
+very discouraging to Louis when he saw that the enemy had obtained a
+foothold, and he realized that he ought to have menaced those in the
+boat with the revolvers of his party. But he could not have reached the
+standing-room directly without passing the Scotchman, who would have
+disputed his passage.
+
+The Spaniards disappeared behind the cabin; but in a minute more they
+fell upon the rear of the party, and made them prisoners.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER VII
+
+                THE BIG FOUR AS PRISONERS IN THE CABIN
+
+
+Louis Belgrave had taken it for granted that the Spaniards would move
+forward to the support of the Scotchman, who was doing better with the
+aid of the tiller in his encounter with Scott. He expected the attack
+would be made in front, and while he was considering whether or not
+his party should use their revolvers, the smugglers fell upon Felix
+and himself in the rear, for he had sent Morris to the wheel, and they
+were tightly hugged, with their arms pinned to their sides by the four
+Spaniards.
+
+While the struggle between Scott and Gray was going on, Louis
+discovered that the steamer was headed towards the shore, and it was
+evident to him that the pilot's fastenings at the wheel had given away.
+The Salihé was therefore liable to stick in the mud at any moment; and
+he had sent Morris to the pilot-house to steer the boat, for he was the
+youngest of the big four, and the least serviceable in the defence of
+the craft.
+
+As soon as Louis and Felix were fast in the embrace of two of the
+Spaniards, Diego rushed into the pilot-house, and overthrew Morris
+at the wheel. The plucky little fellow had drawn his revolver; but
+the leader had cautioned them not to fire, and he returned the weapon
+to his pocket. He was no match for the stalwart smuggler, and he was
+thrown on the floor. Diego called to the third of his men on the deck,
+and directed him to tie the hands of all the prisoners behind them,
+which he did as soon as he could find the cords for the purpose.
+
+Diego was the leader of the Spaniards, and probably the captain of
+the small vessel to be towed out of the bay. He kept his foot on the
+prostrate form of poor Morris while he threw over the wheel, and headed
+the steamer for the mouth of the Palmones. When Louis had been bound
+with his hands behind him, he turned his attention to Scott, who was
+still holding his own with the Scotchman. The blows with the tiller and
+the saw were now few and far between, for both of them seemed to be
+tired out by the fury of the struggle.
+
+"No use, Scott," called Louis. "You had better give it up, and we will
+make the best of the situation. All but you are prisoners; you cannot
+beat off the whole of them alone, and you had better surrender."
+
+"Then I will throw up the sponge if you say so, Captain Belgrave,
+though it goes against my grain," replied Scott as he dropped the saw
+into the cabin through one of the open windows.
+
+"That's sensible, Captain," added Gray, with a sort of gasp, for he had
+not yet recovered his breath after the violence of the struggle. "Here,
+Francisco, tie up this fellow as you have the others," he added in
+Spanish.
+
+"Do you mean to tie my hands behind me?" demanded Scott, falling back
+from his assailant.
+
+"You can't help yourself, Scott, and you had better submit," interposed
+Louis, for there was no "blood and thunder" in him; he was not disposed
+to have any shooting done as long as their lives were not in peril, and
+he deemed it advisable to make the best of the situation.
+
+He suspected that Giles Chickworth was a friend of Gray, and assisted
+him in his smuggling operations. Diego and the Scotchman were evidently
+in partnership in such enterprises as the present, and doubtless the
+owner of the steamer had his share of the profits. Gray would send the
+Salihé back to Gibraltar, even if it was only to avert suspicion from
+the steamer and her owner.
+
+"Just as you say, Captain Belgrave, and I will submit to the
+indignity," said Scott in reply to the advice of the leader.
+
+"Captain Belgrave is a very sensible fellow," added Gray, as the
+Spaniard proceeded to bring the hands of the pilot behind him. "You
+have hacked me badly with that saw, which is a weapon I have never seen
+used in a fight before."
+
+"Then you have learned something this evening that may be of service
+to you," replied Scott, who appeared to be very well satisfied with
+himself after the battle he had fought.
+
+"You are a plucky fellow; but if I could have got hold of you, your
+pluck would have done no good."
+
+"I did not mean to let you get hold of me," answered Scott.
+
+"But you were playing a fool's game all the same. As soon as Francisco
+had tied up the other fellows, they would have taken you in the rear,
+and then I should have got hold of you. You were not as sensible as
+Captain Belgrave; and I only wonder that he should have been so stupid
+as not to accept my offer in the beginning."
+
+"I suppose you know that this is piracy, Captain Gray," said Louis.
+
+"Not quite so bad as that, Captain Belgrave, for within half a mile of
+the shore, and in this bay, is not exactly on the high seas."
+
+Diego had called Francisco to the wheel as soon as all the prisoners
+were bound, and went out on deck himself. The steamer was again
+approaching the mouth of the river; but the man at the helm evidently
+knew where the deep water was, for he kept the boat close to the point
+at the south of the entrance to the stream.
+
+"We are all right now, Captain Gray," said Diego, as he passed the
+three prisoners standing in the gangway.
+
+"And I am all right at this end of the vessel, Captain Velazquez,"
+replied Gray, using for the first time the surname of the principal
+Spaniard. "Now, what shall we do with the prisoners?"
+
+They both spoke in Spanish, but Louis understood them, and he was
+interested in the answer to the question of the Scotchman.
+
+"Shut them up in the cabin. There is a lock on the door, and they will
+be safe there," replied the captain. "I looked at the door as I went
+forward."
+
+"But we must use them well, Diego, or it will go hard with us if
+we should happen to get caught," suggested Gray, as he tied his
+handkerchief around his left hand, where his worst saw wound was
+located.
+
+"We shall not be caught," protested the captain vigorously, and it was
+plain that he did not like to contemplate such a mishap. "The steamer
+will tow us safely out of the bay, and on the next tide I shall run my
+schooner into Vega River, where no vessel that draws more than nine
+feet of water can follow us. We shall be all right as soon as we get to
+sea. Here we are in the river."
+
+"Then we must lock up the prisoners," added Gray. "But how about the
+engineer? He has not been on deck at all."
+
+"He is a Spaniard; but I sent Pedro into the engine-room to keep watch
+of him. He will not make any trouble," replied the captain of the
+smuggler.
+
+Before the unfortunate ship's company of the Salihé were committed to
+their prison they obtained a view of the situation up the Palmones.
+There appeared to be no persons on the shore. The houses were all on
+the north side of the stream, and a couple of feluccas lay on the south
+side, which had probably been employed in bringing the smuggled goods
+to this locality. In the middle of the river a small schooner was at
+anchor; and Louis concluded that this was the vessel to be towed out of
+the bay.
+
+There was not a breath of wind, and the smuggler was utterly helpless
+without the assistance of the steamer. While they were surveying
+the scene the gong in the engine-room struck, and it was plain that
+Francisco knew how to manage the bells. The head of the Salihé was
+directed toward the schooner, assuring the prisoners that she was the
+craft to be taken in tow. Louis had thought they might appeal to some
+person on the shore for assistance; but no one was to be seen.
+
+"Come, gentlemen, your quarters are ready, and your prison is fit for a
+king," said Gray, who had been making it ready while the prisoners were
+looking up the stream; and he seemed to have had some trouble with the
+lock, for it bothered him for some time.
+
+"All right; I think we can be comfortable here," replied Louis, who led
+the way.
+
+"I should think you might. You can go to sleep if you like; and when
+we have done with the steamer, I will call you, and ask you to return
+her to Captain Chickworth with my compliments," continued the Scotchman
+very pleasantly, for his wounds did not seem to make him ugly.
+
+Louis concluded that he was to make a great deal of money out of his
+share of the present venture, and that the thought of it was the
+solution of his cheerfulness. According to the statement of Diego, the
+want of a breeze was likely to ruin all their prospects, subject the
+cargo of the schooner to confiscation, and her ship's company to proper
+punishment. The capture of the Salihé could hardly fail to make them
+happy.
+
+Gray passed them all into the cabin, and locked the door upon them.
+Then he ordered a Spaniard to bring them a couple of bottles of the
+excellent wine of which he had spoken before; but Louis assured him
+that none of them ever drank wine under any circumstances. Then he
+reminded them that he was treating them as well as though Captain
+Belgrave had accepted his liberal offer, speaking to them through the
+blinds in the door. When he had thus delivered himself, he walked
+forward, for the prisoners could hear his footsteps on the deck.
+
+"Here we are!" exclaimed Louis, as he seated himself on the divan which
+surrounded the apartment.
+
+"Just where we ought not to be," added Felix. "I obeyed the order of
+the captain; but I could hardly help putting a ball from my revolver
+through the head of that gray blackguard of a Scotchman, bad luck to
+him!"
+
+"What better off should we have been, Flix, if you had killed or
+wounded him?" asked Louis quietly.
+
+"We should have had one less to fight, and we might have shot some more
+of them," argued the Milesian.
+
+"Diego had a wicked-looking knife in his belt, and I have no doubt the
+rest of them were similarly armed," replied Louis.
+
+"I might have shot Diego when he took the helm from me," added Morris.
+
+"I am glad you did not, my boy. If you had failed to disable him with
+the first barrel, he would have stabbed you before you could have fired
+the second. If Flix had fired his revolver at Gray, the other four in
+the boat would have leaped on board, and used their knives freely,"
+continued Louis, who still believed he had adopted the wisest course.
+
+"I guess you are right, Captain Belgrave," added Scott, who was the
+hero of the occasion, for he had done all the fighting. "We are
+comfortable enough here in this cabin, and not one of us has got hurt.
+I had a rap on the arm from the spare tiller in the hands of Gray, and
+it may be black and blue; but that is nothing, and I am glad no other
+fellow is damaged, as some of you would have been if you had used your
+revolvers. I did not have any, so I had to content myself with the saw."
+
+"And you did good work with it, Scott," said Louis.
+
+"I did not hit him as hard as I might, for I did not want to kill him,
+and I was afraid I might overdo the business. As I said, this is a very
+comfortable cabin, and some of us are no strangers here. It is quite
+cool here, and"--
+
+"It ought to be cool, for all the windows are open," suggested Felix.
+
+"So they are," added Scott, rising and examining each one separately,
+for the curtains were drawn over them.
+
+"We might get out," said Felix.
+
+"Except for these bonds," replied Scott. "Perhaps we can cast them off.
+It would be a good scheme if we could get loose, recapture the steamer,
+and then deliver her to the custom-house officers at Gib, if there are
+any there."
+
+"It does not look quite practicable," said Louis, shaking his head.
+
+"But it is worth considering," persisted Scott.
+
+And they proceeded to consider it.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER VIII
+
+                A MORAL CONSPIRACY ON BOARD THE SALIHÉ
+
+
+Louis Belgrave had a constitutional dislike for evil-doers, for he
+inherited an utter condemnation of all wrong as a part of his being;
+and he could no more help this feeling than he could help breathing.
+Like his mother, he was disposed to "love the sinner while he hated the
+sin." He had just passed through an exciting experience, and he was
+grateful to Heaven that he and his friends had come out of the conflict
+unharmed.
+
+Still he was not at all satisfied with the situation. His party had
+been beaten in the conflict with the smugglers, who were lawless
+reprobates, with whom he could not have the remotest sympathy. He had
+not the slightest fellow-feeling for those who believed it was quite
+proper to cheat the government out of the duties levied on goods coming
+into the country.
+
+He was even so old-fashioned as to wonder how men and women who had
+the reputation of being honest and upright members of society, and
+sometimes in good standing in the church, could conceal dutiable goods
+when they had come home from abroad, and give evasive if not lying
+answers to the questions of custom-house officials.
+
+Gray, Diego, Velazquez, and their associates, were violating the laws
+of Spain. If the duties on the merchandise on board of the Golondrina,
+as their schooner was called, amounted to a thousand pounds, Louis
+regarded their operation as precisely the same thing as stealing this
+amount of money from the Spanish government. He viewed the transaction
+in exactly the same light as he would have looked upon the deed of a
+bandit who robbed the passing traveller on the road of the sum named.
+
+Louis expressed his views on this subject as a prelude to the
+consideration of the question which Scott had brought up for
+discussion. It seemed to him, though he had not reasoned himself into
+this belief, that he and his companions were to some extent guilty if
+they permitted these law-breakers, without an attempt to bring them to
+justice, to go their way with their ill-gotten booty, or, as he put it,
+to steal the money from the government of Spain.
+
+It is hardly probable that all his friends took his high-toned moral
+view of the subject; but without exception they were in favor of
+recapturing the steamer, and making prisoners of the smugglers.
+Undoubtedly such an attempt would involve an adventure; but there was
+a flavor of doing one's duty connected with it which satisfied Louis
+that "it was the right thing to do," if it was practicable, for even
+Louis did not believe that his party were called upon to perish by the
+stilettos of the ruffians for the benefit of the Spanish treasury.
+
+"Hold on a minute," said Scott, as the gong in the engine-room sounded
+to stop the boat. "They have come to the Golondrina. We had better find
+out if we can how the pirates arrange their affairs on board when they
+take the schooner in tow."
+
+"That is a good idea," replied Louis, as he went to one of the cabin
+windows, and raised the curtain a little so that he could see out on
+the deck. "The steamer has come about, and her stern is under the
+bowsprit of the schooner."
+
+"Look out, Louis!" called Scott, as he heard voices on the deck. "They
+will see that the window is open if you are not careful."
+
+The cabin had been lighted by Chickworth when he brought the steamer
+to the gangway of the Guardian-Mother. A lamp was suspended from a
+deck-beam overhead; it had three brackets, and the little apartment was
+illuminated like a ballroom. Louis dropped the curtain at this warning,
+but he could still hear all that was said on the deck.
+
+Captain Velazquez ordered Lucio on board of the schooner, directing him
+to pass the tow-line to the steamer; and it had evidently been made
+ready before the smugglers left the vessel to procure the services
+of the Salihé. Louis interpreted the command of the captain to his
+companions in a low tone so that he could not be heard by those on deck.
+
+"That settles one thing," said Scott, who was proving himself to be one
+of the most useful and determined of the party.
+
+"What does it settle?" asked Louis, who had taken no particular notice
+of the meaning of the order.
+
+"It settles that no men were left in the schooner; for that reason
+Lucio had to be sent on board of her to pass the tow-line on board,"
+replied Scott.
+
+"That is important," added Louis. "Possibly it proves another thing:
+that the smugglers intended to take the steamer by force if necessary,
+or they would have sent only two or three after her. They are hauling
+the line on board."
+
+Louis listened again, and Diego's orders indicated that the line was
+made fast at the stern of the Salihé. The only names he heard used were
+those of Gray, the captain, and Francisco, for Pedro appeared to be
+still in charge of the engine, or rather of the engineer. Only four of
+the ruffians remained on board of the steamer.
+
+"_Todo esta pronto_" (All is ready), said Gray, who seemed to be more
+impatient than his companions.
+
+"_Todavia no_" (Not yet), added the captain.
+
+"What are we waiting for now?" demanded Gray, vexed at any delay, and
+still speaking Spanish of course.
+
+"I have to place my men," replied Diego petulantly.
+
+At this point of the conversation on the deck Louis was intensely
+interested, for he was as desirous of knowing where each man was placed
+as the captain himself. In the beginning of the discussion he had
+simply hoped that something might be done to recover the steamer; but
+now Scott's proposition began to look more practicable.
+
+"I thought you had placed them," said Gray. "Francisco, who knows more
+about a steamer than any of the rest of your crew, is to be at the
+helm, and Pedro is to look out for the Spanish engineer, who is not
+likely to give us any trouble."
+
+"All right so far," replied the captain. "Lucio will remain on board of
+the Golondrina with me."
+
+"With you?" interrogated the Scotchman.
+
+"Of course I shall stay on board of the _goleta_," returned Diego, as
+though he had been asked a foolish question.
+
+"I supposed you would remain on board of the steamer," added Gray.
+
+"Have you lost your wits?" demanded Captain Velazquez, as nearly as
+Louis could render his remark into English. "Our valuable cargo is on
+board of the Golondrina, and do you expect me to leave it to take care
+of itself?"
+
+"But if you stay on board of the steamer you will not be far away from
+it," suggested Gray, who was clearly dissatisfied with the arrangement.
+
+"Suppose the tow-line should part and set the _goleta_ adrift: what
+would become of her with no one but Lucio on board of her?"
+
+"I have no idea that the tow-line will part."
+
+"But it may. Suppose we are chased by a cutter from Algeciras; she
+might run between the two vessels in order to break the line," argued
+Diego.
+
+"Then you would be taken by the officers, and I should be safe," added
+Gray with a chuckle. "But I happen to know that they have nothing just
+now but a sailing-vessel for a cutter, and there is not a breath of air
+to-night."
+
+"But there will be wind enough as soon as we get out from under the lee
+of these mountains to the north of us," the captain insisted. "I never
+leave my vessel when she is under way."
+
+Louis thought the captain had the best of the argument; and whether
+the Scotchman thought so or not, he made no further objection to the
+plan; and a few minutes later the listener heard the voice of Diego
+from a distance, which assured him that he had gone on board of the
+Golondrina. This word means a swallow, not an unusual name for a fast
+yacht in France and the United States; and Louis concluded that she
+must be a rapid-sailing craft, built for the smuggling business.
+
+The attentive listener next heard the footsteps of Gray, and it
+must have been he, since the captain had left him alone in the
+standing-room. Doubtless he was going to the pilot-house, where
+Francisco had been sent before him, to get the steamer under way as
+soon as Diego gave the command. Louis drew aside the curtain and looked
+out; but no one was to be seen on the deck.
+
+"There is no one near the cabin now," said he as he seated himself on
+the divan, with his hands behind him, a position which circumstances
+compelled all the party to assume.
+
+"But what have you heard, Captain Belgrave?" demanded Scott. "None of
+us but you know any Spanish, and we are as much in the dark as ever."
+
+"Quite right; and I forgot to mention what I have heard;" and he
+proceeded to report the conversation to which he had listened, omitting
+the arguments used by Gray and the captain.
+
+"That makes the situation look a little more jolly," said Scott. "There
+goes the gong, and we are going ahead now. We had better hurry up our
+cakes, or we shall be too late to do anything, for the steamer has only
+five or six miles to make before the smugglers will discharge her, her
+occupation gone, if they only get a breeze."
+
+"Captain Velazquez is confident that the schooner will get a breeze as
+soon as she gets out from under the lee of the hills."
+
+"Then we had better lose no time," said Scott.
+
+"Faix, I belayve ye's can't do much wid yo'r arrums toied behoind
+ye's," interposed Felix, as he rose from his seat, and began to strain
+on his bonds. "Where are ye's now, Morris, moi darlint? Sure it was you
+that set us loose in the felucky out from Teneriffe."
+
+"But my hands are tied behind me as well as yours this time," replied
+Morris, as he made an attempt to draw his wrists through the line that
+secured his arms behind him.
+
+"Never mind your arms just yet," interposed Scott. "We shall have
+the use of them when we have business for them. Let us look over the
+situation a little before we try to do anything. I understand from
+what Captain Belgrave has told us that Diego Valequizco, the captain,
+and Lucio are on board of the schooner, which we are dragging very
+slowly after us out of the river."
+
+"Quite correct, Captain Scott," added Louis.
+
+"Don't call me captain, Louis, for you are the commander in this
+excursion," replied Scott, shaking his head.
+
+"But you are five times the sailor that I am, Scott, and so is Morris;
+and one of you ought to be captain if any one."
+
+"No! no!" protested Felix. "Captain Belgrave is the proper laygind."
+
+"But we cannot stay to haggle over such a question," added Louis
+very decidedly. "You have placed two of the smugglers, Scott--Gray
+is walking about the deck or in the pilot-house; Francisco is at the
+wheel, and Pedro is looking after Felipe."
+
+"Then we know where they all are, and we are ready for business,"
+continued Scott. "What shall we do next, Captain Belgrave?"
+
+"I have a sharp knife in my vest pocket, and we will use that next,"
+replied Louis.
+
+"Faix, we can't do that same very well wid our hahnds toied behoind
+us," interposed Flix.
+
+"Talk English or Spanish, Felix," said Louis rather sharply.
+
+"I can talk English and walk Spanish. What shall I do now?"
+
+"Back up in front of me," continued Louis, resuming his seat on the
+divan. "Now put your hand into my vest pocket and take out my knife."
+
+Felix obeyed the order, and with his fingers, for he could not move his
+wrists, he extracted the knife from the pocket. Then the leader placed
+himself back to back with the Milesian, and instructed him to cut his
+fastenings, but not to cut him. He used great care, and the operation
+required some time; but it was safely accomplished.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER IX
+
+                 WORKING UP THE DETAILS OF THE SCHEME
+
+
+Louis was the first to be released from his bonds. His hands were
+now free, and he took the knife from Felix. Without any of the
+disadvantages under which the Milesian had performed the operation,
+he severed the bonds of his crony, and then proceeded to repeat the
+ceremony upon Scott and Morris.
+
+"Put your hands behind you!" said Louis, as he heard footsteps on the
+deck. "Take your seats on the divan!"
+
+He spoke quite sharply for him; but fortunately his companions had
+imbibed enough of the spirit of the sailor, whose duty it is to obey
+without asking any questions, to heed the command on the instant.
+
+"How are you getting on, boys?" asked Gray, as he drew aside the
+curtain of one of the windows, all of which opened on the gangway.
+
+"First rate," replied Louis. "We are all very comfortable just now.
+Where do we happen to be at the present moment, Captain Gray?"
+
+"We happen to be off the Almirante tower, headed for the light on Verde
+Island; and everything is working well for us. We are beginning to
+get a little breeze now," replied Gray, who appeared to be in a very
+cheerful mood. "But Captain Velazquez is hailing me from the schooner."
+
+The Scotchman went aft from the window, and Louis hastened to one that
+opened into the standing-room. Gray replied to the hail of the captain
+of the schooner.
+
+"_A donde va V?_" (Where are you going?) yelled Diego; and his tones
+indicated that he was a very angry man.
+
+"We are headed for the light on Verde Island," replied the Scotchman.
+
+"_Nécio!_" (Fool!) bellowed Captain Velazquez, putting all the vim he
+could into the word. "Do you want to hand us over to the officers at
+Algeciras? Make the course for the red light on the New Mole!"
+
+"All right, Captain!" returned Gray, as he hastened forward to the
+pilot-house.
+
+"We are safe so far," continued Louis, as he retired from the window.
+"Gray is the most dangerous man with whom we have to deal, for he is a
+heavy fellow; he shares the profits of this smuggling enterprise; and I
+think he will fight as long as there is anything left of him."
+
+"Then we must take him where the hair is short," replied Scott.
+
+"About where on his carcass is the hair short?" asked Louis, amused in
+spite of himself at the manner of the pilot.
+
+"About the neck, I should say," answered Scott.
+
+"You speak in enigmas. Will you explain yourself?"
+
+"With the greatest pleasure. I believe you have never been in South
+America, Captain Belgrave?"
+
+"I have never been there," replied Louis; and from Scott's
+half-suppressed laugh, and his manner, he concluded that there must be
+a humorous element in the plan he had suggested.
+
+"But of course you have heard of such an operation as lassoing horses
+and other animals. Certainly you know all about it. Well, Captain
+Belgrave, I propose to lasso Mr. Gray, just as you would lasso a wild
+bull if you were a ranchman in South America or Mexico."
+
+"Lasso him!" exclaimed Louis; and his companions repeated the words.
+"That will be a dangerous operation."
+
+"It will--for Mr. Gray."
+
+"And for us!"
+
+"Not a bit of it! It will be as safe as falling on a haystack," argued
+the pilot with no little enthusiasm. "Give the order to carry out my
+plan, and I will proceed to business at once."
+
+"Go ahead then, as you seem to have an idea," added Louis.
+
+"I have a big idea. Now, Morris, you are the smallest fellow of the
+party, and I am going to put you through one of the windows, and drop
+you down on the deck," continued Scott in the briskest of tones.
+
+"I can get out of the window without any help," replied Morris, who was
+glad to have a part in the proceedings.
+
+"Any way you like, little fellow. I think the heave-line the Scotchman
+used to throw into the smugglers' boat is somewhere about the
+standing-room. I want that rope; and if you can't find that one, look
+up another, and pass it in through the window. Do you understand me?"
+
+"Of course I do; you don't talk Spanish or Chinese," Morris responded
+as he leaped on the divan.
+
+"Hold on a minute! Go around to this door in the standing-room, and
+if you find the key there, unlock it. I'll wager a rusty nail against
+a cold potato that Gray left the key in the door so that we could not
+pick the lock."
+
+Morris sprang lightly into the open window, which was large enough to
+admit the passage of his body without any pinching. He looked forward,
+as the pilot warned him to do, and then lowered himself to the deck.
+The heave-line was lying on the planks beside the bulwark, and he
+passed the end of it to Scott, who was at the window watching his
+movements. It was immediately hauled into the cabin. Two minutes later
+Morris opened the door and walked in.
+
+"You won your wager, Scott, and you can have the cold potato for your
+breakfast to-morrow morning," said Morris as he entered.
+
+"Now, little fellow, just poke your head into that window, like a
+pretty picture in a frame, and keep a sharp lookout forward to see that
+Gray don't come aft to disturb proceedings. Felix, just do the same at
+the opposite window," said Scott, who was doubled up on the floor like
+a Turk, at work on the line he had obtained.
+
+The pilot was a sailor, and he knew how to make all the more common
+knots, though he would not have passed for an able seaman. He worked
+away very industriously till he had made a slip-noose, and assured
+himself that it was in working order by repeated trials. There was no
+interruption to his work, and in a short time the lasso was ready for
+service. As an experiment, he tried it on Felix, and lassoed him at the
+window.
+
+Scott was not a ranchman or a _gaucho_, but he handled the lasso with
+considerable skill. As a boatman he had had experience in heaving
+lines, and he appeared to have made good use of his opportunities. The
+two sentinels at the windows had nothing to report, for Gray did not
+come aft again. The steamer was now headed for the New Mole light,
+Morris ascertained.
+
+"I should like to know a little more about your plan before we go any
+farther, Scott," said Louis, for the pilot had developed it only as he
+procured the line and adjusted it for use. "Do you mean to lasso the
+Scotchman on the deck?"
+
+"While he is on the deck, but not while I am there," replied Scott.
+"I am going on the hurricane deck, where I shall lie down so that he
+cannot see me. I shall have the line all ready, and when I get Gray in
+the right position, I shall lasso him around the neck."
+
+"But do you think he will let you do so? He is a powerful man, and when
+he gets hold of the rope with his hands, I am afraid he will be more
+than a match for you in a hard pull," suggested Louis.
+
+"But I don't expect to do this thing all alone. When I get him in the
+trap, it will be time for you three fellows to come in and take a hand
+in the game. We must have some lines so that you can tie his hands
+behind him, as he served us. I don't believe he carries any knife like
+the Spaniards, and you can try the moral effect of your revolvers."
+
+"But I would not shoot him, and no other fellow must do anything of the
+sort," protested Louis. "I should rather let the affair go through to
+the end as arranged by the smugglers than have a drop of blood on my
+conscience."
+
+"We are not exactly doing this thing to save our own life or limbs,
+for I think we are safe enough," added Scott. "Just now we are at work
+for the Spanish government, trying to capture those who are engaged
+in robbing the country of its revenues. I spoke only of using the
+revolvers for their moral effect, and I am not in favor of shooting
+anybody."
+
+"Very well, then that is understood; and Morris and Felix will govern
+themselves accordingly," replied the leader.
+
+"But we have to look ahead a little farther than making a prisoner of
+Gray. Francisco at the wheel and Pedro in the engine-room are to be
+served in the same way."
+
+"Do you mean to lasso them?"
+
+"They are hardly in a position to be captured in just that way; but
+four of us can easily dispose of them, one at a time," answered Scott.
+
+"Then there are Diego and Lucio on board of the schooner," suggested
+Louis.
+
+"But we shall have no trouble with them as long as we keep the steamer
+moving at eight or nine knots an hour."
+
+"They can pass the tow-line over the windlass, and shorten it up so as
+to bring the vessel close aboard of us."
+
+"If we can't prevent the two men on board of the Golondrina from
+getting on the deck of the Salihé, we ought to put our heads in soak,
+and retire from active business," said Scott confidently.
+
+"Hush up!" called Felix in a loud whisper. "He's coming this way!"
+
+The lasso was put under the divan, and the four boys all seated
+themselves with their hands behind them.
+
+"How are you getting on, boys?" asked Gray at the window from which
+Felix had just retired.
+
+"First rate," replied Scott. "We are going to sleep now, and we want
+you to wake us when you have done with the steamer. Don't set her
+adrift while we are snoozing in the cabin, for she might get aground
+again off Carnero Point."
+
+"Never fear; I will see that you are waked in season to look out
+for the steamer," replied Gray, as he resumed his walk to the
+standing-room.
+
+"On board the steamer!" shouted Captain Velazquez, a moment later, when
+he saw the Scotchman at the stern.
+
+"Ay, ay, Diego!" replied Gray.
+
+"We are half way over to Gib now. Don't go too near the town, but head
+her south south-west," called the captain in Spanish, for he could not
+speak English.
+
+"_Muy bien!_" (Very well!) returned Gray, as he went forward to give
+Francisco the new course.
+
+"What time is it, Captain Belgrave?" asked Scott.
+
+"Ten minutes past nine," replied Louis, after looking at his watch.
+
+"I thought it must be ten or eleven," added Scott. "We have been out
+only three hours; and it seems as though we had been a week on this
+cruise."
+
+"We have been well occupied all the time, and it seems longer than it
+is. But it is late enough for us to make a beginning of our affair, or
+we shall have no chance to do anything," said Louis. "As nearly as I
+can make out the position of the steamer, we shall be off Carnero Point
+in half or three-quarters of an hour, and if the smugglers get a breeze
+there, they will part company with us."
+
+"I'm all ready for business, and I am only waiting for your orders,
+Captain Belgrave," replied Scott. "If you will station your men to
+support me, I will proceed at once."
+
+"But you are the principal in this lassoing business, Scott, and I want
+you to put the fellows just where you want them," replied Louis. "We
+will all obey your orders now."
+
+"Just as you say, Captain. I will make my way to the hurricane deck,
+and lie down directly over the cabin door. I will heave the lasso just
+as soon as I find our man in the right position," said Scott, as he
+coiled up the line, and thrust it under his belt. "You three will place
+yourselves at the door, and have it open a crack so that you can see
+out at it. As soon as the music begins, rush out and make the Scotchman
+fast, if he holds still long enough for you to do it."
+
+The pilot passed out at one of the windows, and his step was heard on
+the hurricane deck.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER X
+
+                        LASSOING THE SCOTCHMAN
+
+
+Louis opened the cabin door, and looked out; but he closed it
+immediately, for the light in the apartment would enable Captain
+Velazquez to see that it was open, and cause him to suspect that the
+prisoners had made their escape. The lamp hanging from the deck beam
+above was a bracket with three lanterns. Felix climbed upon the table
+which stood beneath it, and took it down. It was then wrapped up in the
+tablecloth, and placed under the divan, where it could shed none of its
+light about the apartment.
+
+The door was then opened again; but it looked as though Diego had seen
+the light before, and he was hailing the Scotchman very vigorously.
+Louis had only time to gather up a handful of lanyards and other lines
+from a box under the seats in the standing-room before he heard the
+footsteps of Gray in the port gangway. He retreated, closing the door
+all but a crack.
+
+"What's the matter on board of the steamer?" yelled Diego.
+
+"Nothing is the matter," replied Gray, who had not stopped to look in
+at the cabin windows as he came aft, for the master of the schooner
+was yelling at him all the time.
+
+"The cabin door is open, and"--
+
+And Louis heard no more, for at that moment Scott heaved his lasso, and
+the Scotchman began to dance about the standing-room, swearing like a
+smuggler as he was. Louis threw the door of the cabin wide open, for
+concealment was no longer necessary or practicable. He had hastily
+supplied his companions with the lanyards and lines he had procured.
+He rushed out followed by the others. The slip-noose of the lasso had
+already been drawn tight about his neck, and Gray was roaring like a
+bull, though his voice had become very husky.
+
+[Illustration: "THE SLIP-NOOSE OF THE LASSO HAD ALREADY BEEN DRAWN
+TIGHT."]
+
+He was struggling furiously, with his hands free, trying to release his
+neck from the pressure of the rope. Louis hesitated, for he realized
+that a blow from the powerful man would fell any of them to the deck.
+Scott was tugging at the lasso all the time, pulling and jerking it so
+that his victim should not escape. Diego, who could not help seeing
+what had transpired in the stern of the steamer, was still yelling
+with all his might. Fortunately that was all he could do, and he was
+permitted to do all he pleased of it.
+
+"Don't go near him, Louis!" called Scott from the hurricane deck--"not
+yet, for he can strike an awful hard blow."
+
+The pilot was certainly a prudent young man, and he was not always
+so; but Louis had anticipated him, and kept out of Gray's reach. The
+struggle continued, and Scott was vigorously manipulating the lasso so
+that Gray could not obtain an instant's respite from the strain upon
+his neck. The pressure was rapidly doing its work upon him, for he was
+beginning to writhe and struggle for breath. He had ceased to yell and
+to swear, for he lacked the wind to do or say anything. He had soon
+weakened so much that the time for more decided action had come; and
+Scott initiated it.
+
+The lassoer had drawn his victim towards him till he was directly
+in front of the cabin door. Without announcing his intention to his
+associates, the pilot threw down his lasso into the standing-room,
+and then leaped down himself directly upon the head of Gray. In his
+weakened and gasping condition he could not resist the force of this
+onslaught, and he sank down upon the deck beneath his persecutor.
+
+"Take one of his arms, and I will take the other, Flix!" called Louis,
+as he sprang upon the fallen Scotchman, and seized his right arm, while
+Felix did the same with his left. "Have the lanyards all ready, Morris!"
+
+Scott had seized his victim by the throat, and held his head down
+upon the deck. Just at this critical moment Francisco, who had heard
+the yells of Gray, put in an appearance, and, seeing the desperate
+situation of the smuggler, he was rushing forward to his assistance.
+Morris threw the lines upon the deck, wheeled about, drew his revolver,
+and faced the wheelman.
+
+"Back to the pilot-house, or you are a dead man!" said Morris, as he
+pointed his weapon at the head of the helmsman.
+
+Francisco halted, and looked at the shining revolver, which was
+a high-cost one his father had bought for him in London. Louis
+wondered from Morris's words whether or not he had been reading
+"blood-and-thunder" stories; but the boy was resolute enough for
+the occasion, and cool enough to remember what Louis had said about
+shooting in the present affair. The Spaniard could not understand a
+word that he had spoken.
+
+"_Va a la casa del piloto!_" (Go to the pilot-house!) shouted Louis
+with vim enough to show that he was in earnest as well as Morris.
+
+Francisco evidently did not like the situation at all. He had drawn a
+long _cuchillo_, or knife, and he was certainly a dangerous man.
+
+"Fire, Morris, if he moves on you!" called Louis, as he saw the blade
+gleaming in the moonlight.
+
+Probably Francisco realized that a ball from the revolver could
+travel faster than his knife, and perhaps he had less sympathy for
+the Scotchman than he would have had for one of his other associates,
+for he backed away from the dangerous vicinity to the barrels of the
+weapon, and returned to the pilot-house. The steamer had fallen off her
+course, but she presently came back to it, indicating that the wheelman
+had returned to his duty.
+
+This affair was only a momentary interruption of the more serious
+business in progress in the standing-room. Gray was out of breath,
+and out of strength, and after a vain attempt to release himself from
+the grip of Scott, he gave up the battle, for he had become absolutely
+powerless. He was actually suffering, and his gasps and struggles for
+breath were painful to witness.
+
+"Loosen the line at his throat, Scott! The man is choking to death!"
+called Louis in a very decided tone, as he and Felix rolled the victim
+over on his back.
+
+"Stay where you are, Morris!" shouted Scott, as he complied with the
+humane request of Louis, who could see that the prisoner--as he was by
+this time--had not the strength to make any further resistance. "Shoot
+any one that shows a knife!"
+
+Francisco had gone to the wheel, and there was no one to shoot. Louis
+and Felix were each in full possession of one of the arms of Gray, and
+he could do nothing more to help himself. His hands were securely bound
+behind him, and then he was left to himself. He presently recovered a
+portion of his strength, and tried to rise. He was assisted in doing
+so, and then conducted to the cabin.
+
+He was invited to recline on the divan, and, weak as he was still, he
+was willing to comply with the request. But Louis, satisfied that he
+would soon be as strong as ever, was not content to leave him until he
+had been more effectually secured. Scott took off his belt, and after
+winding it around the prisoner's wrists several times, he buckled it so
+tight that it seemed to be impossible for him to get loose.
+
+Not yet satisfied, they bound his legs together at the ankles, and then
+tied him down to the supports of the divan. Gray said not a word, and
+appeared to be too weak to do so, or to be inclined to do so.
+
+"Francisco has a knife, and he may give us more trouble than the
+Scotchman did," said Scott, when they had all retired from the cabin to
+the standing-room. "If you will take my advice, all three of you will
+stick your pistols in his face while he stands at the wheel. Louis will
+tell him he shall not be harmed if he submits, and then we will tie his
+arms behind him, and make him fast to something in the pilot-house."
+
+"All right," replied Louis; "but remember that no fellow is to fire."
+
+"I don't think you will find any occasion to fire," added Scott, as he
+picked up the saw which he had used in his first encounter with the
+Scotchman. "Francisco has already shown that he does not like the looks
+of revolvers."
+
+Scott led the way. The Spaniard was standing by the wheel, intently
+observing the compass, when the pilot, varying his programme a little
+to suit the situation, threw his arms around him, and brought him to
+the floor. Louis and Felix seized his arms, without even threatening
+him with the arsenal of weapons in their pockets. Francisco was made a
+prisoner. He was thrown upon the settee abaft the wheel, and secured to
+the back and legs of it.
+
+His knife was taken from him; but Louis assured him he should not
+be harmed if he made no resistance. The party then proceeded to the
+engine-room. Not one of them had seen or heard a word from Felipe since
+they started on the excursion. He attended to his duty, and heeded the
+bells apparently without knowing or caring who rang them. Pedro, his
+custodian, was fast asleep on the seat back of the machinery, and did
+not appear to have heard the noise or the yells from the standing-room.
+He was an easy victim, and when he had been secured he was conducted
+to the pilot-house, where he was laid out on the floor in front of
+Francisco. He was fastened to the settee.
+
+Felipe wanted to know what had happened. He had tried to ascertain,
+but Pedro showed him his knife, and would not allow him to leave
+the engine-room. The situation was explained to him, and all he was
+required to do was to run the engine. Scott had taken the wheel when
+Francisco was deposed, and his companions joined him when they brought
+in their last prisoner. Diego was still yelling; but they did as they
+do in Spain when it rains--they let him yell.
+
+"Do you know where you are, Scott?" asked Louis, as he looked out the
+window in front of the wheel.
+
+"Of course I do; we were about half-way between Gibraltar and Algeciras
+when I took the wheel, and then I headed her for the red light on the
+New Mole. You have not told me, Captain Belgrave, what you intend to do
+with the prize and the prisoners we have taken."
+
+"We will go alongside the Guardian-Mother, and Captain Ringgold may do
+what he pleases with them," replied Louis.
+
+"That was just my idea of what you would do with them," added the
+pilot. "But there is no one of our number in the standing-room to watch
+the movements of Captain Velazquez. He may get up some mischief that
+will bother us. If you prefer, Captain Belgrave, to take the wheel, I
+will stand guard at the stern."
+
+"You are a better helmsman than I am, Scott; you had better keep the
+wheel, and I will keep watch of Diego," replied Louis. "If anything
+happens, send me word. Morris will be within hail of you to be your
+messenger, though I don't think anything is likely to happen in this
+part of the steamer. If I want you, I will send Morris to take your
+place."
+
+"That blackguard can chop off the tow-line when he takes a notion to do
+so," suggested Felix, as they moved aft.
+
+"That would only be jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire,"
+replied Louis. "We are not more than two miles from the New Mole, and
+we shall be there in twenty minutes."
+
+"Then it is time for him to chop it off now."
+
+"I don't know what he will do. If he cuts loose from the Salihé, he can
+be easily overhauled by the custom-house officers, if there are any
+here," answered Louis.
+
+"Faix, I think it is Spanish officers, and not English, we want; and
+why don't you run into the town on the other side of the bay?"
+
+"I thought of that; but I am not inclined to bother with them. Captain
+Ringgold will know how to settle the case better than we do."
+
+Captain Velazquez had kept up his yelling as long as he could see any
+one at the stern of the steamer; and as soon as Louis and Felix showed
+themselves, he resumed his cries.
+
+"The skipper of that hooker is in a tight place, and he knows it," said
+Felix. "What's that he says?"
+
+"He says he will cut the tow-line if we don't go down the bay," replied
+Louis, translating his frantic cry.
+
+Louis answered the yell by firing his revolver in the air, directing
+Felix to do the same.
+
+[Illustration: "LOUIS ANSWERED THE YELL BY FIRING HIS REVOLVER IN
+THE AIR."]
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XI
+
+              THE RETURN OF THE VICTORIOUS KNIGHT-ERRANT
+
+
+Felix was in the habit of doing what Louis asked him to do, and he
+discharged one barrel of his revolver in the air; but he thought that
+doing so was a piece of nonsense on the part of his friend which he
+could not understand.
+
+"What in the world is that for?" he asked.
+
+"Fire it again, and in due time you will see what it is for," replied
+Louis, as he discharged the second barrel of his weapon.
+
+"I'll do that same as long as I have a ball in a barrel, if you say so,
+my darling; but it looks like a waste of powder and lead," added Felix.
+
+"Do you see the captain of the Golondrina just now, Felix?" asked Louis.
+
+"I don't see him; but he was there on the bow not five minutes ago,
+yelling as though he had a live lobster in his throat. He isn't doing
+any yelling now."
+
+"He is not, for I saw him go aft about the time we began to fire."
+
+"I suppose he got tired of yelling."
+
+"Not precisely that, but he got tired of our firing. I suppose he
+was afraid a stray bullet might hit him in a soft place, either by
+accident or design. I was going to hail him, and invite him to go aft;
+but he has saved me the trouble by going without any invitation," Louis
+explained.
+
+"Then the shooting was not a waste of powder," added Felix.
+
+"It was not. I doubt if we could have hit the captain if we had fired
+at him for two hours, for the distance is too great for revolvers of
+the calibre of ours, and the noise was just as good as bullets. I don't
+want him to cut the tow-line if we can help it, though I would rather
+he would chop it off than be compelled to shoot him."
+
+"It would not be pleasant to go back to the Guardian-Mother with a dead
+man standing on the forecastle."
+
+"Or even lying on the deck. It might make trouble for us, though I
+don't know why it should. But we are getting close to the New Mole
+light, and I must go forward," added Louis. "You may remain here, Flix,
+and if you see the captain of the Golondrina coming forward again, fire
+out the rest of your barrels, and then load up again."
+
+"I'll do that same. I'll take the fore mast for a mark, and fire at a
+target."
+
+"I am afraid you will hit him if you do that," suggested Louis.
+
+"Do you think all the money you spent on my education as a shootist was
+wasted? I believe I could hit the Rock of Gibraltar every time if I
+was near enough to it," laughed Felix.
+
+"I would trust you to do that."
+
+"And I might hit the fore mast above the captain's head once in a
+while, and it would make the thing seem a bit more real if he could
+hear the noise of the ball as it flew through the air, or struck the
+wood."
+
+"Perhaps it would; but be sure and not hit the man," added Louis as he
+moved forward.
+
+Before he reached the pilot-house he heard another shot from his
+crony's pistol. He looked into the engine-room on his way, where Felipe
+wished him to explain what had happened on board; but he had no time
+then to inform him. Francisco and Pedro were quiet enough, for their
+fastenings prevented them from being otherwise.
+
+"How goes it, Scott?" he asked when he came to the pilot-house.
+
+"It goes first rate forward; but what is the matter aft, for I heard
+you firing your revolvers?" inquired the pilot.
+
+"Nothing is the matter; but I thought it best to let Captain Velazquez
+know that we had fire-arms on board, and he was sensible enough to move
+aft as soon as he heard the report of our pistols. For some time he had
+been threatening to cut the tow-line, and I thought I would move him to
+some other place on the checker-board if I could. He has saved me the
+trouble of doing anything," Louis replied as he looked the prisoners
+over.
+
+"We have about finished the job, for we shall be alongside the
+Guardian-Mother in a few minutes more," continued the pilot. "I have
+sent Morris forward to get a heave-line ready."
+
+"I will get one ready astern," added Louis, as he went aft again.
+
+The lasso which had played so important a part in the capture of Gray
+was in the cabin, where the noose had been removed from the neck of the
+prisoner. Louis soon made a heave-line again of it, and attached it to
+a fast he found at the stern.
+
+"How do you find yourself, Captain Gray?" he asked of the prisoner on
+the divan.
+
+"I don't find myself in a very cheerful mood to go into port," replied
+the Scotchman. "You have knocked me out at my own game, and I feel like
+a whipped school-boy."
+
+"I suppose you Scotchmen read the Scriptures diligently, and you have
+found out that 'The way of the transgressor is hard.'"
+
+"Yes, very hard," replied the prisoner with a profane expletive.
+
+"Does your throat trouble you?"
+
+"Not much, though it is still sore, and I have a bad cut on the hand."
+
+"You ought to have considered these things before you committed an act
+of piracy," suggested Louis.
+
+"I have told you before that there is no piracy in it," added Gray, who
+evidently did not like the sound of the word, and he interpolated some
+very unnecessary expletives in his speech. "What are you going to do
+with the schooner and those you have made prisoners?"
+
+"I don't know; I intend to leave that matter to the commander of the
+Guardian-Mother; but you will learn all about it in due time."
+
+"I have no doubt of that. But you are the smartest lot of young
+Dutchmen that I ever happened to come across. Are you all Dutchmen?"
+asked Gray.
+
+"Not one of us is a Dutchman."
+
+"But you told me you were."
+
+"I did not."
+
+"I will swear that you did!" protested the Scotchman.
+
+"I did not. When I told you my name was Belgrave, you said I must have
+come from Belgravia; and I added that I came from Von Blonk Park, which
+is quite true now as it was then."
+
+"But where can Von Blonk be except in Holland?"
+
+"It can be, and is, in the State of New Jersey, quite near to the city
+of New York, in the United States of America," replied Louis, stating
+the details very slowly so that the prisoner could understand them.
+
+"That accounts for it!" exclaimed Gray. "You are Yankees, and you would
+climb a greased rainbow, or the North Pole with the ice a foot thick
+on it. If I had known you were Yankees, I should have put you on shore
+in the Palmones River, for I should have known you would play off some
+trick on us," said Gray, disgusted to the last degree with his present
+situation.
+
+"You played off a scabby trick upon our party, and I can assure you
+that I am very happy to get even with you at your own game," replied
+Louis, as he heard the speed bell jingle, indicating that the Salihé
+was very near the New Mole.
+
+"I suppose the commander of the Guardian-Mother, as you call her, is
+also a Yankee," continued Gray.
+
+"He is; and also from Von Blonk Park."
+
+"Then his teeth are sharp enough to bite off a tenpenny nail. What do
+you suppose he will do with us?"
+
+"I have not the remotest idea; but he is a law-and-order man in the
+highest meaning of the phrase; and he is not inclined to let the guilty
+escape unpunished. You committed a piratical act upon us, and you may
+be sure he will not wink at it. I had the idea at first of taking you
+into the port of Algeciras and of handing you over to the police or
+custom-house officers; but it was too much bother, and I was afraid
+they would keep us there all night."
+
+"I am very glad you did not."
+
+The sound of the gong terminated the conversation, and Louis hastened
+to the standing-room to be in readiness to heave the line on board
+of the ship. But he found that the Guardian-Mother was still at some
+distance from the little steamer.
+
+"You can heave this line, Flix, when we get alongside," said he. "I
+have had a talk with Gray, and he don't feel good at all."
+
+"He has no right to feel good, the blackguard! He is not a bit
+better than a pirate," replied Felix. "I have kept watch of Captain
+Velazquizzer, and whenever he showed his head, I put a ball into the
+foremast. He hasn't cut the tow-line yet."
+
+"I see he has not; but stand by to heave the line," said Louis as he
+went forward.
+
+He found Morris stationed in the gangway within easy hail of the
+pilot-house, and Scott stated that he had placed him there to notify
+him if the Golondrina came too near the steamer as he slowed down.
+
+"I am trying to get the headway out of the tow so that she shall not
+foul our stern," said the pilot when Louis showed himself at the door.
+"But you had better stay in the standing-room, Captain Belgrave, for
+the captain may try to leap on board of us. If he chooses to use his
+_cuchillo_, he can make a lot of mischief in a very short time. If
+necessary, I will go aft and lasso him; for I don't think he can stand
+that sort of thing any better than Gray did."
+
+"He has kept out of sight since we began to fire revolvers in the air,
+and as he knows that we have fire-arms, I don't believe he will give us
+any trouble," answered Louis.
+
+"But keep watch of him, though he seems to be afraid of powder and
+ball," added Scott; and the leader went aft.
+
+Diego was not to be seen as the steamer approached the stern of the
+Guardian-Mother; and Louis could see that the taffrail was covered with
+heads, and all the party on board, as well as the officers and seamen,
+were watching the approach of the Salihé, for her appearance with a
+vessel in tow had doubtless given them all a fit of wonderment.
+
+"We have made an adventure out of this excursion, Flix, after all, as
+Captain Ringgold insisted that we should, though he could not possibly
+indicate what it might be," said Louis. "If you can keep Captain
+Velazquez at a respectful distance, I will go on the hurricane deck and
+hail the ship."
+
+"He will not run his nose into any of the barrels of my revolver, you
+may be sure of that."
+
+By this time Scott had neutralized the headway of the schooner so that
+the tow-line was taut, and the Salihé was moving at a snail's pace.
+Louis ascended to the upper deck, which was nothing more than the roof
+of the cabin, and hailed the Guardian-Mother.
+
+"On board the Salihé!" responded Captain Ringgold; and his tones
+indicated that he could hardly speak on account of a tendency he had to
+indulge in a hearty laugh. "Have you captured a Spanish man-of-war?"
+
+"No, sir; but we have taken in a gang of smugglers with their schooner;
+and I will thank you to send half a dozen men on board to help us take
+care of them," returned Louis.
+
+"All right; I will do so," answered the commander, as the gong rang to
+stop the little steamer.
+
+Scott ran her very skilfully alongside the gangway, and by the time
+she touched the platform Morris threw the heave-line attached to the
+forward fast to the deck of the ship, and it was hauled on board. At
+about the same moment the first officer, followed by ten seamen, leaped
+over the rail of the Salihé.
+
+"Go aft, Mr. Boulong, and look out for the captain of the schooner, who
+is still on board of her. Flix is there, and he will tell you all about
+it," called Louis, as the party from the ship came on board.
+
+"Ay, ay, Mr. Belgrave!" replied Mr. Boulong, as he rushed forward
+followed by all the sailors.
+
+Captain Ringgold followed the seamen, and when he heard the voice of
+Louis on the upper deck, he hastened to join him.
+
+"What under the canopy have you been about this time, Louis?" asked the
+commander, as he seized both the hands of the young knight-errant, as
+he still insisted upon calling him. "But I am glad to see you safely
+back, and I hope no one has got hurt."
+
+Louis assured him that all were uninjured.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XII
+
+                THE SMUGGLERS MAKE A TRIP TO ALGECIRAS
+
+
+Captain Ringgold, when he realized that the owner of the
+Guardian-Mother had been engaged in another adventure, was absolutely
+delighted to see the young knight-errant return in safety, and he
+continued to press his two hands for a considerable time. He was
+certainly the young man's devoted friend, as much for his own sake as
+for that of his mother, to whom also he was so devoted that others had
+begun to talk a little in whispers.
+
+"I was sure that you would tumble into an adventure of some sort, Sir
+Louis," said the commander; "and you have made me a true prophet."
+
+"We have certainly had an adventure, Captain; but I am no more a
+knight-errant than my companions. We did not plunge into this affair as
+Don Quixote did into the windmill and the wine sacks; but the affair
+plunged into us, and we got entangled in it in spite of ourselves,"
+protested Louis.
+
+"But I will venture to say that you were the leading spirit in the
+enterprise, whatever it was," persisted the captain.
+
+"I must deny even that soft impeachment. Sir George Scott Fencelowe
+did vastly more than I, or any other of the fellows, did to bring the
+adventure to a happy conclusion, like the last chapter of the novel.
+He is the hero of the occasion, though he always called me 'Captain
+Belgrave'; and if any fellow is to be lathered with praise, Sir Scott
+is the one."
+
+"I shall be my own judge of the merits of the actors in the comedy, for
+it does not yet appear to be a tragedy, after I have learned more about
+it," added Captain Ringgold.
+
+"I may add that Sir Felix McGavonty and Sir Morris Woolridge did
+their full and fair share of the acting in the comedy, as you call
+it, though I think the three smugglers who are prisoners in the cabin
+and pilot-house will be disposed to regard it as more like a tragedy.
+Probably the captain of the schooner in tow will be inclined to take
+that view of the occasion."
+
+"Three prisoners?" queried the commander.
+
+"That is the number on board of the little steamer; and the captain of
+the vessel astern may be included in the same category."
+
+"Are they men or boys?"
+
+"Men, of course, for small boys don't go out smuggling, as a rule."
+
+"Are they English?"
+
+"Four of them are Spaniards who don't speak a word of English, and
+one who seems to be a partner with the captain in the enterprise is a
+Scotchman by the name of Gray."
+
+"Is there anything to be done immediately, Sir Louis?"
+
+"I think Sir Felix has put Mr. Boulong in the way of securing the
+captain of the schooner, who is on board of her, and Lucio, one of his
+men. The others are all made fast to the steamer, with their hands
+tied behind them. But, Captain Ringgold, I want you to settle up this
+business by deciding what shall be done with the Golondrina and the
+prisoners, for you know all about such things, and I know nothing,"
+said Louis.
+
+"You know nothing, Sir Louis!" exclaimed the commander. "Will you be so
+kind as to tell me what you would have done if the Guardian-Mother and
+her captain had not been here?"
+
+"I thought of running into Algeciras, instead of coming over here,
+where the gates are all locked after sunset, and giving up the vessel
+and the prisoners to the police and the custom-house officers over
+there," replied Louis.
+
+"Very likely that is just what I shall do after I have learned more
+about the affair. Where did you fall in with these smugglers?"
+
+"They fell in with us at the mouth of the Palmones River."
+
+"That is in Spanish territory, and the offence is doubtless against the
+Spanish government. Probably the English authorities would take the
+matter in hand, but I don't know where to find the officers at this
+time of night, for it is after ten o'clock. Now we will go below and
+see what is to be done."
+
+There was a ladder forward, and they descended to the forecastle. The
+commander looked in at the pilot-house, and saw that Francisco and
+Pedro were not in condition to make any trouble, and the pilot still
+kept watch of them.
+
+"Sir Scott Fencelowe, I learn that you have been the hero of the
+present adventure, and I commend you, though I know very little about
+it," said Captain Ringgold, as he took the hand of the pilot.
+
+"I obeyed the orders of Captain Belgrave; that's all, sir," replied
+Scott, with more modesty than he had always been in the habit of
+displaying, as he politely touched his cap to the commander.
+
+"We will consider the matter another time," added the captain, as he
+led the way aft; and they entered the cabin together.
+
+Captain Ringgold glanced at Gray, tied down to the legs of the divan,
+and he wondered that the "big four" had been able to overcome a man
+of his weight and apparent strength. Gray immediately appealed to the
+commander when Louis called him by name, declared that he was a British
+subject, and was the victim of a Yankee trick.
+
+"I can't attend to your case just now, my man," replied the captain.
+
+But Gray persisted in being heard before anything was done, and three
+seamen were called into the cabin. The Scotchman was released from the
+divan, and the sailors were ordered to take him to the forecastle, and
+be sure that he did not escape.
+
+"Now I can give you a quiet hearing, Sir Louis, and you may tell me the
+whole story of your cruise on the bay," said the commander, as he and
+Louis seated themselves on the divan.
+
+The young knight-errant proceeded to give the narrative in all its
+details. While he was doing so, Mr. Boulong required his men to haul
+the Golondrina alongside the steamer by the tow-line; and by this time
+they had nearly succeeded in doing so. The officer was on the point of
+going on board of her when Felix interposed.
+
+"These men are all armed with knives, and they will stick you with no
+more conscience than an alligator would bite your head off," said he.
+
+"I will take my chances, Felix," replied Mr. Boulong.
+
+"I'll go along wid ye's to protict ye's, for I have a bit of a
+revolver," added the Milesian.
+
+"Don't meddle with the matter, my lad, till I ask you do so, if you
+please," said the first officer, laughing. "I don't want you to kill a
+man, and then charge it to me. I have been among this sort of fellows,
+and I am not particularly alarmed about his toothpick."
+
+He was attended by a couple of seamen, who were sent aft to take charge
+of Lucio. Felix kept near Mr. Boulong, but he found no occasion to
+use his revolver. Mr. Gaskette, the second officer, who spoke Spanish
+fluently, had been sent for, and he had been talking with the prisoners
+in the pilot-house. Captain Velazquez, somewhat to the astonishment of
+Felix, did not show fight as the first officer approached him. He was
+not a fool, and he could see that in the face of a dozen men resistance
+was useless.
+
+The captain submitted to have his hands tied behind him, and then his
+knife, which was a wicked-looking implement, was taken from him. Lucio
+was served in the same manner, and both of them marched on board of
+the Salihé, where the whole five of them were placed under a guard of
+seamen on the forecastle.
+
+Louis and the commander had a very quiet time in the cabin, and the
+former detailed everything that had occurred since the little steamer
+left the ship, occasionally answering the questions put to him.
+
+"I suppose I am a knight-errant, but I cannot for the life of me see
+in what manner I brought this adventure to pass, or that the rest of
+the knights-errant did any more than I did," protested Louis, as he
+finished his narrative.
+
+"I am afraid you are making too much of the pleasantries of your
+fellow-voyagers, my boy, for every one of them knows that you are not a
+Don Quixote. Your adventures all come without seeking them."
+
+"I am entirely satisfied with that statement, Captain Ringgold,"
+replied Louis. "As long as you don't really believe that I am not all
+the time studying up a chance to get into an adventure, I shall be
+perfectly happy."
+
+"We understand each other perfectly, Sir Louis; and, by the way, it
+was Uncle Moses, and not I, who gave you that title. But it is getting
+late; and if we are to take the schooner over to Algeciras to-night,
+it is time we were about it," added the commander, as he looked at his
+watch. "But the knights-errant had better go on board of the ship and
+turn in, for, after the hard-fought battle of the evening, they must be
+fatigued."
+
+"The biggest job we had on our hands was to overcome the Scotchman,
+for, as you have seen, he is a powerful man; and it was Sir Scott's
+ingenuity as well as his skill in the use of the lasso which carried us
+safely through it. He has behaved excellently well; he remembered the
+names of most of the places on the bay; and I beg leave to report very
+favorably of him. He is ten times the fellow I ever before supposed he
+was," added Louis with a gape, indicating that he was in condition to
+take the advice of the commander and retire for the night.
+
+"Scott has behaved exceedingly well since he reformed his manners and
+his life, and your report of him shall be duly considered, Captain
+Belgrave," replied Captain Ringgold, as they left the cabin.
+
+"Captain Belgrave!" exclaimed Louis. "'_Et tu, Brute_,'" as Cæsar said
+when the other fellow asked him how many buckwheat cakes he had eaten
+for breakfast.
+
+"I only follow Sir Scott's lead. But you can all go on board, and I
+will attend to the affairs of the smugglers," added the commander.
+
+The big four all went on board of the Guardian-Mother. The second
+engineer of the ship was sent to the engine-room of the steamer, and
+Felipe was relieved from further duty. Mr. Gaskette with six seamen was
+sent over to Algeciras in charge of the party, and the Salihé departed
+with the Golondrina in tow. The occupants of the cabin of the ship had
+all retired; and Louis did not find his mother waiting to receive him,
+which proved that she had not been suffering from any anxiety.
+
+In fact, she knew nothing at all about the affair, which had only come
+to light when the little steamer arrived. At the breakfast table the
+next morning the cabin party learned for the first time that the big
+four had tumbled into an adventure, which was then related to them in
+full. Louis's mother did not make any scene this time, as usual; for
+Dr. Hawkes had practically cured her of her nervousness, at least in
+his presence. But Louis had been on deck, and happened to be there when
+Chickworth and his engineer came for the Salihé.
+
+"Mr. Gaskette reports to me this morning that he found some policemen
+on the shore at Algeciras when he arrived, and that they called the
+chief of the customs from his bed," Captain Ringgold explained. "He
+put his officers in charge of the Golondrina, and the police committed
+the smugglers to the jail. The capture of the little steamer was a
+felony, and they will be prosecuted for it. You are all wanted as
+witnesses over there at three o'clock this afternoon. The officers of
+the customs believe that the Salihé was implicated, and they wanted to
+detain her; but Mr. Gaskette managed his case so well that he brought
+her back with him. Here is the owner of the little steamer," added the
+commander, as Chickworth stepped down from the gangway steps.
+
+"Which I 'ave a little bill of two pun ten against you, sir, for the
+steam-yacht," said Chickworth, touching his cap to Louis.
+
+"I don't know about that," interposed the commander. "The Salihé is
+mixed up with smugglers over on the other side of the bay, and the
+customs officers may want her."
+
+"Which it is with smugglers, sir!" exclaimed the owner of the Salihé.
+
+"Precisely so; and your friend Gray, and your other friend Captain
+Diego Velazquez, of the Schooner Golondrina, are in prison over there,
+and their vessel will be forfeited for smuggling, with her valuable
+cargo," added the captain; and he related what had happened to the big
+four on their cruise. "But I don't believe your boat can be held. We
+shall know more about it this afternoon."
+
+He held the steamer till the matter was decided.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XIII
+
+                 WHAT IS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT GIBRALTAR
+
+
+Louis was willing to pay for the use of the Salihé; but the customs
+officers on the other side of the bay had some suspicions in regard to
+her, and the commander would not permit him to pay anything; besides,
+the little steamer was wanted to convey the witnesses to Algeciras.
+Chickworth received the report that Gray and his associates had
+actually captured the boat with consternation. He was invited to go
+over with the witnesses in the afternoon; but he declined to do so. The
+captain thought it more than probable that he had been concerned in
+contraband operation with Gray.
+
+Chickworth departed with something worse than a flea in his ear, and
+the commander and Louis went down to breakfast. The moonlight excursion
+and the conflict with the outlaws were the subjects of conversation
+at the table. Louis took a great deal of pains to set forth that
+Sir Scott, as he called him in retaliation for the application of
+the title to himself, was the hero of the occasion. The process of
+lassoing the stout smuggler excited a great deal of interest, and was
+unanimously regarded as a brilliant operation, both in its conception
+and execution.
+
+"I am confident that we should have been utterly defeated if Sir Scott
+had not solved the difficult problem of how to overcome Gray," said
+Louis with enthusiasm.
+
+"His achievement with the hand-saw was not altogether lacking in
+brilliancy," added Dr. Hawkes.
+
+"That was not original, like the lasso," replied Louis.
+
+"It was original in its application to this particular case, and he is
+entitled to none the less credit," suggested Uncle Moses.
+
+"I wish to do something for Sir Scott in response to the high
+commendation of Captain Belgrave," said the commander.
+
+Uncle Moses threw himself back in his chair, and shook his two hundred
+and twenty-six and a half of avoirdupois with laughter when he heard
+his ward dubbed as a captain. His mother laughed too, and so did most
+of the party.
+
+"Has my son become the commander of the Guardian-Mother?" asked Mrs.
+Belgrave.
+
+"He has not formally taken the command of her; but as the owner of the
+steamer, he has an undoubted right to do so when he pleases," replied
+Captain Ringgold. "I wish to do something for Sir Scott: what shall it
+be, Louis?"
+
+"Call him Captain Scott, and never again call me Captain Belgrave,"
+replied Louis.
+
+"You were in command of the Salihé, Sir Scott says, and I have no
+command to give him, so it is hardly proper to call him captain. What
+can I do for him?"
+
+"He is now a diligent student, and behaves himself like a gentleman
+on all occasions; and I think he can be promoted to the cabin very
+properly, so that the big four may be all together here," suggested
+Louis.
+
+"I must put that to vote, for all may not approve of this addition to
+the cabin party," replied Captain Ringgold, asking those in favor to
+manifest it by raising the right hand.
+
+All the hands came up very promptly, and Scott was formally admitted to
+the family circle. Sparks was sent to procure his attendance; and when
+he appeared, the commander made a speech at him, commending him for his
+gallantry in the action of the previous evening, and informing him that
+henceforth he was to occupy stateroom No. 14, and the corresponding
+place opposite Morris Woolridge at the table.
+
+Scott blushed, as he had recently learned to do, and made a little
+speech in reply, expressive of his thanks for the "distinguished honor"
+conferred upon him. It was discovered then that he could manage his
+tongue as well as his hands with the lasso, and he was vigorously
+applauded when he took his place at the table. After the party rose,
+Sparks showed him to his stateroom, and he was delighted with the
+elegant apartment.
+
+Louis gave him a seat with the cabin party under the awning of the
+promenade deck aft, where they assembled at the request of the
+commander. Scott now felt that he was the equal of the other fellows,
+and this had been the only thing which touched his pride, of which he
+had his full share. He was relieved from duty as a quartermaster, for
+he had had little or nothing to do in this capacity, unless Bangs or
+Twist happened to be sick, which was a very rare thing.
+
+Captain Ringgold soon joined the party with a paper in his hand; and
+Dr. Hawkes initiated a round of applause as he seated himself, for the
+paper indicated that he was about to give what the surgeon called a
+lecture, but which the captain insisted was only a talk.
+
+"I suppose you know all about Gibraltar, or Gib as many English people
+abbreviate it, ladies and gentlemen," the commander began.
+
+"I know next to nothing about it, Captain Ringgold," added Mrs.
+Belgrave.
+
+Half a dozen others said substantially the same thing.
+
+"You can see this rocky promontory for yourselves," continued the
+captain. "It is about three miles long by three-quarters of a mile wide
+on the average; but it does not form the southern extremity of Spain,
+as some of the books have it, for Tarifa holds that position. As you
+noticed yesterday when we came into the bay, it looks like a detached
+rock; but it is connected with the mainland by a low isthmus, the
+portion of which nearest to the town is called 'The Neutral Ground,'
+and is, as its name implies, common to both Spanish and English.
+
+"The rock is honeycombed with tunnels and casemates, and the galleries
+contain no end of guns of all calibre. You will see as many of these as
+you desire, for a permit can be obtained for the purpose, and I shall
+not attempt to describe it. The fortress has the reputation of being
+the strongest in the world; but of late years no nation has meddled
+with it, and its strength has not been tested with modern implements of
+war. Not a few Englishmen doubt whether it is as important a possession
+to their country as it is commonly represented to be.
+
+"It can hardly be said to command the strait, which is about eight
+miles wide in the narrowest place, and Farragut or Porter would have
+made nothing of passing through. But the fortress may be reasonably
+regarded as impregnable, though it costs about a million and a half of
+dollars a year to pay its expenses.
+
+"The highest point on the rock is fourteen hundred and thirty-nine feet
+above the water. It is a little odd that this is the only place in
+Europe where the monkey in his wild state exists. They may occasionally
+be seen in the vicinity of the Signal Tower. Some people, who must be
+rather credulous, believe that there is a tunnel under the strait, and
+that the monkeys come over from Africa through it. These animals are
+something of an institution here, and efforts have been made to protect
+them from gunners who sometimes stroll about here. At one time they
+were reduced to a very small number; but the last I ever heard about
+them, they had increased to about thirty.
+
+"The town of Gibraltar is said to contain about twenty thousand
+inhabitants, besides about five thousand troops, which is the usual
+garrison of the Rock. They are a mixed set of people, consisting of
+English, Spanish, Jews, and Moors. It is not much of a city. The Club
+House Hotel used to be the principal one, but I believe there is a more
+modern one, called the Royal; but as we shall have no use for any of
+them, we need not look into the matter.
+
+"Waterport Street is the chief thoroughfare, and is nearest to the
+water. There are only two other streets of any consequence, and all of
+those in the place are narrow and crooked. It is a walled town, and the
+regulations are very strict, and are carefully enforced. No foreigner
+can reside here unless the consul of his country, or a householder in
+the city, becomes his surety. A police-magistrate can issue a permit
+for ten, fifteen, or twenty days' residence in the city; and a military
+man can introduce a friend for thirty days. The gates are opened at
+sunrise in the morning, and closed at sunset in the evening; and there
+is no getting in or out after they are closed for the night. Two guns
+are fired, the first of warning, so that it is not necessary to get
+caught on the wrong side if one is reasonably careful.
+
+"The ancients believed the Rock was the end of the world, as they did
+in regard to a number of other places. The Pillars of Hercules marked
+this western extremity of creation--the Rock was one of them and Apes
+Hill, on the opposite side of the strait, was the other.
+
+"The Rock appears in history at a very early date. The navigators from
+Phœnicia called it Aluba, which the Greeks twisted into Calpa, which
+the professor will tell you is the classic name for it. Hannibal and
+other Carthaginian generals must have known about the Rock, for they
+made expeditions into Spain. It does not appear that it was ever used
+as a fortress until the year of our Lord 711, which is longer ago than
+any of us can remember, when Tarik Ibn-zeyad (don't forget the name)
+fortified it. He was a Saracenic general on his way to conquer some of
+the nations of Europe, and this seemed to be a convenient place for a
+base of operations, as it was easy of access from Africa.
+
+"After this chief the Rock was named Gebel-Tarik, or the hill of Tarik,
+and this compound word was corrupted into Gibraltar. They say that one
+of the towers of the castle he built can still be seen; but I never saw
+it, and I will not say anything more about it. For six hundred years it
+remained in possession of the Moors, who had obtained a stronghold in
+Spain; but it was captured in 1309 by Don Antonio de Guzman.
+
+"Additional works and a dockyard were then constructed, and the Old
+Mole, which may still be seen at the north end of the city, was built
+at the same time. The Spaniards and Moors continued to hold and lose
+it for the next hundred and fifty years. In 1462 the Spaniards captured
+it through the treachery of a renegade Moor. Even in the seventeenth
+century the holders of the fortress had so strengthened it that it was
+regarded as impregnable.
+
+"A united English and Dutch force, in 1704, proved that the fortress
+was not as strong as the Spaniards claimed. The fleet first bombarded
+it, then a heavy force was landed and an assault made upon the works,
+and its capitulation followed; but it was manned by only one hundred
+and fifty men, and the fact that this puny force 'knocked out' nearly
+double their own number shows that the place was very strong, and that
+it was bravely defended.
+
+"From that time to the present Gibraltar has remained in possession of
+the English, though Spain and France have made desperate efforts to
+dislodge them. It has sustained not less than four sieges, the last of
+which was the most tremendous, in 1779, while the American Revolution
+was still in progress, and it was continued for four years. The
+narrative of it is extremely interesting; but it may be read by those
+so disposed in several books in our library, and I will not attempt to
+relate it.
+
+"I intended to invite the party to go on shore this afternoon; but
+the Sir Knights of the Salihé have to go over to Algeciras to serve
+as witnesses against the smugglers they captured last night, and I
+desire to go with them. The party can go with us if they desire, for we
+shall make use of the Salihé for the purpose, and, as the weather is
+pleasant, it will be a nice sail."
+
+Led off by Dr. Hawkes, as usual, the company applauded the commander,
+and thanked him for the interesting lecture he had given them.
+
+"I should like to go to Algeciras for one," said Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"So should I," added Mrs. Woolridge; in fact, all of them wished to go.
+
+"I want to see the steamer in which all the wonderful things were done
+last evening," said Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+After lunch the party prepared for the excursion. Felipe was again
+directed to take charge of the engine, and Scott was to be the pilot.
+The latter studied the chart during all the time he could find before
+the departure, and wrote down some points he had forgotten to mention
+the evening before. There were no wharves or piers at the town to which
+they were going, and the first cutter with her crew was sent over in
+tow.
+
+At the appointed hour the steamer started, and landed her passengers on
+the other side of the bay. They were very pleasantly received by the
+Spanish officials. All the party insisted upon going to the court, for
+they desired to see the smugglers.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XIV
+
+                 AMERICAN WITNESSES IN A SPANISH COURT
+
+
+The party found the forms of justice in Spain, those who knew anything
+about them, quite different from what they were in New York and New
+Jersey. The court-room was an oddity to Uncle Moses, and he had the
+idea that the _provincia_ must be building a new court-house, and that
+the apartment was a temporary one, not adapted to the use for which it
+was required.
+
+The five smugglers were brought in, each of them with his wrists
+handcuffed behind him by the officers. Gray's looks plainly indicated
+that he was a foreigner; but he could speak the language as fluently
+as any other person in the room, though perhaps not as correctly. He
+glanced at the four Sir Knights who had overcome him in the conflict on
+the deck of the Salihé, and especially at Scott, who had lassoed him.
+
+Captain Velazquez appeared to be entirely subdued by his misfortunes,
+as doubtless he regarded the loss of the Golondrina and his arrest.
+He was not as savage as he had appeared to be the evening before. The
+other three men had obeyed orders in the affairs on the steamer, and
+had submitted quietly when they were overcome, and were of little
+account.
+
+It was not a very intricate case, for the capture of the schooner with
+her contraband cargo made everything very plain sailing. The officers
+of the customs and the police, to whom the vessel and the prisoners had
+been delivered the night before by Captain Ringgold's agents, stated
+what they knew about the affair, which was very little. Then Gray
+was called upon to explain. He gave his evidence in Spanish; but Mr.
+Gaskette, who had been brought over as an interpreter, and Louis could
+understand him.
+
+The Scotchman, who seemed to be more troubled about the capture of the
+little steamer than about the smuggling, without committing himself in
+regard to the latter, stated squarely that he had engaged the Salihé of
+Captain Chickworth, and he thought he had the right to use her when he
+found her in the bay, near the Palmones River. He concluded that she
+had been sent there for him.
+
+He found on board of her a party of young men, who appeared to be
+Dutchmen, and who had been drinking too much wine. Mr. Gaskette and
+Louis laughed when they heard this statement, and even the commander
+understood enough of it to be amused. To the surprise of Gray the party
+had refused to allow him the use of the little steamer. He had tried to
+compromise the matter, and he had offered to pay them money, and not to
+interfere with their excursion.
+
+The Dutchmen were obstinate, and would not listen to him. He had
+been compelled to take possession of the steamer, but had made her
+passengers comfortable in the cabin. Then they had risen against
+his party, only three of them being then on board the Salihé, and,
+resorting to the most barbarous methods, using their revolvers, with
+which all of them seemed to be supplied, had recovered possession of
+the boat, making them prisoners, and treating them like criminals, when
+everybody knew that they were honest and law-abiding men.
+
+Those from the Guardian-Mother who understood the testimony could not
+refrain from laughing heartily at the number of lies Gray had crowded
+into his evidence. Captain Velazquez and the seamen backed up the
+statement of Gray, and it was plain enough that the Scotchman had
+dictated the story they were to tell. Louis asked an officer of the
+court if the prisoners had been confined in the same cell, and learned
+that such was the case. Of course they had talked over the situation,
+and had agreed upon what they were to say.
+
+The question was then asked if the Dutch witnesses spoke Spanish. Only
+one of those who had been on board of the little steamer could do so,
+and Louis was called upon to give his testimony. He had some doubts
+in regard to the sufficiency of his linguistic ability for such an
+occasion; but he promptly took his place in front of the judge. The
+dignitary of the bench was an old man, who looked as though he might
+have seen eighty Spanish winters, judging by the innumerable wrinkles
+on his face and the paucity of the white hairs on his head.
+
+"What is your name?" asked the venerable dispenser of justice.
+
+[Illustration: "'WHAT'S YOUR NAME?' ASKED THE VENERABLE DISPENSER
+OF JUSTICE."]
+
+"Louis Belgrave, _su merced_" (your honor), replied the owner of the
+Guardian-Mother.
+
+"You are a Dutchman; from what part of Holland do you come?"
+
+"From no part of Holland; I am an American, your honor," replied Louis,
+who had entirely recovered the self-possession he had lost for the
+moment.
+
+He proceeded to explain that he resided in Von Blonk Park, which was a
+town in the State of New Jersey, and quite near the city of New York.
+The name of the town had led Señor Gray to suppose he was a Dutchman,
+though he had fully explained to him that he was an American, and that
+neither he nor any of his companions were Dutch.
+
+"What is your business?"
+
+"I have no business," replied the witness with a smile.
+
+"Why do you come to Gibraltar?" asked the judge, evidently puzzled by
+the answer and the manner of the young gentleman.
+
+"I am going all over the world in my steam-yacht, the Guardian-Mother,
+which lies at the New Mole in Gibraltar; and we put in there to see
+the place," replied Louis, blushing in spite of himself, for he felt
+compelled to speak the exact truth.
+
+"_Muy ricos!_" (Very rich!) exclaimed the judge.
+
+"_Si, su merced._"
+
+"You are only a boy!"
+
+"No, _su merced_. My mother is with me;" whereupon Captain Ringgold and
+Mr. Gaskette laughed, and there was a smile on the face of the judge.
+
+Louis did not like to "blow his own horn," even so far as to state the
+facts in regard to himself as the owner of the steam-yacht, and he took
+the liberty to explain that his mother was his guardian, and that the
+trustee of his property was present, and would inform him fully as to
+his affairs.
+
+He was then called upon to give his evidence in respect of the capture
+of the Salihé by the smugglers. He gave the details of the excursion as
+well as he could in Spanish, and he talked with considerable fluency,
+though doubtless he made some mistakes. He appeared to be perfectly
+understood by all in the court-room, and only twice did the judge ask
+him to repeat anything he had said. Everybody seemed to be deeply
+interested in him and in his narrative, perhaps because he was "_muy
+ricos_."
+
+"You were intoxicated, were you not?" asked his honor.
+
+"I was not intoxicated: I never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer
+in my life," replied Louis very gently.
+
+This reply made a decided sensation among the Spaniards in the
+court-room, and probably none of them ever saw or heard of a rich young
+man who had never tasted any intoxicating fluid, for in France and
+Spain even the boys drink wine.
+
+"Were your companions intoxicated?" inquired the judge.
+
+"Not one of them had tasted a drop of anything for months, if ever in
+their lives."
+
+The judge glanced at Gray, who had asserted that the party on board of
+the Salihé had been drinking too freely, and there was a frown on his
+honor's wrinkled face, which indicated that he believed the present
+rather than the former witness. Louis proceeded to give his narrative
+of the proceedings on board of the little steam-yacht, including the
+capture and the recapture of the craft. The lassoing of the Scotchman
+greatly amused the Spanish portion of the audience, and all eyes were
+fixed about half the time on the burly victim of the operation.
+
+The judge requested him to call up the one who had handled the lasso,
+and Louis asked Scott to stand where he was. The hero of the occasion
+complied with the request. He saw that the audience were amused and
+excited; but he could not understand a word that had been said, and
+did not know what it was all about. He was regarded with astonishment,
+for the listeners could not comprehend how a mere boy, though a rather
+stout one, had been able to overcome a man of Gray's size and weight.
+
+The Scotchman seemed to be very much surprised to hear Louis talk
+Spanish, for the latter had concealed his knowledge of the language
+from him; and doubtless he could understand now how the "Dutchman"
+had made some of his points against him in the affair. But Louis was
+permitted to "stand down," as he had told all he knew of the case. The
+judge called for Scott next, and evidently felt some interest in him.
+A sworn interpreter was called, and Scott told his story through him,
+though Louis and Mr. Gaskette watched him very closely; but there was
+no important variation in his translation of the witnesses' statements.
+
+Two or three times the judge tripped him up, and it appeared that
+his honor was quite proficient in his English. The narrative of the
+"hero" agreed very closely with that of Louis. Morris and Felix fully
+confirmed them, and then Captain Ringgold was called to the stand.
+After he had given his name and residence, he was asked a question in
+regard to his business in Gibraltar.
+
+"I am a shipmaster, in command of the steamship Guardian-Mother, which
+is the yacht of Mr. Louis Belgrave," he replied, putting his hand on
+the head of his owner, who sat next to him.
+
+"Does your owner drink too much wine?" asked his honor.
+
+"He drinks none at all; never a drop under any circumstances."
+
+While the interpreter was rendering this answer, the judge gazed at
+Louis, and evidently regarded him as a very wonderful young man,
+besides being "_muy ricos_." The temperance question seemed to be
+mixed in with the issue, for Gray had evidently intended to convey the
+impression that the party on board of the little steamer were "young
+bloods," so tipsy that they hardly knew what they were about, and that
+it was a kindness for him to take charge of them, even if he did use
+the yacht to tow out the Golondrina and the "honest men" in charge of
+her.
+
+Captain Ringgold stated that the Salihé had come alongside his ship
+with the schooner in tow, and he decided to deliver her to the Spanish
+authorities, for it was plain to him that she was engaged in an illegal
+voyage, intending to rob the government of Spain of its just revenues.
+The judge bowed as though he approved this decision.
+
+His honor then wished to hear from Mrs. Belgrave, who was quite
+startled when the commander asked her to take the stand. Dr. Hawkes
+conducted her to the box on which she was to stand. The judge looked
+at her; and his ancient eyes seemed to twinkle as he observed that she
+was still a very pretty woman, though the mother of a boy of seventeen,
+"_muy ricos_" besides.
+
+"I congratulate you, señora, on being the mother of such a young man as
+Mr. Belgrave, and one so very rich," said the judge in good English.
+
+"I thank your honor," replied Mrs. Belgrave, whose blushes made
+her look all the more interesting; and Captain Ringgold shared the
+admiration of his honor.
+
+"Does Mr. Belgrave, your son, ever drink too much wine, or other
+intoxicating fluids?" asked the judge in Spanish, which was duly
+translated to the lady.
+
+"Never! He never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer in his life!"
+exclaimed the witness indignantly.
+
+"_Bastante!_" (Enough!) added his honor; and la señora was permitted to
+retire.
+
+Uncle Moses gave some information in regard to the wealth of the
+young gentleman and to his temperate habits. The judge was evidently
+satisfied so far as the capture and recapture of the Salihé were
+concerned, and then proceeded to consider the custom-house question.
+The officers testified in regard to the merchandise found on board
+of the Golondrina. No bill of lading, consular certificate, or other
+document was found on board or in possession of the captain.
+
+It was proved that the goods were smuggled into Spain from Gibraltar.
+The principals were Gray and Captain Velazquez, and they were heavily
+fined, and sentenced to imprisonment for one year for smuggling, and
+one for the assault upon the party on board the little steamer. The
+others received a much milder sentence. The court adjourned, and his
+honor hastened to pay his respects to Mrs. Belgrave, and insisted upon
+sending her and the other ladies to the landing in his carriage. Then
+he had quite a talk about the Guardian-Mother with the captain, and was
+invited to visit her with his family.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XV
+
+                    EXPLORING THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR
+
+
+Captain Ringgold had been formally presented to the judge by an officer
+who seemed to be the chief of police, or something of that sort.
+"_El Juez_ Salazar" was what he called him. If any reader wishes to
+pronounce as he reads, he will say _el hwaith Sah-lah-thar_; and if he
+utters it like that, the chief of police would understand him.
+
+Judge Salazar smiled when the commander invited him and his family to
+visit the Guardian-Mother, declaring that he had no wife or children,
+being still a bachelor.
+
+"But if I had met the Señora Belgrave when I was fifty years younger,
+it might have been otherwise," added the judge. "That is to say, if she
+had not frowned upon me."
+
+"Just my case!" exclaimed the commander.
+
+"But you are still a young man, while I am seventy-five. 'It might
+have been,' as your poet Whittier said, in my case; and it may be, in
+yours," added his honor very jocosely.
+
+"I don't know," laughed the captain. "But I hope you will visit my
+ship, Judge Salazar. Will you not dine with us at six to-day? I will
+have a boat at the landing for you at five."
+
+"The temptation is very great, and I cannot decline the invitation,"
+replied the venerable dignitary.
+
+The carriage of the judge returned, and then he insisted upon taking
+the commander and Louis to the shore, where they parted with him for
+the time. All the party were delighted with the old gentleman and his
+courteous Spanish manners, and Mrs. Belgrave declared that he was a
+"dear old man." The cutter conveyed the party to the steamer, and in
+about half an hour they were on board of the ship.
+
+"The judge is a bachelor, Mrs. Belgrave, and he fell in love with you."
+
+"Indeed! But he is old enough to be my grandfather!" exclaimed the
+lady, laughing heartily.
+
+"In order to give him an opportunity to conduct his suit before your
+court, I have invited him to dinner to-day, and he has accepted," added
+the commander.
+
+"I shall be very glad to meet him socially, in spite of all your
+nonsense, Captain Ringgold," said the lady. "I think he is a fair and
+just judge; and certainly he is a very agreeable gentleman, though he
+is not as good-looking as you are."
+
+The lady blushed when she had said this, for she really meant nothing
+by it; and the commander felt himself lifted up with something like an
+ecstasy.
+
+"I need not flatter myself till I know the breadth of the comparison,"
+replied he. "But we must do our best to make the judge happy when he
+comes on board; and I have no doubt he will spend the evening with us.
+Sparks, call Mr. Sage."
+
+Mr. Melancthon Sage, the chief steward, presented himself very
+promptly, and the commander directed him to get up the choicest dinner
+possible for six o'clock, for a very distinguished guest.
+
+When Captain Ringgold went on deck, he found the owner of the Salihé
+waiting for him there, his engineer having gone on board of her
+alongside. He had spoken to Louis, who refused to say anything to him
+except in the presence of the commander.
+
+"Which I am very glad to see you, Captain Ringgold," the owner of the
+little steamer began.
+
+"I dare say you are, for you want to know whether or not your boat is
+implicated in the smuggling that was done last night," replied the
+commander jocosely.
+
+"Which hit is very true, your honor; I do wish to know."
+
+"Well, your worship, your friend Gray swore point-blank before the
+court that he had engaged your little steamer to tow the Golondrina to
+sea," added the captain.
+
+"Which he lies like a himp of darkness!" protested Chickworth
+earnestly. "'E came to me yesterday to 'ire 'er, but I told 'im she
+was hengaged to the young gentlemen on board this steamer, and 'e
+couldn't 'ave 'er on no account. Which this is as true a thing as Giles
+Chickworth hever spoke in 'is life. I would swear to hit before the
+judge hover there."
+
+"Perhaps you could do it here, for the judge will dine with us to-day,"
+suggested the commander, watching the expression of the man.
+
+"Which I am ready to do!" protested Chickworth, using his first
+grammatical "which" apparently by mistake.
+
+"I am afraid you have had some dealings with these smugglers, Captain
+Chickworth; but I do not believe you will come to grief on account of
+anything that happened last night, for Gray told such a stack of lies
+that the judge did not believe a word he said, and the testimony of
+the boys contradicted about everything to which he swore. I think you
+are all right, my man; but I advise you to have nothing to do with
+smugglers."
+
+"Which I don't, your honor!" exclaimed the owner of the boat.
+
+"But Gray seemed to know all about your steamer, and he must have had
+the use of her at five shillings an hour."
+
+"Which 'e 'as; but not to smuggle in 'er."
+
+"That is enough about the smugglers. Take warning, my man, and keep out
+of trouble, or you will lose the steamer," added the commander.
+
+"I owe you thirty shillings, Captain Chickworth," said Louis, tendering
+the money, for he had listened to all that had been said.
+
+"I don't mind that; you 'ave saved my steamer; for I know what a liar
+Gray is, and I was afeard that they would want to confisticate 'er."
+
+"I insist on paying for her," added Louis, thrusting the gold into the
+vest pocket of the owner.
+
+"I will pay for her to-day, but I want to make a trade with you for
+to-day and to-morrow," continued the captain; and he engaged her for
+the two days for two pounds. "You will keep her alongside when we are
+not using her."
+
+"Which I will do and hall night too."
+
+"We are going ashore this afternoon, and at five o'clock you will go
+over for Judge Salazar."
+
+Captain Ringgold had already attended to the formalities necessary
+to obtain admission to the town and to visit the batteries and
+fortifications, and the American consul had rendered all the assistance
+required. After an early lunch the party embarked in the Salihé, now
+in charge of Captain Chickworth and his engineer. The little steamer
+proceeded directly to the Ragged Staff stairs, where the landing was
+made.
+
+Macias, one of the guides of the place, was waiting for them. The party
+walked till they were tired, and then a wagonette was obtained, and
+they rode through the streets for an hour, looking at the buildings,
+especially the barracks, for everything was military about the town.
+
+Ever since the possession of the Rock was obtained, about one hundred
+and eighty years ago, the English have been at work improving the
+defences of the place, and the territory is covered with batteries
+in addition to the principal fortifications in the Rock itself. The
+visitors gave only a glance at these, and observed with more interest
+the soldiers and their officers, as seen about the streets, especially
+a regiment of Highlanders, whose bare legs were more comfortable in
+this climate than in England.
+
+On the east side, facing the open Mediterranean, the ascent of the
+hill is almost perpendicular, while on the other side it is much more
+gradual. A number of non-commissioned officers were sent with the
+strangers as guides, and they explained everything of interest that was
+passed. After a rather hard walk, they reached the highest point of the
+Rock, which is called El Hacho, or the Signal. From it a view of two
+oceans was obtained, if we count the Mediterranean as one, and two of
+the grand divisions of the earth, Europe and Africa. The mountains of
+Spain and those of Africa were in sight.
+
+Macias pointed out Apes Hill and other objects of interest, and it was
+unanimously voted that the view was magnificent. The visitors continued
+their wanderings amid pyramids of cannon-balls, and the region was
+covered with receptacles for ammunition. They entered the galleries,
+which extend for thousands of yards, and the first sight of them
+conveys an idea of the vast amount of labor which has been performed in
+constructing them, for they have been hewn out of the rock.
+
+There are casemates and even halls, one of the latter of which is fifty
+feet long by thirty-five wide, and is called St. George's Hall. About
+every thirty feet in the eastern side are embrasures through which
+project the muzzles of great cannons, which are hardly noticed from the
+outside as one sails along the sea. A view of the Rock at the distance
+of a couple of miles on the strait conveys no idea of the strength of
+the fortifications.
+
+In addition to the immense strength of the principal fortress, there
+are forts and batteries in every available place along the shore, and
+on the line which separates the place from The Neutral Ground, so
+that an attack by sea or land could be promptly repelled. Everything
+has been done to render the works invincible, and the supplies kept
+in store preclude the possibility of starving out the garrison in
+any reasonable period of time. But the fortress will never again be
+besieged or attacked, for many believe "the game is not worth the
+candle;" and Mr. Bright thought it ought to be ceded back to Spain, for
+its possession by a foreign power has never ceased to be a thorn in the
+flesh of the proud and haughty dons of the peninsula.
+
+Aside from its military importance, Gibraltar is of the greatest value
+to England as a stopping-place, where coal and other necessaries can be
+obtained by her commercial marine. All the steamers which pass through
+the Suez Canal on their way to India and Australia stop here. If
+England were at war with any other nation, the place would be of vast
+importance as a coaling station, where her ships could lie in safety in
+spite of any force that might assail them.
+
+"There are no springs of fresh water on the Rock," said Captain
+Ringgold to his party. "You remember how the people of the Bermudas are
+supplied with water; and the residents here, both civil and military,
+have to depend upon the rainfall. All the water that falls upon the
+roofs of the houses is economized and gathered up into reservoirs; and
+that which flows down the sides of the rock is also carefully saved,
+for a water famine would be as bad as a dearth of food. The navy tank,
+from which ships are supplied, holds eleven thousand tons of water,
+as the books put it; but to the common mind that is a very indefinite
+method of measuring water, and how big that tank is I can form no idea,
+only that it is a big one.
+
+"I suppose you have noticed that plants grow in the apertures and
+crevices of the Rock, though nothing of the sort can be seen from
+the water. Asparagus, capers, aloes, and cacti thrive here, and even
+grassy and wooded glens are found in places. Now we will go down to the
+Almeda, which is the Spanish name for a park, as you learned when you
+were in Cuba."
+
+This beautiful garden is located near Europa Point, the southern
+extremity of the peninsula of Gibraltar. It is on the very border of
+the sea, and is very tastefully laid out in English style, with winding
+walks, and with a great variety of plants and shrubs which thrive in
+this climate, including cacti and some trees of considerable size. From
+shady arbors fine views were obtained of the surroundings, including
+the mountains in Africa.
+
+The party had made the ascent of the rock and the return on mules and
+donkeys, and the big four had lots of fun with the latter. That of
+Scott was so small that he picked him up in his arms and carried him
+some distance, to the great amusement of the lookers-on. When they
+reached the Ragged Stairs, the company embarked in the little steamer,
+and, as it was not yet four o'clock, they made an excursion in her
+around the Rock. The American consul had been invited to dine on board,
+and he was a member of the party.
+
+As soon as her passengers had disembarked, Louis and Scott were sent
+over in the Salihé to Algeciras for Judge Salazar, and returned with
+him before dinner-time. He was received on board with the "most
+distinguished consideration."
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XVI
+
+                AN ADDITION FOR THE FUN OF THE BIG FOUR
+
+
+The position of honor at the table on the right of the commander was
+given to Judge Salazar, and Mrs. Belgrave was placed next to him. The
+consul was on his left, with Mrs. Woolridge beside him. Louis was
+assigned to the opposite end of the table, with the boys next to him.
+Mr. Sage and Monsieur Odervie had done their best, and the dinner was
+praised with great enthusiasm by all the guests.
+
+The judge made himself exceedingly agreeable to Mrs. Belgrave, and gave
+her a great deal of information in regard to Spain; but the principal
+subject of conversation was her son, who was "_muy ricos_," and his
+mother gave him an epitome of the life of the young millionaire,
+including the recovery of the missing million which had made him so
+rich.
+
+The commander asked him if any suspicions were attached to the Salihé
+as concerned in any smuggling ventures. He could only learn that the
+officers of the customs kept a close watch upon her. Gray said he had
+engaged her to tow out the Golondrina; but he proved that he was such
+a liar he could not be believed, or the little steamer would have been
+seized.
+
+At eleven o'clock in the evening, after the ladies and others had given
+the distinguished judicial dignitary a specimen of the songs they sang
+in the churches and evening meetings in America, the judge was sent
+home in the little steamer, attended by the consul and the commander.
+He was profuse in his acknowledgments of the pleasure he had derived
+from his visit, and especially from his dinner, declaring that no hotel
+in Spain could elaborate such a banquet. The consul had been locked out
+from his residence in the town at gun-fire, and the invitation to dine
+had included the tender of a stateroom for his use.
+
+The consul was sent in the Salihé to the Ragged Stairs after breakfast.
+On her return Louis and Scott found the commander very busy measuring
+the length and breadth of the little steamer. He was looking her over
+with the utmost care, and it was evident to the boys that he had
+some scheme in his head. When he had finished his examination and
+measurements on board of the boat, he ascended to the deck of the ship,
+and renewed his employment.
+
+"The Salihé is forty feet long, Captain Ringgold," interposed Louis,
+with a merry laugh, though he was wondering with all his might what the
+commander's calculations indicated. "Her standing-room is cushioned
+with crimson plush, and will seat eight persons comfortably, or twelve
+with the addition of the tabourets in the cabin."
+
+"Go on, Mr. Belgrave," said the captain, when he was closing the diary
+from which he had read the description so far, and which he carried
+in one of his pockets, having written it out while on the trip from
+Madeira to Tarifa in the little steamer.
+
+"Her cabin is twelve feet long, with four windows on a side, each
+having a single pane of plate glass, with a table in the middle, and
+several tabourets. The sides are occupied by broad divans, on which
+beds may be made, with a full supply of bed-clothes in the lockers
+under them. She has a miniature pilot-house and a cook-room forward of
+the engine."
+
+"Excellent, Sir Louis!" exclaimed the commander. "You have written out
+a very complete description of the craft. Now have you inscribed in
+your diary whether or not it is practicable to hoist the Salihé upon
+the promenade deck of the Guardian-Mother?"
+
+"I don't find any opinion expressed on the pages of my diary on that
+subject, sir," replied Louis, as he put the book in his pocket. "But I
+should say that it was quite practicable, Captain Ringgold, for I have
+read that many American men-of-war carry steam-launches."
+
+"But ships of six hundred tons don't carry steam-launches forty feet
+long; or they did not when I was in the navy," added the commander.
+
+Mr. Boulong and Mr. Shafter, the chief engineer, were sent for, and
+they appeared at once. The question was put to them. They had their
+doubts about carrying a steam-launch of the size of the one alongside
+on the promenade deck; but they considered it possible. She might be
+blocked up in the middle of the space abaft the smoke-stack, and well
+secured. The steamer could carry her well enough, though she was a
+rather large pattern.
+
+While they were talking about the matter, Captain Chickworth came on
+deck, but he did not join the party, and seated himself out of hearing
+of what they said. The commander thanked his two officers, bowed
+to them, and they retired, touching their caps to the captain, for
+everything on board was done as politely as in a man-of-war, and more
+so than is sometimes the case.
+
+The commander seated himself in an arm-chair, of which a supply was
+kept under the awning in pleasant weather, and invited Louis to do the
+same. Scott walked over and entered into conversation with the owner.
+It was evident that Captain Ringgold had had some conversation with
+Chickworth in regard to the subject he appeared to be considering, as
+indicated by what he had said.
+
+"Sir Louis, you can always see through a millstone when there is a hole
+through it, and sometimes you can see and read things which are not
+visible to the naked eye," the commander began. "You can see what I
+have in my mind."
+
+"With the naked eye, I can," replied Louis. "And the idea is
+an excellent one, as are all the ideas of the captain of the
+Guardian-Mother."
+
+"Blarney! But we will be serious now. I have been talking with
+Chickworth; and I told him, what Judge Salazar informed me, that the
+customs officers are keeping watch of his steamer. He was startled,
+and unbosomed himself to me when he found I was not inclined to injure
+him; but I roundly condemned his permitting smugglers to have the use
+of the Salihé. He replied that he could not make a living with the boat
+unless he did so."
+
+"I should think there would be honest visitors enough at the Rock to
+keep the craft well employed," suggested Louis.
+
+"But Chickworth says that is not the case. A steamer runs regularly to
+Algeciras, and another to Tangier, several times a week, and visitors
+will not many of them pay him fifty shillings a day for the steamer.
+Gray was his principal employer; he has gone to prison for the next two
+years, and he has lost his best customer."
+
+"He made his own nest."
+
+"He has saved his steamer, for he would certainly have lost her if
+he had kept on serving the smugglers. He was quite down-hearted this
+morning, and wished he could sell the Salihé for what she cost him, and
+he would return to his trade as a machinist."
+
+"He bought her for less than half her value," added Louis.
+
+"I am inclined to buy her out of my own pocket."
+
+"If you can carry her, buy her, but not out of your own pocket."
+
+"I am willing to do so. I have no use for my wages as master of the
+ship, for I am not a poor man."
+
+"I know you are not, for you have lived on your income for years."
+
+"My whole business is to make this voyage pleasant to my employers and
+passengers, and I don't care to make a dollar out of it."
+
+"It would not be fair or just for you to buy her for our use."
+
+"But Uncle Moses is a strict financier, and he might object to the
+investment of five hundred dollars in this manner," said the captain.
+
+"He will not object to anything that is just and fair, for he is far
+from being a mean man," protested Louis; and he was thinking that the
+possession of the elegant little steamer would at least double the
+pleasure, or the "fun" as they called it, of their daily life on the
+voyage. "Besides, Captain, you know that he did not object to the
+expenses of the voyage the first six months, and then he had to pay out
+double the present rate. Mr. Woolridge pays half the expense now of
+everything, including repairs and alterations. I will speak to Uncle
+Moses about the matter. There he is on the promenade with the rest of
+the party;" and Louis rose from his seat.
+
+"No, Sir Knight; we don't want any special pleading, and Mr. Woolridge
+is as much interested in this matter as he is. Ask both of them to come
+aft, and we will talk over the matter and settle it very quickly,"
+added the commander.
+
+The two gentlemen received the summons, and immediately presented
+themselves before the captain, who rose and placed chairs for them.
+What had been said before about the new project was repeated to the
+trustee of Louis and the magnate of the Fifth Avenue.
+
+"Mrs. Belgrave was saying to me yesterday, while we were sailing round
+the Rock, that she wished we had a steam-yacht like the Salihé, only
+one with a Christian name," said Uncle Moses, shaking his fat sides at
+the coincidence.
+
+"I am glad that somebody besides myself has seen the advantage of
+having a steam-launch on board," added the commander. "I think they
+will all see it when the matter is suggested to them."
+
+"But what is the cost of her?" asked Uncle Moses, chuckling at
+something he had in his mind till his fat form quivered like a barrel
+of soft soap when shaken. "Since I have been relieved of half the cost
+of this pleasure trip, I have had some of my old troubles come back to
+me, for I don't see how Sir Louis will possibly be able to spend even
+a reasonable portion of his income, and the subject begins to worry me
+again. I had an easy time of it the first six months, for the expenses
+made a considerable hole in the amount."
+
+"Then I suppose you charge your present misery upon me for paying
+half of the expenses, fair and just as that is," added Mr. Woolridge,
+laughing a good deal more vigorously than he was in the habit of doing.
+"By all means buy the little steamer, and relieve Uncle Moses of some
+of his woe!"
+
+"Well, how much will she cost?" demanded the lawyer. "If we can get rid
+of five or ten thousand dollars in this manner, it will relieve me of a
+part of the burden I have to bear."
+
+"But I must pay half of the cost of the steamer," added the magnate.
+
+"Then my load will be so much the heavier," puffed Uncle Moses.
+
+"But five or ten thousand dollars, gentlemen!" exclaimed the commander.
+"Why, I was proposing to buy her out of my own pocket, and not call
+upon you at all."
+
+"Not a red cent!" protested the trustee. "I believe you want to make my
+burden more than I can bear, Captain."
+
+"But the price of the boat is only one hundred pounds, or about five
+hundred dollars; and that sum would not have ruined me," almost shouted
+the commander.
+
+"That will hardly take a feather's weight from my load," groaned Uncle
+Moses.
+
+"Say no more about it! I should be glad to buy the boat alone, and
+present her to the ship in token of the high appreciation I have of the
+boundless kindness with which my family and myself have been treated on
+board of the Guardian-Mother," interposed the magnate.
+
+"It is only a bagatelle, but it must be equitably divided," persisted
+Uncle Moses; and the question was settled on this basis.
+
+"The only doubt I had about the matter was the hoisting of her on deck
+and carrying here there," added the commander.
+
+"You needn't hoist her at all, Captain Ringgold," interposed Louis.
+"The big four will organize a ship's company, and sail her from port to
+port."
+
+"O ho, Sir Knight!" exclaimed Uncle Moses, shaking his fat sides again.
+"You want to be all ready for a fresh adventure night and day! If we
+change the name of the craft, as Mrs. Belgrave will insist, we had
+better call her the Don Quixote."
+
+The question was definitely settled, though not till Mrs. Belgrave had
+been consulted; but the name was referred to Louis. The Salihé was
+purchased at once, and paid for on the spot. Chickworth went away a
+happy man. Later in the day a meeting of the big four was called to
+organize the ship's company.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XVII
+
+                THE SHIP'S COMPANY OF THE STEAMER MAUD
+
+
+Louis Belgrave did not take kindly to the suggestion of Uncle Moses
+to call the little steamer, which had now come into the possession of
+the party, the Don Quixote. He had read Don Quichotte, as the book is
+called in French, twice with Professor Seveignien, his instructor at
+Von Blonk Park, in that language. He was therefore quite familiar with
+the career of the knight of La Mancha, which Cervantes wrote as a sort
+of burlesque on knight-errantry.
+
+The young millionaire's alleged fondness for adventure had been the
+reason why Uncle Moses had playfully given him the name of "Sir Louis;"
+but of the four young Americans afloat on the present cruise, he was no
+more inclined to erratic enterprises than the others. The average boy
+delights in adventure, at least in the contemplation and narration; and
+he was no exception to the rule, though he had always been devoted to
+his studies.
+
+But the average boy had not the ingenuity, pluck, and enterprise of
+Louis; and perhaps he made his adventures more exciting than another
+might have done. The nearest approach to him in the big four appeared
+to be Scott, who had fully developed himself in the recapture of the
+Salihé, though his intended cruise in the Seahound in the West Indies
+stamped the metal of which he was made.
+
+Louis did not like the name of Don Quixote, a crack-brained and absurd
+adventurer, whose career Cervantes had written and made as ridiculous
+as possible for the purpose of bringing knight-errantry into disrepute;
+and he succeeded admirably. In dubbing his ward a knight, Uncle Moses
+simply intended to ridicule adventures in general.
+
+"I don't like the name of Don Quixote, which my trustee suggests, and
+that is the only name that has been mentioned," said Louis, when the
+big four had assembled to talk over the organization of the ship's
+company, after he had informed them of the purchase of the little
+steamer.
+
+The young millionaire had explained to them the use to which it was
+intended to apply her, with some enlargement of the idea to suit his
+own fancy, and had reported some of the conversation between the
+captain, Uncle Moses, and the magnate of the Fifth Avenue.
+
+"Don Quixote isn't a bad name for a boat," added Scott. "I don't know
+much about the fellow who bore it, and I am not competent to give an
+opinion as to its fitness."
+
+It then appeared that Louis was the only one of the four who had read
+the book; and he gave some description of the Spanish knight-errant,
+and related some of his adventures with windmills, wine sacks, and
+galley slaves.
+
+"The Don is not the fellow for our craft," added Scott. "But I suppose
+you own the steam-yacht, Louis, as you do the Guardian-Mother, and you
+ought to name her to suit yourself."
+
+"Morris's father is as much an owner of her as I am, for he pays half
+her cost. The name was referred to me; but I think Morris ought to have
+as much to say about that as I have," replied Louis.
+
+"I don't care what her name is," said Morris, laughing. "There will
+be just as much fun in her under one name as any other. If you have
+thought of anything, Louis, I will agree to it."
+
+"What shall her name be, Louis?" demanded Scott.
+
+"I thought of calling her the Maud," answered Louis.
+
+"The only objiction in loife I have to that name is that it was what
+they called the shtaymer of John Schoble," added Felix.
+
+"But that was not her name, and it was only stuck on over 'Viking.'"
+
+"Maud is a tip-top name!" exclaimed Scott.
+
+"I like it; and it is your mother's name, Louis, which makes me like it
+all the more," said Morris.
+
+"Maud it is, then; and no fellow must say Salihé after this," added
+Scott.
+
+As a matter of form the question was put to vote, and Maud was
+unanimously adopted as the name of the steamer.
+
+"The next thing is to make out a list of officers and crew," suggested
+Louis. "But we can't have a great many officers, for we have not
+fellows enough to fill the places. First we want a captain, and we will
+vote for him by ballot."
+
+Morris was appointed to collect the votes, and three of them were for
+Louis, and one for Scott.
+
+"This is very complimentary, and I thank you," Louis proceeded, after
+Scott had declared the result of the ballot. "But I must respectfully
+and resolutely decline the honor. I do not think I am fitted for the
+position, and therefore I must refuse to accept it. Please to bring in
+your votes for captain."
+
+Felix caught a sight of Louis's ballot, and the vote stood two for the
+owner of the Guardian-Mother and two for Scott. The Milesian, knowing
+very well what his crony desired, and how he had voted both times
+before, did a little electioneering in a whisper with Morris, and the
+next ballot gave the hero of the battle with the smugglers a majority
+of the votes.
+
+Scott returned his thanks; but he had voted every time for Louis, and
+thought he ought to have the position.
+
+"We don't want any compliments about this business, fellows," replied
+Louis. "If I wanted to be simply complimentary, I should vote for
+Morris, and he is better qualified for the position than I am; but I
+believe Scott has had more experience than any other fellow in the
+crowd, for he navigated the Seahound from New York to Florida, and
+through the Bahama Islands. I think we have done the right thing, and
+Captain Scott it is."
+
+"So say we all of us," repeated Felix and Morris.
+
+"The next place is that of pilot, who shall be at the same time the
+mate," continued Louis. "Flix will collect the votes."
+
+Three of them were for Morris; for Louis had unconsciously done a
+little electioneering when he spoke of the successful candidate, who
+had modestly voted for the usual leader of the party.
+
+"Morris is elected first officer and pilot by your votes," said Louis.
+"I don't see but what we have got to the end of the rope, for we can't
+all be officers, and Flix and I will be seamen or deck-hands."
+
+"That don't seem to be just right," protested Captain Scott. "The idea
+of Louis being a deck-hand is simply absurd."
+
+"But it is just the position I like best," the subject of the remark
+insisted.
+
+"Faix, Oi'm in good company as the oder deck-hand," added Felix, with
+a merry laugh. "Sorra one bit of ambition have Oi to be an officer.
+They're the fellers that will do the worruck while we gintlemanly
+deck-hands will luk on and see 'em do it."
+
+"What about the engineer?" asked Captain Scott.
+
+"Of course Felipe Garcias will be the engineer," replied Louis.
+
+"But he is wanted as an oiler on board the ship," suggested the captain.
+
+"Captain Ringgold can easily ship another here."
+
+"But I thought we were to use the Maud only when we were in port to run
+about the harbors," said Morris.
+
+"I think we shall do something more than that," replied Louis
+significantly. "At any rate, we shall want our own engineer; and I will
+see that he is better paid than as an oiler, a 'greaser' as they are
+sometimes called. Felipe is a good fellow, and I take an interest in
+him."
+
+"Bekase he can shpake Shpanish!" mildly taunted Felix. "Faix I could
+shpake it mesel' if me modther had only larned it me whin I was a
+babby, loike Philip's modther did him. But, boy the powers of mud, I
+belayve you fellers mane to make an indepindint cruise in the Orient,
+and go Columbusing all over the ocean boy the way ye's talk!"
+
+"I hinted to Captain Ringgold that there was no need of hoisting the
+Maud on the deck of the ship, for we could go in her from one port to
+another. I suppose Captain Scott understands navigation."
+
+"I think I know something about it; for that is the one thing I have
+studied more than anything else, not only in school, but ever since,"
+replied the new captain. "Professor Giroud is instructing me in the
+theory of it now, and I take the sun every day, and work up the
+observation. I know how to handle a sextant, and I can work out a lunar
+on a pinch."
+
+"Perhaps we shall get cast away on a desolate island in the Indian
+Ocean, and have a chance to do some Robinson Crusoeing," suggested
+Morris.
+
+"That is treason to Captain Scott," added Louis.
+
+"I believe I can do my Bowditching well enough not to bring that upon
+my ship's company," said the captain.
+
+This meeting was held in the cabin of the Maud, as they had all
+begun to call her. The next thing they did was to take down the sign
+upon which the former name of the yacht appeared in front of the
+pilot-house, and another to the same effect on the stern. While they
+were thus engaged, Captain Chickworth, who had been collecting his
+money and talking with the captain in his cabin, came on board.
+
+"You don't like the name," said he when he discovered what they were
+doing.
+
+"We have changed it already," answered Louis.
+
+"Which I was going to do myself," added the late owner. "The old one
+was not a Christian name, and I was going to call 'er the 'Transit.' I
+'ad the two signs halmost ready to put on. Which there is a carver near
+the Ragged Stairs gate which 'e 'as the letters hall ready to put on
+the board."
+
+"Has he the four letters M-A-U-D on hand?"
+
+Chickworth was sure he had. Louis was delighted, and immediately
+offered to land the late owner at the Stairs, and have him go with
+him to the carver's. Felipe was in the engine-room, for he had just
+returned from landing the consul. Captain Ringgold was informed that
+they were going to put Chickworth on shore, and the Maud departed to
+obtain her new name.
+
+The carver had the letters of the right size, all gilded and ready
+to put on the signs. He was obliging enough to do the work while
+Louis waited, and in a short time he returned to the steamer with
+the signs under his arm. They were put in their places at once, and
+the ship's company bestowed a great deal of admiration upon them.
+The Maud got under way, and in a few minutes she was approaching the
+Guardian-Mother. The regularly elected pilot was at the wheel, and the
+others were on the forecastle.
+
+Captain Scott called for three cheers when he discovered the cabin
+party seated under the awning. This called the company to the side;
+for they suspected that the big four were up to some mischief, the
+commander having informed them of the purchase of the little steamer,
+and that her future ship's company had been engaged in organizing to
+handle her.
+
+The gentlemen returned the cheers without knowing what they meant, and
+the ladies waved their handkerchiefs very vigorously. As the steamer
+came a little nearer, Uncle Moses was the first to notice the new name
+which had been put up over the windows of the pilot-house. He spelled
+out the word and pointed to the name.
+
+"My name!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave. "Well, I am more delighted to see
+it there than I was when I saw it on that steamer which lies near us."
+
+"It is a capital name for the craft, and it means something now--that
+your son is always thinking of you, madam."
+
+"What is the next conspiracy of the big four?" asked the commander as
+the crew of the Maud came on board.
+
+"We want to go over to Tangier this afternoon," replied Louis, as soon
+as the new name had been discussed and approved.
+
+The application was duly considered, and, no objection being made,
+permission for the excursion was granted.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XVIII
+
+                   AN AFTERNOON EXCURSION TO TANGIER
+
+
+Louis had applied for permission to make the excursion to Tangier on
+his own account, though he knew it would be exceedingly agreeable
+to the other members of the ship's company, for it would give them
+practice in their duties. He had spoken to the commander about the
+engineer; and he had promptly consented to ship another oiler, for it
+was enough for Felipe to run the engine of the Maud and take proper
+care of it, as it was a very nice piece of machinery. At the same time
+he added fifty per cent to the wages of this officer.
+
+He had ordered Mr. Sage to provide a suitable lunch for the steamer;
+for it was thirty miles to Tangier, and it would require at least seven
+hours for the Maud to go there and return, and the excursionists would
+get hungry before they came back.
+
+"But why can't we go with them, Captain Ringgold?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
+"It will certainly be a very pleasant trip, and there must be something
+there to see."
+
+"I thought of going to Tangier in the Guardian-Mother," replied the
+commander; "but you have seen a specimen of Mohammedan places at
+Mogadore, and I have reserved most of that species of sights for
+Constantinople, where you will see them in their full glory and on a
+large scale. Then the boys are going over there simply to experiment
+with their new organization and see how it works, and I think they
+would prefer to be alone. Besides, Tangier is in Morocco; and it is
+remotely possible that Ali-Noury Pacha may be there, for it is over
+three weeks since the Fatimé went out to sea through the Strait."
+
+"I am quite satisfied to remain," replied the lady.
+
+"Very likely the boys will not land at all at Tangier, for they have no
+time to do so."
+
+"I certainly don't want to go there if there is the least danger of
+meeting the Pacha," added Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+The rich, powerful, and distinguished Pacha had taken a fancy to
+Blanche, the beautiful daughter of Mr. Woolridge, and had followed
+the party to Gibraltar in the Fatimé, his large steam-yacht; but the
+Guardian-Mother had avoided her, and had actually run away from her.
+
+"I have a little business in the city this afternoon, and we will go
+ashore in the barge if you wish to visit the place again."
+
+"I don't think much of the place itself, but it is interesting to look
+at the people of various nations that one meets in the street there;
+and I want to do a little shopping," added the lady.
+
+Lunch was served at noon that day. The bunkers of the Maud had been
+filled with coal, and she was all ready to get under way. The big four
+were very much excited, and they disposed of their mid-day meal very
+hastily. They would not have thought to take their overcoats if the
+anxious mothers of two of them had not insisted that they should do so.
+Felipe had been at work on the engine, with which he was more familiar
+than with any other, for he had served as engineer when she was in the
+service of the Pacha.
+
+"The Mah-ood," he began when Louis went on board, pronouncing the name
+of the steamer as he read it on the sign.
+
+"No, no!" exclaimed Louis, laughing heartily. "You have translated the
+word into Spanish or Turkish;" and he proceeded to drill the engineer
+in the pronunciation of the new name of the craft.
+
+"The Maud," he repeated for the twentieth time.
+
+"That will do very well, Felipe."
+
+"The Maud used to make ten knots an hour when I worked for the Pacha,"
+he continued. "I shall make her do so now."
+
+"All right; but always be on the safe side."
+
+"What you call the safe side?" asked Felipe, whose English was still
+very much at fault, especially in its idioms, though he did very well
+in simple conversation.
+
+"Don't burst the boiler," laughed Louis.
+
+He promised not to do so. Morris, the pilot, was in the pilot-house,
+where he had been at work a considerable part of his time in putting
+everything there in order and according to his own fancy, for he felt
+that this was his domain. Captain Scott was on the promenade deck, and
+he had prepared himself for his present duties.
+
+Captain Ringgold had an abundance of charts, and among them one of four
+sheets of the Mediterranean Sea. This one had thirty plans of harbors
+and ports upon it, and among them one of the Strait of Gibraltar. The
+latter was about a foot long and eight inches wide, which the commander
+had cut out of the sheet and given to Captain Scott, who, for this
+reason, felt entirely confident in regard to his navigation. The only
+thing he needed was a parallel ruler, so that he could lay off the
+course from the compass designs given on every chart.
+
+"Make the course south south-west, Mr. Woolridge!" he called to the
+pilot.
+
+Morris was a little startled to hear himself "mistered;" but the fasts
+had been cast off by the accomplished deck-hands, and he rang the gong
+to go ahead. He had learned the bells as they were used on board of
+the Guardian-Mother; and he felt quite at home at the wheel, and not
+a little exhilarated to find himself steering such a beautiful little
+steamer as his regular duty.
+
+"Do you know where you are, Captain Scott?" asked Louis playfully.
+
+"Just as well as though I had been here all my life," replied he.
+
+"I suppose you know your way out of this bay."
+
+"As well as I know my way into bed when I am tired."
+
+"But the course you gave out was south south-west."
+
+"Which is precisely the course I wish to make."
+
+"But I should think that would take you over upon Carnero Point."
+
+"There is about eighteen and a half degrees of variation in the compass
+here, and the course I gave out will take us about south."
+
+"I did not think of the variation," added Louis.
+
+"If you look on the chart of these waters, you will find the diagram
+of the compass with the magnetic north indicated, and the other points
+adjusted to it," replied Captain Scott, as he produced the plan of the
+Strait of Gibraltar. "Using this you could not forget the variation,
+which is here given at 18° 50.′"
+
+"I see that you are quite up on your navigation, Captain Scott."
+
+"When I was sailing the Seahound I was sometimes out of sight of land,
+and if I hadn't known what I was about I should not have been able to
+get there."
+
+"I think you are all right," added Louis, as he went aft.
+
+He went into the engine-room, where he found Felipe as enthusiastic as
+the captain of the steamer. He was delighted to have a more responsible
+position than on board of the Guardian-Mother, and especially with
+the increase of his wages. He was an exceedingly steady young man, and
+Mr. Shafter and Mr. Sentrick had been very much pleased with him. They
+declared that he understood a marine engine perfectly; in fact, he had
+a genius for mechanics and machinery.
+
+"Have you that thing to tell you how fast you go in the ship, Mr.
+Belgrave?" asked the engineer.
+
+"You mean the log," replied Louis.
+
+"Yes; I mean the log; but I don't know what you call him. _La
+barquilla_ in Spanish."
+
+"I thought that was a little boat; but you can't learn everything from
+the dictionary. But you must not call the _barquilla_ either 'him'
+or 'her' in English, but 'it,' for we have only natural genders; and
+things that don't have life are neuter," said Louis, who was still
+assisting the young engineer to improve his English.
+
+"No!" exclaimed Felipe. "What for you call the moon a 'she'? She don't
+have no life. My book he say"--
+
+"_It_ says," interposed the instructor.
+
+"It says 'the ship she sails well.' The ship don't have no life."
+
+"By a figure of speech called personification, or prosopopœia, we
+attribute life and action to inanimate objects," replied Louis,
+laughing, as he quoted from the grammar. "Now you understand it."
+
+"No!" exclaimed Felipe; and his teacher did not suppose he could
+take in such a sentence; but he proceeded to render it into simpler
+language, with a long explanation; and possibly at the end of it the
+pupil had some faint idea of the figure of speech.
+
+"You have not the _barquilla_?" he asked, glad to drop the grammar and
+rhetoric.
+
+"We have no log-line on board," replied Louis.
+
+"But I wish to know how fast the Maud is going."
+
+"We can easily ascertain that from the chart."
+
+"I don't understand," added Felipe, shaking his head.
+
+"When we are off Tarifa I will tell you just how many miles we have
+run," said Louis, as he consulted his watch. "We are two miles off
+Europa Point, and it is just half-past one. Put that down on your
+slate."
+
+On board of the Guardian-Mother the engineer on duty made a record of
+the working of the engine, just as the officer in charge of the ship
+commits everything to the log-slate, to be copied into the log-book;
+but the engineer of the Maud had not yet opened a record book. Louis
+wandered about the deck with nothing to do, and almost wished he had
+been made captain or pilot so that he might have some regular work.
+
+But Captain Scott had already ordered that the deck-hands should
+relieve the pilot, and he was to have two hours' work in every eight.
+But he seated himself with Felix in the standing-room. There was enough
+to see, for the shores of Europe and Africa were both in sight, and the
+Strait was full of vessels passing in and out. The captain joined them
+for a time; but his talk was mainly of tides and currents, showing
+that he had studied the subject very carefully.
+
+"I don't understand you, Captain Scott, much better than Felipe did me
+when I talked to him about personification as a figure of speech," said
+Louis.
+
+"Sorra one word I can mahke uv ut," added Felix; and as has been
+occasionally stated before, the Milesian varied his dialect to suit all
+the four quarters of the Emerald Isle.
+
+"I borrowed the North Atlantic Directory of Captain Ringgold when I saw
+him looking it over. It treats mainly of prevailing winds, of tides and
+currents," replied the captain. "I had read in some other book that a
+current from the Atlantic always sets into the Mediterranean through
+the Strait."
+
+"Faix, Oi'd think the big say'd git full, loike an Oirishman at
+Donnybrook Fair," interposed Felix.
+
+"The Directory don't take that view, and says it has sometimes been
+known to flow outward," added Scott. "But there are currents near the
+shores which set out on the tide."
+
+"Then we seem to be mixed up in a lot of currents," said Louis. "Felipe
+is very anxious to know what speed the Maud is making; for he says her
+usual rate used to be ten knots an hour, though she averaged only about
+nine during our voyage from Madeira to Tarifa. He has been at work on
+the engine, and he thinks he can make even more than that out of her."
+
+"Begorra, she is makin' ut loively this afternoon," suggested Felix.
+
+"It is easy enough to come at it," replied Captain Scott. "I gave out
+west south-west for the course when we were just two miles off Europa
+Point, from which we take our departure. When the lighthouse at Tarifa
+bears north by the compass, we shall have run fifteen knots."
+
+"That's it to a hair!" exclaimed Louis. "I knew it was to be done in
+about that manner."
+
+The steamer continued on her course for over an hour along the north
+shore, and as the distance from the land increased the captain looked
+out for the bearings of Tarifa lighthouse.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XIX
+
+                 ENTER ALI-NOURY PACHA AND THE FATIMÉ
+
+
+There were two compasses on board of the Maud, and Captain Scott had
+one of them on the forecastle. Using his ingenuity, he had arranged a
+couple of sights so that he could accurately obtain the bearing of the
+Tarifa lighthouse.
+
+"Now we have it!" exclaimed he at the right moment.
+
+"Two: forty-five!" shouted Louis, as he looked at his watch.
+
+"We took our departure at one: thirty, and we have made this distance
+in one: fifteen, fifteen miles," added the captain.
+
+"But that is incredible!" protested Louis; "for that gives her twelve
+knots an hour, and, according to your statement, we have been going
+against the current that always sets out of the Strait."
+
+"The Directory does not admit that it always sets that way, though it
+does so nearly always," said Scott. "Besides, the statement is that the
+tide sets out near the shores on both sides. It is in the middle of the
+Strait that the great current runs into the Mediterranean, and only
+the last five miles of our course was anywhere near the middle. It is
+plain enough to me that we have been helped by the outward current near
+the land, and retarded the last fifteen or twenty minutes."
+
+"Swing six and cast out noine, and ye's will come to ut," laughed
+Felix, who did not take so much interest in the discussion as his
+companions.
+
+Captain Scott took a piece of paper from his pocket and began to figure
+on it, though it was quite impossible to make the correct allowances
+for the current inward in the middle of the Strait and the ebb-tide
+near the shore of Spain.
+
+"I think we can hit it pretty near," said he at last. "The tide helped
+us about a knot an hour, and the middle current kept us back about half
+a knot in twenty minutes. This is rather rough estimating, but I put it
+down that the Maud has made the equivalent of ten and a half knots an
+hour."
+
+"Bully for the Maud!" shouted Felix.
+
+"What you have done?" demanded Felipe, coming forward as far as the
+pilot-house.
+
+"You have made ten and a half knots an hour, Mr. Engineer," replied
+Scott.
+
+"_Diez y medio nudos la hora_," added Louis, saying the same thing in
+Spanish.
+
+"Very good! I do more than that now," replied Felipe, delighted with
+the result.
+
+"The eastern point of Tangier Bay is Point Malabata. Our course will
+take the steamer close to it, allowing a little for the current; and
+when it bears east half a mile distant, that will give us ten knots,"
+said Captain Scott, looking at the chart all the time.
+
+It was very evident to all on deck that the engineer was driving the
+engine to its utmost, and Louis thought it best to make a call upon
+him and caution him not to overdo the matter. Felipe pointed to the
+gage, and assured him that he was on the safe side, and that the boiler
+was very strong, for the Pacha had told him that he had required it
+to be built of double the ordinary strength. The steam-gage certainly
+indicated no danger; and, as Felipe would be the first one to be sent
+up into the air in case of an explosion, Louis concluded that he would
+not be willing to sacrifice himself as the first victim.
+
+"What time is it now, Louis?" demanded the captain, when the steamer
+was off Point Malabata and half a mile beyond it.
+
+"Three: thirty-five," replied Louis, who had drawn his watch before.
+
+Scott began to figure again, repeating aloud his calculation as he
+proceeded.
+
+"We have been through different currents since we began the last run,"
+said he, with the plan in his hand. "Half the way we ran against the
+middle current, and the last half with the ebb-tide."
+
+"How fast does the middle current run?" asked Louis.
+
+"From twelve to twenty miles in twenty-four hours, the Directory says.
+I call it a knot an hour, and the ebb-tide the same," replied the
+captain. "This is not accurate, I know, but it is near enough for our
+present purpose."
+
+"Well, what is the result when you have stirred the whole thing
+together?" asked Louis.
+
+"We made the ten miles on the plan in fifty minutes. That is two-tenths
+of a knot a minute, which gives us just twelve knots an hour," answered
+the captain. "I had an idea that we were doing something of that sort."
+
+"It seems incredible, for when we made our long voyage in the Maud, we
+timed her at nine knots an hour; and I went over the figures with the
+chart before me, when I got back to the Guardian-Mother."
+
+"Sure, we were saving the coal thin, for we hadn't the layst bit of an
+oidea where we'd git any more," Felix interposed.
+
+"_Doce nudos la hora!_" (Twelve knots an hour!) shouted Louis, when he
+saw Felipe come out of the engine-room.
+
+"I am very happy," replied the engineer. "I know she could steamer
+that. She do it off Mogadore."
+
+"She could steam that, not steamer," corrected Louis.
+
+"I find something wrong which I don't see till to-day," added Felipe,
+who did not care much about his grammar and dictionary in his present
+delight.
+
+"But where are we now, Captain Scott?" asked Louis, looking about him.
+
+"You see Tangier ahead of you, don't you, Sir Knight?"
+
+"I see it, Captain Sir Scott."
+
+"You beat me on titles, Louis. There is Tangier; and it is only three
+miles distant," replied the captain. "You can see the big castle on the
+hill, the fort with three lofty arches lower down, and the minaret of
+a mosque in the distance. I don't know anything about the place; but I
+have heard the Pacha speak of it, and I think some of his property is
+there, for he said he had to go there often."
+
+"Are we going ashore there?" asked Felix in good English.
+
+"I think we had better not," said Scott, who was more pleased to sail
+the Maud than he was to see the sights on shore. "It is nothing but a
+one-horse Mohammedan city."
+
+"Are you afraid of meeting the Pacha there?" asked Felix.
+
+"I don't believe he is there; but I don't think he has any claim upon
+me now."
+
+"You engaged in his service, and he provided you with a suit of Moorish
+garments," suggested Louis.
+
+"He can have the suit now, if he wants it," replied Scott.
+
+"But wouldn't you like to go back into his service, Captain?"
+
+"No, I would not, for I am not the same fellow I was then, I hope."
+
+"You certainly are not, Captain Scott," added Louis very decidedly.
+
+"There are some camels on the shore!" exclaimed Felix, pointing to the
+animals.
+
+"We saw enough of them in Mogadore," added Scott indifferently. "But
+if we are not going ashore, we will take a turn along the front of the
+city, and then head her for Gibraltar."
+
+It was decided not to visit the city; and Morris was instructed to
+take the steamer along the shore, for the water was deep enough within
+a quarter of a mile of it. The Maud passed quite near to a great many
+feluccas with lateen sails, but there were no large vessels in sight.
+
+Felipe had reduced the speed of the Maud so that she appeared to be
+making about ten knots an hour, which the captain said was fast enough
+for ordinary purposes; but the boat, it was now known, could make
+twelve, whenever occasion should require. The ship's company were soon
+satisfied with the view they obtained of the castle, the arches, the
+domed mosques, and the minarets, and the steamer stood out towards the
+broad entrance to the Strait.
+
+Though Morris declared that he did not wish to be relieved at the
+wheel, the captain ordered Louis to take his place. The pilot insisted
+that it was nothing but fun to steer the boat, and he enjoyed every
+moment of the time he was so employed.
+
+"But if it is fun, Morris, don't you think you ought to give the other
+fellows their share of it?" asked Captain Scott, with a cheerful smile
+on his face, as though he realized that he was addressing the pet son
+of a millionaire.
+
+"I did not take that view of it, Captain, and was looking upon it as
+work, of which I was willing to do the lion's share," replied Morris.
+"I will cheerfully resign my place to Louis, and give him his share of
+the fun."
+
+Louis took the wheel. The situation was not a novel one to him; for he
+had done his full part of the steering when it was regarded as work,
+especially from midnight till morning. But all the crew looked upon it
+as play under present circumstances. The Maud was now off the three
+tall arches, which seemed to be the support of a lofty battery at the
+seaward corner of the continuous wall which surrounded the city. The
+exterior view of the place had been obtained, and the captain was about
+to lay his course for Gibraltar.
+
+"Sail, ho!" shouted Felix, who had been stationed at the bow to do duty
+as lookout; and the report came just at the moment when the change of
+helmsman was made.
+
+"Where away?" demanded the captain.
+
+"Dead ahead, sir," replied the lookout. "It is a steamer, and she is
+just coming around the point in front of us. Mind your eye, or she will
+run into us!" he shouted with a good deal of energy.
+
+"Port the helm!" said Captain Scott sharply, as he went forward to the
+bow to obtain a better view of the approaching vessel.
+
+The steamer was an elegant craft as she presented herself to the vision
+of the big four who were on the forecastle and in the pilot-house.
+She had just put her helm to starboard, and was rounding in so as to
+obtain a position in front of the city. As she turned a view of her
+ensign was obtained, and it was the red flag of Morocco, with what
+looked like a pair of curious shears in the middle of it, something
+like a pair of cimeters crossed.
+
+"Just as sure as ye's live and braythe, it's the Fatty!" exclaimed
+Felix, beginning to be quite excited.
+
+"It certainly looks like her," added Louis from the pilot-house.
+
+"I can go a point farther than either of you, for I know she is the
+Fatimé," added Captain Scott. "Keep her off more, Louis!"
+
+The Fatimé was the steam-yacht of Ali-Noury Pacha, a very wealthy and
+distinguished Moor, who had visited the Guardian-Mother when she was
+at Mogadore, and who had been so fascinated by the beauty and grace of
+Blanche that he became very disagreeable to the whole party. The ship
+had left that port at a very early hour in the morning to avoid meeting
+him again; but he had followed her to Madeira, where she had again run
+away from him.
+
+The Pacha seemed to be desperately in earnest; for he pursued the party
+to Gibraltar, though the Guardian-Mother dodged him, and made a long
+trip in the waters of Europe. But the distinguished Moor had evidently
+made his usual yacht trip in the Mediterranean, and Captain Ringgold
+apprehended no further interference from him.
+
+"There's the Pacha standing on the quarter-deck in full stage costume,"
+continued Felix. "Bad luck to him!"
+
+The Fatimé was now very near the Maud, and if the latter had not
+changed her course she would have collided with her. She was now
+abreast of her.
+
+"Salihé, ahoy!" shouted the Pacha, who spoke good English.
+
+"This is the Maud!" shouted Captain Scott, at the top of his lungs.
+
+The Moorish steamer began to come about, and Felipe was ordered to put
+on all the steam he could raise.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XX
+
+                      AN UNEXPECTED PERIL IN VIEW
+
+
+The Fatimé was not more than fifty feet distant from the Maud, and
+the voice of the Pacha could be very distinctly heard when he hailed
+the little steamer by her old name. The reply of Scott must have been
+equally audible on board of the other steamer, but no attention was
+given to it. The distinguished Moor could not have helped seeing the
+name "Maud" on the pilot-house, for he had lived in England, and he
+could speak and write the language.
+
+Scott had been in his employ at least a week, and he knew something
+about him. The one thing in particular he had learned about the Pacha
+was that he was obstinately persevering in whatever he undertook. If he
+took a fancy to obtain anything, or to accomplish anything, he stuck
+to it till he succeeded. The engineer and the captain of the Fatimé
+were Englishmen, though both of them spoke the language of Morocco well
+enough to enable them to discharge their duties.
+
+Scott had been on board of the Fatimé, and had met and talked with
+these officers. They were paid much better wages than they could obtain
+at home, and were satisfied with the positions they held. They told
+him that, if he learned the language and did his duty, he would make
+his fortune. The Pacha had a respect for Englishmen; and doubtless he
+had learned that they would not "stand any nonsense," and that it was
+not prudent to offend them.
+
+It had been far otherwise with Felipe Garcias, who had been the
+engineer of the Salihé in the Pacha's employ, for he was a Spaniard,
+and only eighteen years old. He was very religious; and, like the
+Mohammedans, he was very strict in the observance of his Catholic
+duties, and had a high moral sense. The distinguished Moor conducted
+some very questionable enterprises on board of the little steamer,
+and when the young man objected to obeying some of his orders, he
+was abused and maltreated. For this reason he had run away from his
+Mohammedan employer. It was largely a religious matter with him, while
+the Englishmen on board of the Fatimé did not trouble themselves or the
+Pacha about such questions.
+
+"That steamer belongs to me!" shouted the mighty Mohammedan.
+
+[Illustration: "THAT STEAMER BELONGS TO ME."]
+
+"We bought her and paid for her," returned the captain of the Maud; but
+the remark of the owner of the Fatimé seemed to open a new question.
+
+Louis was startled at the claim of ownership made by the Pacha. Captain
+Chickworth had told a plausible story of the manner in which he had
+come into possession of the little steamer, and not a doubt had been
+raised or suggested in regard to his title in the craft. The young
+millionaire had not seen Chickworth's bill of sale from the Pacha;
+but he concluded that he had one, and probably Captain Ringgold had
+required it to be produced when he paid for her.
+
+"Does he own the craft we are sailing in?" asked Felix, taking in the
+force of the Pacha's claim.
+
+"Decidedly not," replied Louis. "I have not looked into Chickworth's
+rights in the steamer, and I never thought of the matter before.
+Captain Ringgold must have seen the Moor's bill of sale to him, and
+perhaps has it among his papers now."
+
+"I filed the Gibraltar bills and papers early this morning, and I saw
+no such paper among them," added Felix, who was the captain's clerk.
+
+"But the trade was not closed till the middle of the forenoon, and
+you did not see the bill of sale Chickworth must have given to the
+commander."
+
+"That's so; I didn't think of that."
+
+"I see you, Scott!" shouted the Pacha. "You ran away with Felipe, and
+stole the steam-launch!"
+
+"That is bringing it home to Felipe and me," said the captain, with an
+attempt to laugh off the charge; but it was not altogether a success.
+"That's a lie, which you know as well as I do, Louis."
+
+"Assuredly it is not the truth, and I know that you did not run away
+with Felipe, for we captured you at Funchal in your Moorish uniform."
+
+"Though Felipe worked for the Pacha at the same time I did, I never
+even saw him till we met on board of this boat on the voyage from
+Madeira to Tarifa," protested Scott, who was evidently not a little
+disturbed by the accusation of the distinguished Moor.
+
+"So I have heard you say before."
+
+"And so Felipe will say. At the same time it is an awkward charge to be
+accused of stealing the steamer," protested the captain.
+
+"That is true; and if you should be arrested and taken to Tangier,
+the Pacha would have it all his own way, and you would certainly be
+convicted. I doubt if they would even give you the form of a trial.
+But there is an American consul here, and he could make a good deal of
+trouble for the Moroccan."
+
+"But I have no idea of being taken to Tangier or any other port in
+Morocco," Scott affirmed in the most resolute manner, shaking his head
+like a boy who is getting decidedly "mad."
+
+"You are not going there voluntarily, you mean," suggested Louis.
+
+"Neither voluntarily nor involuntarily!" protested the captain very
+warmly.
+
+"But if you couldn't help yourself, you wouldn't go there voluntarily,"
+said Felix, who was an attentive listener and a close observer of all
+that transpired.
+
+"You had better translate that into ancient Greek so that we can't
+understand it, Flix," replied Louis.
+
+"Oi kin translate it into modern Kilkenny Greek; but Oi have forgotten
+all the ancient Greek Oi iver knew, and that's sorra one bit," returned
+Felix. "If ye's can't help yersel', ye's can't prayvint the anti-pork
+ayters from taking ye's to Tangier. But Oi'll foight for ye's, Scotty
+darlint, wid me fishts and me revolver."
+
+"Thank you, Felix; but I don't believe this is to be a matter of
+fighting so much as it will be of running away," replied Scott.
+
+"Do you expect to run away from the Fatimé, Captain Scott?"
+
+"That's the only way out of the scrape as I understand the situation,"
+answered Scott, as he picked up the chart of the Strait, which lay
+on the miniature capstan upon the forecastle, and began to study it
+attentively.
+
+"Do you expect to beat the Pacha's steamer on a straight run to
+Gibraltar, Captain Scott?" asked Louis incredulously.
+
+"I don't know how fast the Fatimé is; but she was slow enough on the
+run from Mogadore to Funchal, though perhaps they did not hurry her. I
+don't believe I shall make a straight course of it to Gib," answered
+the captain, still studying the chart.
+
+Louis had been directed to head the Maud for Point Malabata, and Scott
+stood by the open window of the pilot-house during the conversation.
+The little steamer had certainly gained upon the bigger one, which
+was said to be of about four hundred tons, for she had passed out of
+a convenient speaking distance of her. When first seen the Fatimé's
+smoke-stack seemed to be a useless appendage, for nothing issued from
+it; but as soon as she came about a volume of black smoke had begun to
+pour out of it, which was continuously increasing.
+
+"Do you see the black smoke the Fatimé is sending out of her funnel?"
+asked Louis of the captain, who still retained his place at the window.
+
+"I see it; and perhaps that explains why we have run away from her,"
+replied Scott. "When we first discovered her she was just going into
+port, and, as the engineer had ordered his men to let the fires down
+in the furnaces, she was going very slowly. She had not steam enough
+to enable her to keep up with us. But as soon as the Pacha told his
+captain to chase the Maud, they began to shovel in the coal."
+
+"That explains it all right," added Louis.
+
+"I would give ten cents out of my own pocket to know how much water
+that steamer draws," continued Captain Scott, who was still gazing
+intently at the chart.
+
+"I have not the least idea. She is two hundred tons less in burden than
+the Guardian-Mother, if that will give you any idea," replied Louis.
+"Perhaps Felipe knows something about it. Flix, stand by the engine and
+ask the engineer to come to the pilot-house."
+
+"I'll do that same. I'll stand by the engine while Felipe comes here,
+and see that no one runs away with it while he is gone; but that is all
+I can do," replied the Milesian, as he went aft.
+
+The Spaniard was shovelling in more coal at the furnaces when Felix
+went into the engine-room. He had been ordered to get up all the speed
+he could on the boat, but he had not been informed in regard to the
+occasion of this hurry. He promptly obeyed the summons of the captain.
+When he came to the door of the pilot-house he turned to enter, and
+then, for the first time, he discovered the Pacha's yacht astern of the
+Maud.
+
+"La Fatimé!" he exclaimed, aghast at the sight of her, as he retreated
+in absolute terror.
+
+"_Verdaderamente_" (Truly), added Louis. "But don't you be alarmed."
+
+"The Pacha will put me in the prison!" gasped poor Felipe.
+
+"Not a bit of it!" protested Captain Scott. "You belong to the
+Guardian-Mother, and Captain Ringgold will protect you."
+
+It required some minutes to overcome the tribulation of the Spanish
+engineer. He had obtained an interior view of Mohammedan institutions,
+and he had a mortal terror of being restored to the service of his
+former master.
+
+"We must run away from him, Felipe," said the captain.
+
+"I don't know," added the engineer, shaking his head to intensify his
+doubt.
+
+"Do you know how much water the Fatimé draws, Felipe?" asked Scott,
+as he looked through the back windows of the pilot-house over the
+promenade deck at the Pacha's steamer.
+
+"Draws?" queried Felipe, who did not comprehend the meaning of the
+question, as he looked to his instructor for further light. "_Ella no
+es caballo_" (She is not a horse).
+
+"How deep in the water does she set?" Louis interpreted the expression,
+and resorted to other paraphrases of the question till he made him
+understand it.
+
+"_Quince piés_" (Fifteen feet), he answered, directing his reply to his
+teacher.
+
+"Fifteen feet," repeated Louis to the captain.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Scott, to whom the answer appeared to be extremely
+satisfactory, and to stimulate very strongly his hopefulness, though he
+had not yet developed to his companions his plan for escaping from the
+Fatimé, if her speed proved to be greater than that of the Maud, as it
+would naturally be expected to be. "Go back to the engine, Felipe, and
+run it for all it is worth."
+
+"All it is worth?" repeated the Spaniard, interrogatively.
+
+"Make the steamer go as fast as you can," added Louis, taking Felipe by
+the arm and leading him back to the engine-room.
+
+"All it is worth means very fast, _doce nudos la hora_", said Felipe,
+as he entered his apartment.
+
+"Not always," replied Louis, laughing; "but that will do for the
+present."
+
+"I think I have got the hang of the thing now," said Captain Scott,
+as Louis and Felix returned to the forecastle. "If we don't wax that
+fellow, I will quit guessing and go to New England to learn how."
+
+"On board of the Guardian-Mother inferiors are not allowed to ask
+questions in the line of duty. I don't know how you are going to
+manage this business, Captain Scott, and I am unable to guess whether
+you will wax him or not."
+
+"I will tell you all about it in due time; but I am busy just now, and
+you must excuse me," replied Scott, who had before taken the wheel
+himself.
+
+Louis was satisfied, and kept a sharp lookout for the steamer astern.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XXI
+
+                       EUCHRING THE GRAND MOGUL
+
+
+Felipe Garcia, as the engineer of the Maud, had now a tremendous
+stimulant in the discharge of his duty, and Louis was only afraid
+he would overdo it. When the boat seemed to be in danger of shaking
+herself to pieces under the pressure applied to her, he went to the
+engine-room to inspect the steam-gage.
+
+"No danger," said Felipe confidently; and the visitor could find none
+in the gage.
+
+He cautioned the engineer to be very careful, assuring him that it
+would be worse to be scalded to death with the steam than to be
+captured by the Pacha. Felipe shook his head, and seemed to have some
+doubts about the truth of the proposition. Louis went back to the
+pilot-house. He informed the captain that the engineer was driving the
+engine "for all it was worth."
+
+"I have been running for that tower on Point Malabata," said the
+captain, as Louis placed himself at the window.
+
+"You are going very close to the shore, and you can see for yourself
+that the tide is getting low," said Louis, after he had taken an
+observation ahead.
+
+"So much the better," added Scott. "I suppose the soundings on this
+chart are given at mean low water, as on all the others I have used."
+
+"Low water would be very mean if we should get aground here," suggested
+Louis, who could not help being a little nervous about the boiler and
+about the close proximity of the shore.
+
+"We shall not get aground, for I have my eyes wide open, Louis, and I
+know what I am about as well as I do when I take my grub on an empty
+stomach. Don't you be alarmed, my boy, and that non-eater of pork will
+go back to Tangier beaten out of his boots, or rather his Morocco
+slippers, for he don't wear boots."
+
+"I hope you will be a true prophet in this instance, Captain Scott."
+
+"A truer one than Mohammed ever was in spite of his reputation in
+Tangier and Mogadore as such."
+
+"But you are really running her on the shore, Scott!" exclaimed Louis;
+and it looked to him as though the Maud was actually going over the
+point ahead.
+
+"Not a bit of it, my hearty," replied the captain, who appeared to be
+in most excellent spirits in spite of the peril that menaced the little
+Maud.
+
+He was in some such a mood as a gambler in an exciting game, or a
+number at base-ball, who are working for victory. Scott was the
+principal player in the present stirring game; and he was not only
+playing for victory, but to save himself and the engineer from the
+clutches of the Pacha.
+
+"It looks as though we should be high and dry on the shore in five
+minutes more," added Louis.
+
+"You are looking at the point around a corner, Louis. The flag-pole on
+the stem is your range. Just oblige me by stepping over to the other
+window, and take an observation from that position," said the captain,
+as confident as ever.
+
+"That makes it look different," added Louis, after he had complied with
+the captain's request. "But you are running exceedingly close to the
+shore, any way."
+
+"That is just what I mean to do," protested the captain warmly. "Now
+will you just keep watch of the Fatimé, if you please, for we have come
+to an exciting point in the game."
+
+"A very exciting point, I should say; but with me the point is whether
+or not you are going to run the Maud on shore," replied Louis, as he
+changed his position for one at the rail, where he could obtain a full
+view of the chaser. "I beg to remind you, Captain Scott, that if we get
+aground, as I am afraid we shall, the Pacha can send off his boats with
+an overwhelming force, and make prisoners of the whole of the Maud's
+ship's company."
+
+"I am well aware of it without any prompting," added the commander.
+
+"You will excuse me, Captain Scott, for saying as much as I have, for
+I know that it isn't regular or proper to criticise the commanding
+officer; but I am really nervous about this business," Louis explained.
+
+"Don't mention it, my dear fellow!" exclaimed Scott heartily. "We are
+only playing ship's company and navigation, and we are not strained up
+as they are on board a man-of-war. In fact, I have rather enjoyed your
+uneasiness, and I am not the least bit hurt or offended at anything you
+have said."
+
+"I will try to do better."
+
+"No need of it."
+
+The young millionaire was watching the Pacha's steamer with all his
+eyes, and though he had only two of them, he was working them very
+hard. Felix and Morris had gone aft to the standing-room, where they
+had seated themselves on the plush cushions, and were observing the
+approach of the Fatimé, though she did not appear to have gained a
+foot on the chase. They did not see Malabata Point ahead, and had not
+worried over the matter which had exercised the patience and the nerves
+of Louis.
+
+"The steamer astern is changing her course!" almost shouted the lookout
+on the forecastle.
+
+"All right!" exclaimed Captain Scott. "That is just what I expected her
+to do, and it means victory for the Maud. This is a part of my little
+game."
+
+"She is headed almost to the north now," added Louis.
+
+"Precisely so," returned the captain at the wheel, who seemed to be as
+cool now as a frozen cucumber. "Now come up to the window where I can
+hear you think, and I will explain my plan from the beginning."
+
+At this moment Morris and Felix rushed forward to announce the change
+in the course of the Fatimé; but they were too late, and the captain
+sent them back.
+
+Captain Scott proceeded to explain his plan. Near the shore the water
+was shallow on the coast of Africa, as it is on most others when not
+more than a cable's length distant from the dry land. The Almirante
+Rocks are off the point; and though there was depth enough for the
+Maud, yet the pilot of the Fatimé would not risk his vessel on them.
+Three miles beyond the rocks was the Cana Coja Reef, extending about
+two miles, and reaching about the same distance out from the land.
+
+"How deep is the water off here?" asked Louis.
+
+"In some places it is only from three to twelve feet deep," replied
+Scott, who had kept his eyes fixed on the chart half the time.
+
+"Three feet!" exclaimed the deck-hand. "The Maud would certainly stick
+her keel into that bottom."
+
+"But I don't intend to put her through any such water as that,"
+protested the captain. "Just where we are the depth is not more than a
+fathom and a half a cable's length from the shore; but we shall keep
+outside of that place."
+
+"A cable's length seems to me to be a rather indefinite measure,"
+suggested Louis.
+
+"Not at all; it is as definite as a two-foot rule. It is just the tenth
+of a mile, for it takes ten of them to make a mile."
+
+"I did not know that it had a particular extent, but supposed it was
+used in a sort of general way, like a great many other expressions of
+sailors."
+
+"Not at all; but I think it would be well for Morris to heave the lead
+in this locality, though I am confident we shall go through all right,"
+added Captain Scott. "You may pass the word for him to do so."
+
+Louis delivered the order to the pilot in the standing-room, and he
+went forward to attend to the duty assigned to him, and this time they
+had a hand-lead for such occasions as the present. On his way back the
+messenger stopped at the engine-room, and had some talk with Felipe,
+who was still driving the machine at its best. Louis had a purpose in
+doing so, for he desired to obtain some information from the engineer
+in regard to the speed of the Fatimé.
+
+"I don't know _precisamente_," replied the engineer, mixing his English
+and Spanish. "I was at Mogadore when come the Fatimé from England. I
+hear the Pacha; he say the _vapor_ was not quick enough; he must go
+more than twelve miles in one hour. He say this to Señor Tomlin: he
+was the engineer; he come from England. He say he was best for _once y
+medio nudos la hora_."
+
+"She was good for eleven and a half knots an hour," repeated Louis,
+translating the substance of the reply.
+
+"He made twelve _nudos_ some time," added Felipe.
+
+"All right; that will do," said Louis, encouraged by this information,
+as he hastened forward to communicate it to the captain.
+
+"She is not making more than eleven knots now, if she is doing as much
+as that," replied Scott when he had heard what the deck-hand had to
+say. "But she has not got a full head of steam yet. We shall come out
+off Point Al Boassa more than a mile ahead of her."
+
+The Maud was making a nearly straight course of three miles while the
+Fatimé was going a mile and a half outside of the rocks and reefs. The
+former was making the best speed possible for her, and Scott was sure
+it was not less than twelve knots; but she was forced to her utmost to
+accomplish this result.
+
+The run from one point to the other was three and a half miles; and it
+has taken longer to tell about it than it did to do it. The Maud was
+approaching the second headland, where the race must terminate, unless
+the captain decided to follow the coast to the south-east, in order to
+keep in shoal water where the chaser could not follow her.
+
+"Mark under water two!" shouted Morris with energy, for he was still
+heaving the lead on the starboard side.
+
+"All right; that is just as it should be," said the captain, as he put
+the helm a little to starboard. "That is the shoalest place within half
+a mile of the shore."
+
+"We are all right in two fathoms," replied Louis. "The report was 'mark
+under water,' which gives more than that."
+
+"I want some leeway under the keel, for whatever you may think of me,
+I am a prudent fellow," laughed Scott. "Now we have to decide on our
+future course. If I follow the shore and keep in shallow water, it
+will take us a long way out of our course, for it trends to the south,
+forming the arc of a considerable circle."
+
+"We don't want to go out of our way if we can help it," added Louis.
+
+"This is Point Al Boassa broad on the starboard bow, about a mile
+distant," continued Scott, pointing to it.
+
+"That sounds like a Moorish name."
+
+"It is the name on the chart; and that is all I know or care about it.
+Now, it is just ten miles across the Strait to Tarifa."
+
+"Not more than that?"
+
+"Exactly that; but it is fifteen miles more to the New Mole in
+Gibraltar. The question to be decided within the next five minutes is
+whether we shall follow the shore to the south-east, or stick it across
+to Tarifa."
+
+"How much the lead of the Fatimé have we?" asked Louis.
+
+"We shall come out a mile and a half ahead of her; but she is going to
+develop more speed very soon."
+
+"I am decidedly in favor of making the course for Tarifa," replied
+Louis. "I don't believe she can overhaul us before we get across, if
+ever."
+
+"Just my idea; across it is," responded Scott. "But we are not quite
+up with the point yet. If the Pacha's steamer comes too close to us,
+we can run into the shoal water on the other side. We shall euchre the
+Grand Mogul yet."
+
+Louis did not feel as nervous as before.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXII
+
+                    CONSTERNATION ON BOARD THE SHIP
+
+
+The Maud had certainly developed a rather remarkable speed for a boat
+of her size; but she had been built on the Clyde for the Pacha, and
+twelve knots had been stipulated as the speed she was required to
+make in the contract. Felipe had explained as well as he could that
+something had been the matter with the machinery even before he left
+the service of the distinguished Moor.
+
+Neither he nor the engineer of the Fatimé could ascertain what it was;
+but that morning, when he made a thorough overhauling of the machine,
+after his appointment as her engineer, he had discovered a bolt which
+had dropped into a place where it impeded the movement of the piston.
+He had removed it, and the result had been seen during the afternoon.
+But for this discovery the Grand Mogul, as all of them were in the
+habit of calling him in a sort of mild derision, might have bagged his
+game.
+
+"Here we are, exactly off the point, Louis. What time is it now?"
+
+"Thirty-seven minutes past four," answered the deck-hand. "We were off
+Point Malabata at precisely four: twenty."
+
+"And the distance is three and a half miles," added Scott. "You may
+take the wheel now, Louis, and I will figure up the speed of the Maud."
+
+"Give me the course, if you please, Captain," said Louis, as he took
+the spokes.
+
+"North-east and a quarter north," replied Scott, who had evidently
+taken it from the chart before; and for the want of a parallel rule he
+was compelled to resort to expedients in order to find it.
+
+"North-east and a quarter north," repeated Louis; and he watched the
+compass till he had the steamer on the course indicated.
+
+Possibly some non-nautical readers would like to know how the skilful
+commander of the Maud had taken from the chart the course he had given
+out. A parallel rule is used in obtaining it. This is two rules, each
+an inch or less in width, with a brass piece connecting them, with pins
+at each end of it having play enough to permit the two wooden parts
+to be spread out. When the parallel rules are together, the brass bar
+joining them lies at a sharp angle with their length, so that one of
+the parts may be moved out from the other till the brass bar is at
+right angles with the length.
+
+Captain Scott laid the outer edge of the right-hand rule on the course
+he had marked on the chart with a pencil, from Point Al Boassa to
+Tarifa. On the chart before him was a diagram of the compass. It was
+divided into four quarters by two heavy black lines. The one within two
+points of perpendicular had an arrow at the upper end, which pointed
+to the magnetic north, though on some American charts the true north
+is indicated. On this diagram the thirty-two points of the compass are
+marked; the heavy black line across the figure showed the east and the
+west.
+
+Putting one or more fingers on the right-hand rule, the navigator of
+the Maud held it fast in the position in which he had placed it. With
+the left hand he moved the other rule out as far as he could, which
+left an opening two and a half inches wide, more or less, between the
+two parts of the implement. Holding the left-hand rule fast to the
+paper, he moved the right up to it. Then the whole rule had been moved
+over two inches. He repeated these movements till he had brought the
+edge of the ruler on the centre of the compass diagram. If this edge
+had rested on the north-east and south-west marks, the course would
+be either one or the other of these two. The navigator knows that his
+general course is to the northward, and he has accurately obtained the
+direction in which he is to sail.
+
+But Scott found that the edge of his rule came a little to the left of
+the heavy mark for north-east, and the same to the right of south-west.
+He had to estimate that it was a quarter of a point beyond the line.
+The points on some compasses are divided into halves and quarters, so
+that the helmsman has no difficulty in keeping the point he is to steer
+on the notch.
+
+Louis moved the wheel till he brought the line of north-east a quarter
+north on the notch, which is made in the immovable part of the
+compass. The pilot-house of the Maud was small, but it was large enough
+to contain a sofa, or divan, across the back; and here the captain
+seated himself to figure up the present speed of the steamer. Three and
+one-half miles in seventeen minutes was an easy problem to solve.
+
+"Twelve and two-tenths knots an hour!" he shouted in his delight at the
+result, which he had obtained in three repetitions of the calculations;
+and this time he was sure there was no mistake, for it was dead low
+tide, and there were no allowances to be made.
+
+"Then we are certainly all right, and we shall not fall into the
+clutches of the Grand Mogul," replied Louis.
+
+"I would not give two cents to the Bank of England to guarantee that he
+will not overhaul us. But he may follow us to Gib," suggested Scott.
+
+"If he does, Captain Ringgold will have the settling of the matter."
+
+Both of them proceeded to wonder what the commander of the
+Guardian-Mother would do; but while they were so engaged, Felipe was
+driving the engine "for all it was worth." The captain kept a sort
+of log on his paper, and he had noted the time of the departure from
+the last point on the African coast, which was four: thirty-seven. It
+was five: twenty-seven when the Maud was within hail of the Tarifa
+lighthouse.
+
+"Ten miles in fifty minutes!" exclaimed Captain Scott, still working
+his mathematics. "That's twelve knots an hour, but the two-tenths are
+missing, though the inward current ought to have been in our favor;
+but two-tenths of a knot is only two cable lengths, and that is near
+enough."
+
+"I should say that it was," answered Louis. "She has been driven to
+make that; and I suppose her ordinary speed when not forced is about
+ten, which is good enough. But where is the Grand Mogul?"
+
+"There she is, about a mile and a half astern of us," replied Scott, as
+he went to the door. "She has not gained an inch on us, and I have come
+to the deliberate conclusion that the Fatimé's speed is about twelve
+knots an hour when she is doing her best. But neither the Pacha nor his
+pilot has been smart."
+
+"As smart as the speed of his craft will permit," added Louis.
+
+"No, he is not; but if I had been in command of that hooker, I should
+have been nearer the Maud than she is now."
+
+"You evidently have a pretty good opinion of Captain Scott, and when
+you tell the coon up the tree to come down, you expect him to do so,"
+laughed Louis.
+
+"Brag is a good dog, but that is not my name. Of course that Mohammedan
+reprobate knows that we are bound to Gib; but he has followed us just
+as though he expected us to fetch up at Tarifa. He has not even changed
+his course yet."
+
+"He will be smart enough to do it very soon. What would you have done,
+Captain Scott, if you had been the commander of the Fatimé?" asked
+Louis.
+
+"Instead of doing as he has done, I should have headed her directly for
+Europa Point, and gained all the distance we are ahead of her."
+
+"But you would have done the same thing as soon as she changed her
+course."
+
+"That is true; but it is none of his bread and butter. We have no
+occasion to run into shoaler water now, and you may make the course
+east. Here, Flix, it is time for you to take your trick at the wheel,"
+called Captain Scott.
+
+"I'll be moighty glad to do ut!" exclaimed the Milesian. "But Oi'm
+willin' to aise up on my share of the foon for the benefut of the
+poilot and the odther dechk-hahnd."
+
+"Take your turn, Flix, and head her east till you come to the Moro
+Rock," added the captain.
+
+"Is ut the Moro Rochk? Faix, I don't know ut be soight; Oi've niver
+been introjuiced," said Felix, as he took the wheel.
+
+"It is the first point you come to, about eight miles ahead."
+
+Felix knew it when he came to it, and the course was then a point
+more to the north. The Fatimé did not change her direction till she
+was within a mile of the Tarifa lighthouse, and the ship's company of
+the Maud had imbibed a certain contempt for her, handsome as she was.
+Carnero Point was passed, and Felix was directed to run directly for
+the light on the New Mole, which was illuminated though it was not yet
+dark.
+
+Louis had his watch in hand when the Maud ran alongside of the
+Guardian-Mother, and it was quarter of seven.
+
+"You have made good time!" called Captain Ringgold. "What steamer is
+that coming over from Carnero Point?"
+
+"Rush on board of the ship, and tell the captain all about it, Louis!"
+cried Scott, as soon as the Maud was abreast of the gangway.
+
+Louis leaped upon the steps, and hastened up to the deck, confronting
+the commander on the rail.
+
+"Is it possible that you have come back without an adventure?" demanded
+Captain Ringgold, as he grasped the hand of his owner.
+
+"No, sir; it is not possible," replied Louis, as they stepped down
+upon the deck. "You asked what steamer that was coming in from Carnero
+Point?"
+
+"I did; do you know her?" And Louis could see that the commander wore
+an anxious look on his face.
+
+"I do know her, for she has been chasing us for the last three hours.
+She is the Grand Mogul's steam-yacht, the Fatimé," replied Louis.
+
+"Chasing you? Then how in the world did you get away from her?"
+demanded the captain, with a heavy frown upon his brow.
+
+"We ran into shoal water and gained a mile and a half on her; but
+Captain Scott can tell you all about that better than I can. He managed
+exceedingly well, sir."
+
+"Did I understand you to say, Louis, that the steamer approaching was
+the Fatimé?" asked Mr. Woolridge, putting his hand on the young man's
+shoulder, for he had been seated near the gangway smoking his cigar,
+and had overheard the report made to the captain.
+
+Louis looked at the commander, but made no reply.
+
+"I am sorry to say that it is the Fatimé," added Captain Ringgold. "But
+you need not be concerned in the least about the Pacha, for he shall
+not put his Morocco shoes on the deck of this ship, Mr. Woolridge;"
+and he spoke in such a decided tone that the father of the beautiful
+Blanche was immediately reassured.
+
+In a few minutes, and before the Grand Mogul's steamer had reached her
+anchorage, it was known that Ali-Noury Pacha had arrived; for some of
+them recognized the vessel, and Mr. Woolridge and the captain could not
+deny her identity when the question was put to them. Mrs. Woolridge was
+much disturbed, and Dr. Hawkes took charge of her. With the commander's
+assurance that the Pacha should not come on board of the ship, he
+succeeded in quieting her.
+
+"Come on board, all of you," called Captain Ringgold to those still on
+board of the Maud; and they promptly obeyed, Scott declaring that there
+was to be "music" very soon.
+
+"Mr. Boulong," continued the commander a little later.
+
+"On deck, Captain," reported that officer, touching his cap.
+
+"That Mohammedan humbug will probably attempt to get on board of the
+Guardian-Mother; and he is to be prevented from doing so even if you
+have to fling him overboard," said Captain Ringgold in his firmest
+and most severe tones, and with his two fists clinched. "The Maud is
+abreast of the gangway, and he will doubtless board her first. Don't
+let him or any of his people on board of her. Take eight men with you,
+and station them along the port rail.
+
+"He shall not board her, sir," replied the first officer, as decidedly
+as his superior had spoken; and in five minutes more he and his men
+were on the deck of the Maud.
+
+Mr. Gaskette, the second officer, was directed to patrol the starboard
+side of the ship, and permit no one to come on board from that side.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXIII
+
+                       A FUGITIVE FROM THE ENEMY
+
+
+The Fatimé came to anchor just inside of the New Mole, not more than
+three cable lengths distant from the Guardian-Mother. When Louis first
+saw her off the castle at Tangier, he concluded that the Pacha had
+business at that port. When seen three months before, he declared that
+he held no official position under the government; but this might have
+been, even while he was one of the most influential men of his country.
+
+If His Highness had business on the Mediterranean, especially at
+Tangier, which was a Moroccan port, it could not have been very
+pressing, or he would not have been at liberty to follow the Maud. Now
+he seemed to have a roving commission to go where and when he pleased.
+As the voyagers had learned at Funchal, he was a lawless character; and
+this information had been fully confirmed by Felipe, who had observed
+his outgoings and his incomings as engineer of the little steamer.
+
+After Mr. Boulong had taken possession of the Maud and his men had
+been stationed on board of her, Felipe, who had been obliged to remain
+in charge of the engine when the rest of the ship's company left,
+was in a very disturbed state of mind. From the starboard door of his
+apartment he had seen the Fatimé when she rounded the end of the New
+Mole and came to anchor. He was absolutely terrified at the sight of
+her, for he knew that the Pacha was on board. But he had not been told
+that the distinguished Moor claimed to own the Maud, and had recognized
+Scott on board of her, for Louis thought this information would
+needlessly alarm him.
+
+Captain Ringgold descended the gangway steps and went into the cabin
+of the Maud, in order that he might be close at hand to direct any
+movement that might become necessary. The commander had hardly seated
+himself before Felipe, who had seen him when he came on board,
+presented himself before him.
+
+"He take me!" exclaimed the young Spaniard, pointing in the direction
+of the anchorage of the Pacha's steamer; and his limbs actually shook
+with terror.
+
+"No, he will not take you, Felipe; he will not take anybody," replied
+the captain in a mild tone.
+
+"I run away with the Salihé, and he have the law," added the engineer.
+
+"He may cause you to be arrested; but if he does, I will see that you
+are properly defended," replied the commander, who realized that the
+young man was technically guilty of stealing the little steamer, though
+she had been returned to the owner.
+
+"No matter if you did run away with the Salihé; the Pacha abused you,
+and you were justified in leaving him in any way you could. My feet
+would not keep still if my body was abused," said Captain Ringgold,
+though he realized that the case presented some difficulties.
+
+Felipe did not understand the speaker, for his language was above the
+comprehension of the Spaniard. The first sentence he had uttered, that
+the engineer should not be taken, was plain enough to him, and that
+was really all he had been able to make out; but he was satisfied with
+this, and thanked the captain.
+
+"Have you drawn the fires, Felipe?" asked the commander.
+
+"Not yet," replied the engineer, who was better posted on the
+technicalities of the machinery than in ordinary matters. "I was to
+draw the fires when I see you come down."
+
+"Bank them, and keep the steam up."
+
+This was also understood, and the engineer hastened back to the
+machine, willing to leave his case with the commander, who, he thought,
+was a bigger man than Ali-Noury Pacha.
+
+"Shore boat alongside, sir, containing a half-drowned Turk," reported
+Mr. Boulong at the cabin door.
+
+"A Turk!" exclaimed the captain.
+
+"Perhaps I should have said a Moor; but he looks more like a
+turkey-buzzard just now," the first officer explained. "I rather think
+he comes from the Pacha's steamer. He wants to come on board."
+
+"I will go out and look at him," replied the captain, as he followed
+Mr. Boulong out of the cabin and to the gangway of the Maud, which was
+on the quarter. "We have no interpreter if the fellow is a Moor."
+
+"None is needed, for the man speaks English as well as I do," replied
+the officer. "He wears the uniform of a Moor; but I don't believe he is
+one."
+
+The man in the shore boat stood up in the stern-sheets. He wore the
+Moorish costume; but his garments were soaked with water, and hung
+to him like a Monday morning wash on the clothes-line. His clothes
+certainly needed washing, for they were be-grimed with oil and coal
+dust. He was not regarded as dangerous, and he was permitted to come on
+deck.
+
+"I run away from the Fatimé," said he without waiting to be questioned
+and in good enough English.
+
+"Are you a Moor?" inquired the captain.
+
+"No, sir; I am an Englishman. I shipped as an oiler when that steamer
+was there; but I was abused, kicked, and beaten by the engineer, who is
+an Englishman like myself, because I criticised some of the proceedings
+of the Pacha, who is the worst heathen I ever met."
+
+"We know something about him," added Captain Ringgold encouragingly.
+
+"Mr. Tomlin told me I did not mind my own business when he kicked me
+and blacked one of my eyes with his fist," added the fugitive. "I will
+drown myself before I will go back to the Fatimé. If I go on shore the
+Pacha will have me arrested, for he spends a great deal of money here,
+and the people will do anything he wants done."
+
+The commander evidently pitied the poor fellow, whose "feet could not
+keep still when his body was abused," and he had used them in swimming
+away from the Pacha's steamer. The boatman said he had picked him up
+some distance from the Fatimé, and he wanted his fee. The fugitive drew
+a purse from his pocket, and gave the boatman half a sovereign on his
+promise not to tell any one that he had picked him up.
+
+"That is a big fee, when a shilling would have paid you well,"
+interposed the captain.
+
+"But I gave him ten shilling to hold his tongue," said the runaway
+oiler.
+
+"All right, if the boatman keeps his promise; and if he don't keep it,
+I will have him keel-hauled," replied the commander.
+
+The boatman protested that he would not whisper a sound to any one,
+and he was permitted to depart. Captain Ringgold seemed to be somewhat
+perplexed, for he bit his lip, and his forehead wrinkled as though he
+was doing some heavy thinking. Doubtless he was considering whether or
+not he was doing right in harboring the fugitive from the Mohammedan
+craft; but the man had been abused, and had not been able to procure
+his discharge from the vessel, or he would not have jumped overboard
+and swam away from her.
+
+The commander believed the man was honest, and his narrative was
+consistent in itself. He was an expert in the reading of character.
+He asked some further questions, and learned that his name was John
+Donald. He had been fourth engineer of the Spanish steamer Guadiana,
+which had been wrecked in the West Indies. He was tempted to take a
+position as oiler in the Fatimé by the high wages offered him; but he
+had been cheated out of half that was due him by the engineer, whom he
+called a brute and a villain, though he was his own countryman.
+
+"Pass the word for Mr. Belgrave; invite him to come on board of the
+Maud, Mr. Boulong," said the commander when he had decided what to do.
+
+One of the men was sent on board the ship for him, and while he was
+absent the captain went to the engine-room. Louis presently came on
+board and found the captain trying to understand what the engineer was
+saying to him.
+
+"I don't get ahead much in talking with Felipe," said he with a laugh.
+"His English and my Spanish are about on a par. I want to know what
+there is under the forecastle of the Maud, for I have never looked the
+boat over very closely."
+
+"I can tell you that, sir, without any help from Felipe," replied
+Louis. "It has a forecastle below deck as well as above. It is a very
+cunning little apartment, in which there are two berths."
+
+"I live in there when I was in Mogadore," interposed the engineer.
+
+"Take off the hatch-cover, Felipe;" and the captain and owner followed
+him to the forecastle.
+
+The scuttle was removed, and a sort of step-ladder appeared leading
+down to the little room. It was dimly lighted by bulls' eyes of glass
+in the deck; but with the scuttle taken off one could see to read
+there.
+
+"Send Donald, the turkey-buzzard, down here, Mr. Boulong," called the
+captain; and in a few moments the fugitive descended the steps.
+
+"Do you think you could manage to live in such a place as this,
+Donald?" asked the captain.
+
+"Very well indeed, sir; I ask for nothing better than this," replied
+Donald.
+
+"Then you may remain here for the present; but if anybody comes on
+board from the Fatimé, I shall have the hatch put on, and you can hook
+it down from below. I think the place is ventilated on either side
+through the bulkhead."
+
+"There is a door on the port side which leads aft to the fire-room,"
+added Louis, who had fully explored the interior of the vessel.
+
+The commander led the way to the deck, where he ordered a bucket of
+water, soap, and towels to be sent to the fugitive. Donald was a young
+man, not more than twenty-five years old, but about the size of Louis
+and Scott, both of whom had "got their growth." When Captain Ringgold
+spoke of clothes for the new man, Louis went on board the ship, and
+brought back the suit he had worn when he was first taken on board the
+Guardian-Mother from the sand-spit on the shore of New Jersey. It was
+a comfortable every-day suit, and he presented it to Donald, with a
+shirt, collar, and tie.
+
+The oiler was deeply grateful to him for the gift, and he was left
+alone to make his toilet. He had hardly returned to the deck before Mr.
+Boulong announced that a boat was putting off from the Pacha's steamer.
+The commander had retired to the cabin, and Louis joined him there.
+
+"I suppose you want me out of the way, do you not, Captain Ringgold?"
+asked he, as he presented himself.
+
+"Not at all, Sir Louis," promptly replied the commander. "I may want
+some orders from you; for, as you can see for yourself, the situation
+has been wholly changed by the appearance of the steamer of that
+Mohammedan humbug. I don't care a rap for his religion if he were only
+a decent fellow; but his record at Funchal is very bad indeed, and I
+will have nothing to do with him."
+
+"Mrs. Woolridge is worrying herself half to death since the Fatimé let
+go her anchor over there," replied Louis.
+
+"She will be more disturbed than ever when she sees that boat
+approaching," added the captain.
+
+"The Pacha himself is in the boat," reported Mr. Boulong at the open
+door.
+
+"All right; only observe the orders I gave you. Tell his Serene
+Highness that I decline to receive him," replied the commander. "You
+may go on the promenade deck, where you can see all that passes and
+hear what is said, Louis; but don't interfere. And see that the hatch
+over the forecastle is put on."
+
+Louis was glad enough to avail himself of this permission, and
+hastened forward, taking a lantern from the engine-room as he did so.
+He found the fore scuttle still open, and he carried the lantern down.
+He lighted the lamp, and then told Donald to hook down the hatch, for
+the Pacha's boat was coming. From the deck he proceeded up the ladder
+near the pilot-house to the upper deck, and seated himself where he
+could see the gangway.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXIV
+
+                A STORMY INTERVIEW WITH ALI-NOURY PACHA
+
+
+The boat of the Pacha was an elegant barge pulled by eight oarsmen,
+all dressed in Oriental costume. His Highness sat in the stern-sheets
+on velvet cushions. As the Maud lay alongside the Guardian-Mother's
+gangway, the coxswain, whose place was abaft the back-board, steered
+directly for the little steamer. Her gangway was nothing but half a
+dozen steps, hooked upon the rail, and could be shifted to any part of
+the vessel. The barge ran alongside, and the bowman fastened to it with
+a boat-hook.
+
+"No one allowed on board," said Mr. Boulong, who had stationed himself
+at the gangway with four stout seamen near him.
+
+"I wish to go on board of the steamer at your side, the
+Guardian-Mother," said the Pacha.
+
+"No one is allowed on board of her, sir," answered the first officer.
+
+"But I wish to see her commander," persisted Ali-Noury.
+
+"He declines to receive you, sir," added Mr. Boulong.
+
+"Declines to receive me!" exclaimed the Pacha. "This is an insult!"
+
+"I don't know what it is; but I obey my orders, sir," returned the
+officer.
+
+"But I must see him!" protested the owner of the Fatimé, as he laid his
+hand upon the steps, as though he intended to ascend them to the deck.
+
+"Knott and Williams," called Mr. Boulong; and the two men presented
+themselves on the instant.
+
+"Haul in the gangway!" said the officer sharply.
+
+The Pacha held on at the steps; but the men, who were good seamen,
+obeyed their orders to the letter, and in a moment more His Highness
+was hanging to them over the deep water.
+
+[Illustration: "THE PACHA HELD ON AT THE STEPS."]
+
+"Shake him off!" said Mr. Boulong in a low tone.
+
+The seamen continued to haul in the gangway, shaking it vigorously as
+they did so. Knott had an idea of his own; and when they had drawn the
+steps nearly up, he let them slide back with a jerk, Pacha and all,
+till the Moor was wrenched from his hold, and thrown back into the
+barge, all in a heap, in the stern-sheets.
+
+"Very well done, Knott!" exclaimed the first officer.
+
+The coxswain of the boat hastened to pick up his master, and place him
+on the cushioned seat. Of course he was as wrathy as a respectable
+Mohammedan could be, to say nothing of such a one as Noury was.
+
+"What do you mean, you rascal?" demanded His Highness, glowering at the
+first officer as though he would subject him to the bowstring if he
+could get hold of him. "Do you intend to drown me?"
+
+"I do not, sir; but if you attempt to come on board of this steamer,
+you, and not I, will be responsible for the consequences," replied Mr.
+Boulong.
+
+"But I told you I wished to see the commander of the Guardian-Mother,"
+stormed the Pacha.
+
+"And I told you that he declined to receive you."
+
+"May I ask why he declines to receive me?" demanded Noury.
+
+"That is the commander's business, and not mine."
+
+"But I must and will see him!" His Highness persisted.
+
+"I can only say, sir, that if you succeed in getting on the deck of
+this steamer, it will be my duty to have you thrown overboard, or into
+your barge, as the case may be," answered Mr. Boulong.
+
+Captain Ringgold had placed himself on his knees on the divan, with his
+head at the after window of the cabin. He realized that Noury was in
+earnest, and he considered it rather mean to require the first officer
+to fight his battle for him. He came out of the cabin, and placed
+himself at the side of Mr. Boulong.
+
+"Good-evening, Captain Ringgold," said the Pacha as soon as he saw him.
+
+"Good-evening, sir," replied the commander coldly. "If you have any
+business with me, I will hear it from where you are."
+
+"I desire to go on board of the Guardian-Mother;" and Noury seemed to
+have an excellent memory, for he remembered all the names.
+
+"I cannot permit you to do so. I decline to receive you on board of my
+ship, or anywhere else," replied the captain firmly.
+
+"That is an insult, sir!" protested the Moor.
+
+"It is not intended as such, but is simply the plain statement of my
+position in regard to you."
+
+"What is your position?" demanded the Pacha furiously.
+
+"Simply that I decline to associate with you, and the ladies and
+gentlemen on board of the Guardian-Mother occupy the same position. In
+other words, they refuse to associate with you, or to receive you."
+
+"This is very extraordinary!" gasped the Moor.
+
+"I do not so regard it."
+
+"Does the young lady, Miss Blanche, refuse to see me?" asked the Pacha
+in a more moderate tone.
+
+"Most decidedly; and her mother declines to permit her to see you."
+
+"It is very strange," said Noury with a savage frown on his handsome
+face. "I thought the young lady was pleased with me."
+
+"You were never more mistaken in your life."
+
+"Will you inform me why you refuse to receive me, Captain Ringgold?"
+
+"I do not wish to offend Your Highness; but I must speak the truth if I
+speak at all."
+
+"Speak out, by all means, Captain."
+
+"As you insist, I will do so. Your reputation among the respectable
+people of Funchal, where you go occasionally in your steamer, is so
+bad, so black, that I should not be justified in introducing you to any
+true lady," replied the commander boldly and resolutely, hoping this
+plain statement would put an end to the attempts of the Moor to force
+himself into the presence of his cabin party.
+
+"This is an unmitigated insult, and I hold you responsible for it,
+Captain Ringgold!" roared the Pacha, loud enough to be heard on board
+of the Guardian-Mother. "A friend of mine will wait upon you to-morrow,
+sir!"
+
+"In advance I decline to receive either you or any friend of yours. I
+think it is time to terminate this interview."
+
+"You are a coward, sir!"
+
+"I have nothing more to say."
+
+"But I have. You have interfered with my affairs. You have on board of
+your steamer a young fellow who ran away from my service," continued
+Noury more calmly as he came down to business. "His name is Scott."
+
+"Scott is my apprentice, bound to me by his father in writing: and when
+he was seen in Funchal, he was taken and brought back."
+
+"Very well; let that pass. This little steamer was stolen from me by
+the engineer I employed."
+
+"But she was restored to you, made fast to the Fatimé at this mole,"
+replied the captain. "You took possession of her again, and then sold
+her to a man by the name of Giles Chickworth."
+
+"I claim the boat as my property," the Pacha insisted.
+
+"You sold her to Chickworth, and I bought her of him."
+
+"It was not a legal sale."
+
+"I beg your pardon, it was; for I have the bill of sale you gave him,
+signed by you, and with your flourish," argued the commander, taking
+the paper from his pocket and unfolding it.
+
+He held it up so that the Moor could see his signature. He seemed to
+be confounded, and had certainly been beaten on every point he had
+attempted to make. But he was evidently far from satisfied with the
+result of the conference. He declared that he should cause the arrest
+of Scott for stealing the suit of clothes he had loaned him; and if he
+could find the young Spaniard who had stolen his steamer, he would have
+him arrested also, and have them both sent to Mogadore for trial and
+punishment.
+
+"You have grossly insulted me, Captain Ringgold; and you have refused
+to give me the satisfaction which one gentleman has the right to demand
+of another," stormed the Pacha, apparently as a parting shot.
+
+"I am not a duellist; and if I were, I do not regard you as a gentleman
+any more than do the people of Funchal, and I should not feel obliged
+to accept your challenge," replied the commander very quietly.
+
+"Another insult! If I find you in the streets of Gibraltar, I will
+castigate you as an infidel cur!" foamed the Moor.
+
+"If you assault me, I am able to defend myself, and I shall do so,"
+replied the captain as the barge shoved off.
+
+"Do you suppose he will arrest Scott and Felipe, Captain?" asked Louis,
+as he jumped down from the promenade deck, not a little disturbed at
+the apparent peril of his friends.
+
+"He can certainly cause their arrest, and make a great deal of trouble;
+but it will amount to nothing in the end, unless the law is such that
+he can extradite them, and send them into Morocco, as he threatens to
+do. I don't intend to permit him to do anything of the sort," replied
+the commander so quietly that Louis was satisfied he knew what he was
+about.
+
+By this time it was quite dark, and the Pacha's boat disappeared in the
+gloom. Mr. Boulong was called, and directed to have the bunkers of the
+Maud filled with coal as soon as possible. Two men were stationed on
+the little steamer as an anchor watch, with orders to allow no person
+to come on board of her. John Donald was called up from the forecastle,
+and directed to the cabin, which Knott had been ordered to light.
+
+Donald presented himself before the commander, and he looked like
+another person. He was clean, and the clothes of Louis fitted him
+perfectly. He had the appearance of an intelligent person, as the
+captain had before regarded him.
+
+"Do you speak Spanish, Donald?" asked the commander.
+
+"I do, sir; for I have been the fourth engineer of a Spanish steamer
+where I was obliged to use it; but I studied it at home with my father,
+who talked in four languages besides his own," replied the oiler. "I
+can speak Arabic, for I expected to get a position on an Egyptian
+steamer."
+
+"Very good. Are you satisfied with the quarters where you dressed
+yourself?"
+
+"Perfectly, sir."
+
+"Are you ready to go to work at once?"
+
+"Quite ready, sir."
+
+The same wages that Felipe was to receive was offered to him, and he
+was satisfied with the pay. Louis wondered what the commander was
+driving at, and what he wanted of another oiler, for he had already
+shipped one for the Guardian-Mother to take the place of the young
+Spaniard.
+
+"I am going on board of the ship now, Sir Louis; but I wish to see the
+whole of your ship's company, as you please to call yourselves, in half
+an hour, in this cabin," said Captain Ringgold, as he rose to leave.
+"Introduce Donald to Felipe, for they will have occasion to know each
+other before morning."
+
+Louis took the new employee to the engine-room, and presented him to
+the engineer in Spanish; and he left them talking the language with
+all their might. He went on board of the ship, and summoned the other
+three of the big four to the conference in the cabin of the Maud,
+assuring them that "something was up," though he did not know what. The
+captain went to the chief steward, and an hour or two later several
+boxes, baskets, and kegs were put on board of the little steamer.
+
+At the time appointed the commander found the big four in the cabin of
+the Maud. Felipe and Donald were sent for, and all were seated around
+the table. Captain Ringgold looked more serious than usual. Of course
+they all knew that he had had an interview, and a stormy one, with the
+Pacha, and Felipe had been trembling for his own safety all the evening.
+
+"The Pacha threatens to have Scott and Felipe arrested to-morrow; but
+I have decided that he shall find neither of them here," said the
+commander. "I shall send you all to sea to-night at twelve in the Maud.
+Do you think you can navigate her to Valetta, Malta, Captain Scott?"
+
+"I know I can, sir," replied he, delighted with the thought.
+
+"Compelled by circumstances to change my plans, we shall spend the rest
+of the summer cruising in the Orient," added the captain.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XXV
+
+              THE STARBOARD AND PORT WATCHES OF THE MAUD
+
+
+An independent cruise in the Maud was to the big four the most
+delightful affair in the world, not that they considered themselves
+restricted and restrained on board of the Guardian-Mother, for they had
+all the liberty they desired. Louis was devoted to his studies, though
+he desired to obtain all the practical information he could as he went
+from port to port in foreign countries. The other three were very much
+inclined to follow his lead, whether it was to work or play, to study
+or recreate.
+
+The pleasure of navigating the Maud on their own responsibility was
+a novelty which they enjoyed in the highest degree, though it was
+likely to lose some of its charm in time. They had had a taste of
+this pleasure in the excursion to Tangier, and the exciting features
+connected with it had given it an additional zest.
+
+Captain Ringgold regarded himself as an educator, though a learned and
+skilful professor was employed for the teaching in detail. As has been
+suggested several times before, he had theories on this subject of
+which he desired to make a practical application. He wanted to develop
+the boys, and make good and useful men of them. In keeping them well
+employed he kept the old maxim in mind that the gentleman in black,
+with horns, hoofs, and a caudal appendage, "finds some work for idle
+hands to do."
+
+It was not hard labor, but occupation, upon which he depended to
+improve the bodies and the minds of his charge. Though he insisted that
+the boys should be modest and respectful, he did not accept the idea
+which prevails in England, France, and some other countries of Europe,
+that young people should practically be zeroes till they were of age.
+He believed that they should be developed as rapidly as their nature
+and temperament would permit. They could only obtain this freedom of
+mind by learning to depend upon themselves.
+
+The several adventures in which some or all of the young men had been
+engaged, especially Louis Belgrave, who had really become a man all
+at once, as it were, when his troubles with his rascally step-father
+began, had contributed to the kind of development the commander had in
+mind. The trip to Tangier had assured him that the boys were competent
+to handle the Maud skilfully and with a fair measure of science.
+
+Captain Ringgold was absolutely proud of his success in reforming the
+life and manners of Scott Fencelowe, and he had talked with Uncle
+Moses and Dr. Hawkes a great deal about the improvement which had been
+made in his character. He had really lived much of his time on board
+of a yacht, and had made an accomplished boatman of himself. When he
+boasted of the races he had won with the Seahound and other boats, the
+commander was incredulous; but he had no difficulty in believing all
+the stories he had told at the present time.
+
+On the cruise of the Maud to Tangier he had proved that he had pluck
+and skill; for he had sailed the little steamer exceedingly well, and
+shown that he possessed ingenuity of a high order, or the Pacha would
+certainly have captured the party, and thrown the two alleged culprits
+into a prison.
+
+The Guardian-Mother was not ready to sail from Gibraltar. She had to
+take in coal in the early morning, and attend to certain custom-house
+formalities. Ali-Noury Pacha, judging from what he had casually dropped
+in his stormy interview with the commander, had evidently expected to
+be received as a "distinguished Moor" on board of the Guardian-Mother,
+and even seemed to think he had made an impression upon the
+susceptibilities of Mr. Woolridge's lovely daughter.
+
+His eyes had certainly been opened by the plain speech of the captain,
+and he could not conceal the disappointment he felt. He did not seem to
+be aware that the Guardian-Mother had three times run away from him and
+his steamer; or to be able to deduce the simple truth from the hurried
+departure of the ship on these occasions. He was filled with wrath and
+the desire for revenge. The commander had "spoken out" to him only
+when it had become absolutely necessary to do so.
+
+He was capable of making a great deal of trouble, and he appeared
+to have influence enough to do almost anything he pleased. Captain
+Ringgold believed it would save him and the people on board the ship
+a great deal of annoyance if the two alleged culprits were out of the
+way, and he promptly decided to put them in a safe place. He had spoken
+to Uncle Moses and Mrs. Belgrave and with Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge about
+the matter, and none of them raised any objection. All of them had so
+much confidence in the wisdom and discretion of the commander that they
+were ready to follow his advice in almost everything.
+
+The bunkers had all been filled up with coal, water and an abundant
+supply of provisions had been put on board of the Maud, and the captain
+and the officers had thoroughly inspected the craft in her hull, as
+Mr. Shafter and Mr. Sentrick had the machinery. She was said to be in
+perfect order in every respect. She was built of the best quality of
+steel. In the little pilot-house, at the request of Captain Scott, a
+broad table had been put in which folded up over the divan.
+
+He had been supplied with an extra compass, though there were two
+on board, a sextant, a parallel ruler, dividers, and all the small
+implements he required in working out the course after he had obtained
+the latitude and longitude. He had studied navigation at the high
+school where he lived, near the water, and had practised it in his
+yacht with a borrowed sextant. He was now completely equipped, and the
+pilot-house had become a sort of paradise to him.
+
+Louis and Morris spent the evening with their parents in the cabin;
+Scott and Felix were busy on board of the Maud. None of them thought of
+sleeping, though some of them would be on duty all night after they got
+under way. They were too much excited at the prospect before them to
+sleep.
+
+"We have got everything fixed all right now, Flix," said Scott, as
+they seated themselves in the cabin. "It was a big thing for Captain
+Ringgold to employ another engineer, for now we shall have no more
+bother with the machinery."
+
+"Faix, we have two Dons in the engine-room, and both of them talk
+Spanish. I hope they will be able to make the Maud walk Spanish."
+
+"Don John," as the captain of the little steamer had already called
+Donald, "seems to be a very good fellow, for I have had quite a talk
+with him in English. He speaks Arabic too."
+
+"Then we shall have a little gum Arabic to put in the mixture, and that
+will make us stick together all the more closely," added Felix.
+
+"Very good; but we were pretty well glued together before he came.
+Flix, let us overhaul"--
+
+"I had an old pair of overalls I brought with me for dirty work; but I
+haven't had a bit of it to do, and gave them to Don John," interposed
+Felix.
+
+"Let us overhaul matters a little, and see how we stand, for we shall
+all be busy after we get under way," said Captain Scott, finishing his
+sentence. "We have captains enough."
+
+"Yes, for, like a bull in a china shop, one is quite enough. We have
+the best captain out, and the commander of the Guardian-Mother couldn't
+do the duty any better."
+
+"Thank you, Flix. We have two engineers, and they will take care of
+their department without any help from the rest of us. We have one
+mate, who is also the pilot, though he will do no more steering than
+the rest of us, outside of the engine-room. That gives us two watch
+officers, for as we have no second mate, the captain will have to keep
+his own watch."
+
+"Why don't you make Louis the second mate? He has no office, if he is
+the biggest fellow in the crowd," suggested Felix.
+
+"Louis does not want any office, and would not take any; he told me so
+himself."
+
+"He's a very modest bit of a duck."
+
+"Now we must divide ourselves into watches," continued the captain,
+though he did not particularly enjoy the interruptions of Felix, who
+was often struggling to bring forth a joke on such occasions as the
+present. "You know there are two watches on board ship, Flix?"
+
+"One on the starboard and the other on the port side," added Felix with
+a gape.
+
+"Nonsense! You know very well that the name has nothing to do with the
+sides of the ship!" exclaimed Captain Scott impatiently. "Now talk
+sense, and we will soon settle this business; then you can flop over
+on the divan and go to sleep. Do you know which is the captain's watch,
+Flix?"
+
+"To be sure I do; it's the one he commands."
+
+"More nonsense, though we are now engaged in serious business! Port or
+starboard?" demanded Scott.
+
+"Port, because the red light always belongs on the port side."
+
+"Wrong! The mate always has the port watch. Now do you know which is
+which?"
+
+"Faix, you didn't tell me which was the captain's watch," replied Felix
+with a blank look. "I'll figure it out, and I may be able to tell you
+by the time we are ready to sail."
+
+"You are not a fool, Flix!"
+
+"Wait till I argue the matter with myself. The mate has the port watch,
+and the captain has the other," replied Felix, scratching his head as
+if to stimulate his ideas. "Begorra! it just shoots through my mind,
+like an electric light in a dark street when it is touched off! The
+captain's watch must be the starboard."
+
+"Right; but I wonder your long head hasn't exploded in working out the
+problem. When there is a second mate"--
+
+"That's metaphysics, for we have no second mate," protested Felix.
+
+"For that reason the captain has to keep his own watch, which the
+second mate would keep for him if there were one," continued the
+captain. "Just as soon as the ship gets into deep water the crew are
+divided into watches."
+
+"Do you think the water is deep enough in here to divide the crew into
+watches?" asked Felix, still struggling to be funny.
+
+"It is two hundred fathoms deep in the middle of the bay, and it will
+do. Each officer chooses a man in turn."
+
+"It won't take long in this case, as the crew consists of only two."
+
+"The captain makes the first choice, and I choose you, Flix."
+
+"You do me very great honor, Captain Scott, and I was not before aware
+that I stood so high in your affections, and I thank you from the top
+to the bottom of my heart," replied the Milesian, taking off his cap
+and bowing low to his companion.
+
+"No affections about it! I only want to make the best division of the
+hands," answered Captain Scott. "Louis is older than Morris and will
+be in his watch; and the mate may need his advice and assistance, for
+he knows something about sailing a steamer. Now, according to custom,
+the captain takes the ship out, and the mate brings her home. That
+indicates that you and I have the first watch on deck; and Felipe will
+have it in the engine-room. It is ten o'clock now, and you have time
+for a two hours' snooze before we get under way."
+
+Felix had tried to keep awake by struggling to be funny, and he was
+ready to take the advice of the captain, who had no inclination to take
+a nap. Scott went on deck, where two seamen from the ship were keeping
+the anchor watch. Presently Captain Ringgold came down the gangway
+followed by a young seaman from the crew of the ship.
+
+"One thing had almost been forgotten, Captain Scott," said the
+commander. "You must eat on board of the Maud, and you have no cook and
+steward. You need good food, well prepared."
+
+"I did not forget it, sir, for I was thinking of it this evening,"
+replied Scott.
+
+"I have detailed Pitts from the crew for this duty; he has served as
+both cook and steward. Show him the galley."
+
+The commander returned to the Guardian-Mother.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXVI
+
+                THE PACHA FINDS HE HAS CAUGHT A TARTAR
+
+
+About half-past eleven all the ship's company were on board of the
+Maud, and Louis was engaged in showing the cabin party of the ship
+over the little steamer. They found that Pitts had put everything in
+order in the galley, which is the kitchen, though the same name is also
+applied to the stove. He had made a fire, and washed all the dishes,
+proving that he was inclined to be neat and nice. The provisions as
+well as the water-casks had been stowed away in the run, from which a
+scuttle opened in the floor of the standing-room.
+
+The ladies approved the housekeeping of the cook, and were conducted to
+the engine-room, where the new hand was presented to them, for they all
+knew Felipe, and had done a great deal for him. Then they went to the
+cabin, where Felix had slept an hour, and was no longer sleepy. He had
+made up the four beds on the divans, all with sheets and pillows, for
+Mrs. Belgrave and Mrs. Woolridge had insisted that their sons should go
+to bed regularly and in due form, and not merely lie down on the sofa.
+
+The ladies were satisfied with the accommodations, and the surgeon
+approved the ventilation and sanitary arrangements. While the cabin
+party of the ship were inspecting the Maud, Captain Ringgold went to
+the pilot-house with Scott. The shelf the carpenter had made and put
+up that evening had been dropped into position, and part of the chart
+of the Mediterranean placed upon it. There were two of them to cover
+this sea, and each of them was four feet and a half long by three and
+a half wide; and by the advice of the captain Scott had cut each of
+them in halves, and he had recommended him to cut out the small plans
+of thirty ports and harbors so that they could be used conveniently, at
+his leisure.
+
+"Now, Captain Scott, show me how you are going to navigate your
+steamer," said the commander, as he placed himself at the table; and
+the room was well lighted for the occasion.
+
+"I shall take my departure from Europa Point," replied Scott, putting
+the point of his pencil upon it. "My first run will be to Alboran
+Light, distance 130.22 nautical miles."
+
+"Very well, indeed, Captain Scott," laughed the commander. "The coon
+evidently came down when you made your figures."
+
+"The course will be east by south, with 18° 40′ variation of the
+compass to the westward. From Alboran Light to a point ten miles north
+of Algiers the course will be east a quarter south, distance 344.16
+miles. That is as far as I have worked it up, sir."
+
+"That is far enough for the present; but if I do not overhaul you in
+the Guardian-Mother before that time, you will work around Cape Bon,
+and make for Valetta, Malta, going to the south of the island, taking a
+pilot off Marsa if you find one. You must watch the weather, and if it
+comes on to blow a heavy gale, you will make a port if necessary."
+
+"I don't think it will be necessary, sir, for I am sure the Maud is
+a good sea-boat, and she can stand anything we are likely to get
+at this season of the year. She can take in no water except in the
+standing-room, and that will not hold enough to do us any harm. I
+should be willing to cross the Atlantic in her in the winter, so far
+as her safety is concerned, though it would not be very comfortable on
+board of her."
+
+"Young men are usually over-confident. I counsel you to be very
+prudent, Captain Scott."
+
+"I am always so in a boat, sir," protested the young navigator.
+
+"Louis has a level head, and I advise you to consult him in any
+emergency that may arise."
+
+"I shall certainly do so, Captain Ringgold, without any urging."
+
+"Very well; but it is time now for you to get under way," added the
+commander, as he glanced at his watch. "Good-by, and a pleasant voyage
+to you, Captain Scott;" and the captain took his hand at parting.
+
+Louis's mother embraced him, and Mrs. Woolridge pressed her boy to her
+heart, and there was a general shaking of hands, though the captain
+was confident, if he was not delayed in Gibraltar, that he should
+overhaul the Maud some time the next day. No whistles were blown,
+for it was desirable to get away as quietly as possible so as not to
+attract the attention of those on board of the Fatimé.
+
+Captain Scott had spoken to Louis and Morris about the division of the
+crew into watches; and both of them were entirely satisfied with the
+arrangement, as they were with everything else that had been done on
+board. In a few minutes the Maud rounded Europa Point, and the captain
+gave out the course, east by south. The starboard watch were now on
+duty, and Felix was at the wheel. All the lights on board had been
+extinguished, for it was not advisable to attract the attention of the
+watch on board of the Pacha's steamer by them.
+
+"We begin with the mid watch, from midnight till four in the morning,"
+said the captain on the forecastle. "You are the mate, Morris; and you
+have charge of the port watch, which consists of yourself and Louis.
+I recommend you both to turn in at once, for sailors must take their
+sleep when they can get it."
+
+"That will suit me exactly, for I was beginning to get sleepy as we
+came out from the Mole; but it was because I had nothing to do,"
+replied Louis.
+
+"I had Flix make up the beds in the cabin, and as you are the port
+watch, you will take the two beds on that side," added the captain.
+
+"By the way, Captain Scott, where will Pitts berth?" asked Louis.
+
+"Stevens has put up a berth for him against the bulkhead in the
+forecastle, and he has gone to bed as comfortably as though he had been
+in his father's house."
+
+Louis and Morris went aft and turned in, and they were soon asleep. In
+one hour from his point of departure Captain Scott took the bearings
+of Estapona Light, and found that the Maud had made just ten miles.
+This was the rate he had instructed Felipe, who occupied the nominal
+position of chief engineer, to make. All was going on very well.
+
+While the Maud is pursuing her course towards the Orient it becomes
+necessary to return to the Guardian-Mother. The cabin party had watched
+the little steamer as she sailed away, and the commander was not alone
+in wondering into what adventure the big four would fall this time.
+The boys seemed to be unable to make an excursion of any kind without
+having some mishap overtake them.
+
+A few months before Mrs. Belgrave would not willingly have permitted
+her son to leave her under such circumstances as those in which he had
+just sailed away in the Maud; but Dr. Hawkes appeared to have cured her
+of her nervousness, and on all questions she was as reasonable as could
+be expected of any devoted mother.
+
+The surgeon was very attentive to her and so was Captain Ringgold.
+Probably the general improvement of her health, produced by the voyage
+under such pleasant conditions, did something to account for the cure
+of her nervous malady. She retired as soon as the little steamer could
+no longer be seen; and it was not to toss about all the night in
+wakeful tremors at the absence of Louis, but she went to sleep at once
+and did not wake till the first bell rang in the morning.
+
+After breakfast the commander had business in the city; and, as some of
+the party wished to make a few purchases, he went to the Ragged Staff
+stairs in the barge, the entire party accompanying him. He allowed the
+visitors but two hours, for he intended to get the Guardian-Mother
+under way as soon as possible.
+
+In its course to the stairs the barge had to pass near the Fatimé.
+The eight oarsmen, all dressed in the neat uniform of the steamer,
+presented a rather showy appearance, and she was observed with
+attention by all who saw her. The party separated as soon as they
+landed, or divided up into smaller groups, each of which had its own
+errands.
+
+During the absence of the big four the afternoon before, the commander
+had made his preparations for receiving the Maud on the upper deck
+of the ship. Skids to support her had been placed where the deck was
+strengthened by the bulkheads, or partitions under it, and heavy
+eye-bolts had been screwed to the planks, each over a timber, for the
+stays to keep the craft in position.
+
+He had employed a ship-smith to do most of the work, though the
+carpenter's gang did the wood-work. The captain's first business was to
+pay this smith, and when he had done so he went to the principal street
+to purchase some additional charts and nautical instruments. He had
+selected these articles, and had them sent down to the barge. His next
+business was at the custom-house.
+
+On the way Uncle Moses joined him, for he had no taste for other
+people's shopping. They had walked but a short distance before they
+encountered the Pacha, elegantly dressed in his Oriental robes, and
+followed by four of his people. Every one in the street stopped to gaze
+at them; for His Highness was a sight even in Gibraltar, where nearly
+every nation seemed to be represented on its thoroughfares.
+
+After the event of the preceding evening Captain Ringgold was sorry
+to see him, though it was not in his nature to run away from any man.
+Uncle Moses always carried a cane when he walked, and he noticed that
+his companion had one, though he had never seen him use one before. The
+squire suggested that they should step into a store they were passing,
+but the commander declined to do so.
+
+"Sir!" exclaimed the Pacha, halting in front of the captain, who
+attempted to proceed on his way without noticing him. "Coward! You
+shall not escape me! You have insulted me, and you refuse to meet me
+like a gentleman!" added Ali-Noury, as he seized the commander by the
+throat.
+
+But His Highness made a mistake, and in consequence thereof the next
+instant he was rolling in the mud at the side of the driveway, to the
+serious detriment of his magnificent costume. His attendants sprang to
+his assistance, and lifted him from the mire into which he had fallen.
+As they did so both the Americans discovered that he had a cowhide
+in his hand, and it was plain that he had intended to castigate the
+captain with this implement.
+
+He spoke to his servants, as doubtless they were, in his own language.
+The four men rushed upon the commander and attempted to lay hold of
+him. For the moment he seemed to forget that he had a cane in his hand;
+for when one of his assailants seized him by the collar of his coat,
+he planted a tremendous blow between the two eyes of the fellow which
+knocked him over into the gutter. Another attempted to do the same
+thing and shared the fate of the first. The Pacha became furious at the
+defeat of his satellites.
+
+Ali-Noury spoke to the other two very fiercely, and they rushed
+together upon the captain; but Uncle Moses had by this time overcome
+his professional dignity, and dealt a smart blow with his cane over the
+head of one of the assailants, which caused him to step aside, while
+the commander upset the other with his fist.
+
+The usual crowd had quickly gathered, and a couple of policemen
+stepped to the front. It was not convenient for them to pick up seven
+persons at once, and the guardians of the peace waited for further
+developments. Ali-Noury had become more furious than ever when he
+witnessed the overthrow of his forces; and, beside himself in his
+wrath, he rushed forward upon Captain Ringgold.
+
+The policemen were alert enough; and when the commander was about to
+defend himself again as he had done before, they seized His Highness,
+a hand of each on the throat of their victim; and they were not tender
+about it. The affair brought out the fact that the reputation of the
+Pacha was as unsavory as in Funchal. The officers marched him off in
+spite of his struggles, and his troop followed him.
+
+Before Captain Ringgold could reach the barge he and Uncle Moses were
+invited to appear before a magistrate and give their evidence. Their
+story was confirmed by half a dozen who had seen the beginning of the
+affray, and His Highness was sentenced to pay a heavy fine.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXVII
+
+                      A FEW LESSONS IN NAVIGATION
+
+
+Captain Ringgold was a powerful man, fully six feet high, and weighing
+one hundred and eighty pounds, while his assailant, though nearly as
+tall, was slender in form, and not a strong man. Doubtless he was
+brave, for he held high rank in the army of Morocco, though he was
+usually absent on furlough. It was very rash and injudicious for him to
+attack the commander. He had "caught a Tartar," and he had found it out.
+
+The magistrate did not seem to be impressed by the title or the elegant
+costume of the Pacha, perhaps because the latter was dabbled with mud,
+and his handsome face was liberally spattered with the same unsightly
+element. The commander was lofty in his manner on such an occasion, and
+full of dignity; and he did make a decided impression on the court and
+the spectators. He said but little. He had been attacked without any
+provocation whatever, and he had defended himself.
+
+The Pacha had been educated at the military school of St. Cyr, and he
+imbibed his duelling propensity in Paris. He pleaded that he had been
+insulted the night before by the captain of the Guardian-Mother, who
+had refused to give him satisfaction, and he had treated him as any
+gentleman should a poltroon.
+
+"But it does not appear that he was a poltroon when you attacked him,
+for he overturned you and your four servants all in a heap," interposed
+the Court with a smile.
+
+The Pacha winced at this remark. The magistrate desired to know in
+what manner the commander had insulted him, and the whole truth came
+out. Captain Ringgold calmly stated his objections to the character of
+the Moor, and there was an attempt at applause, in which some British
+officers took part; but it was promptly checked. He stated on oath that
+the reputation of the Pacha was so bad in Funchal--
+
+"And in Gib," some persons interpolated.
+
+"--that I could not permit the ladies in my charge to associate with
+him," added the witness, who repeated all his remarks that had been
+offensive to the Pacha.
+
+The Moorish consul promptly paid the fine of his fellow-subject, and
+they left the court-room together.
+
+"The fellow is a dirty blackguard!" said a military officer to the
+captain. "He has insulted ladies here; and I am very grateful to you,
+for one, for chastising him as he deserved."
+
+"I thank you, sir," replied the commander. "I did no more than my duty
+to those under my charge."
+
+He took the arm of Uncle Moses, and they walked down the street. They
+had gone but a few steps before they discovered that they were followed
+by half a dozen officers; but they reached the barge without any
+further molestation, where they found the ladies already seated in the
+stern-sheets.
+
+"We have kept you in sight, Captain Ringgold; and if the dirty
+brute had given you any further trouble, we were ready to throw him
+overboard," said one of the officers.
+
+"I thank you, gentlemen; I feel able to defend myself; but I appreciate
+your kindness and sympathy as much as though you had manifested it in
+the way you have suggested," answered the captain, as he took the hand
+of the speaker.
+
+While they were waiting for Dr. Hawkes and Professor Giroud, the party
+were presented to the four ladies in the barge, each giving his name
+and rank. They were all struck with the beauty of Miss Blanche; and as
+they retired from the boat, the captain told them that for her sake he
+had run away from the Fatimé three times. They declared that Gib would
+soon become too hot for His Highness.
+
+The missing members arrived, and the boat shoved off, the military
+gentlemen raising their caps, and bowing very politely, while they
+cried "_Bon Voyage!_"
+
+It was noon when they reached the deck of the ship, for the affair
+with the Pacha had delayed them a full hour. The steam was up and the
+steamer immediately tripped her anchor, for it had been "hove short"
+before, and she began her voyage. In a few minutes she had rounded
+Europa Point, and the course east by south had been given to the
+quartermaster at the wheel. The Viking had sailed for Malaga the day
+before.
+
+"Where do you suppose the Maud is just now, Captain Ringgold?" asked
+Mrs. Belgrave, the party being seated on the officers' promenade.
+
+"She is just fifteen miles north-west of Alboran Light," replied the
+commander with a smile.
+
+"I am just as wise now as I was before, and no more so!" added the
+lady. "I have not the least idea where Alboran is."
+
+"I did not suppose you had. It is a little island half a mile long and
+a quarter of a mile wide, belonging to Spain, inhabited only by a few
+fishermen, for there is not room for a great many of them. It is about
+half-way between Europe and Africa, and one hundred and thirty nautical
+miles from Europa Point, according to Captain Scott's figures."
+
+"Why do you say _nautical_ miles, Captain?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, who
+had given no attention whatever to navigation.
+
+"Because I mean nautical miles," laughed the commander, who was always
+delighted when he could get into a close conversation with this lady.
+
+"Isn't it just the same as a mile in Von Blonk Park?"
+
+"Not at all; the sailors call their miles knots."
+
+"I have heard you talk about sixteen knots an hour"--
+
+"I can't talk as fast as that, for sixteen knots an hour is about the
+best speed of the Guardian-Mother," interposed the captain.
+
+"You know what I mean!" pouted the lady. "But I supposed it meant
+sixteen miles an hour, just as it is sixteen knots from the Park to New
+York."
+
+"Which it is not; it is only sixteen statute miles, or miles
+established by statute, or law."
+
+"Then will you please to tell me what a knot is?"
+
+"It is a geographical mile. Of course you are aware that a great
+circle, like the equator, a meridian, or any other that goes around the
+biggest part of the earth, contains three hundred and sixty degrees."
+
+"I learned all about it when I went to the academy, but I don't
+remember a great deal of it."
+
+"I have repeated all that it is necessary for you to know now," added
+the commander, as he took an orange from his pocket, and proceeded to
+show the difference between a great circle and any other. "You learned
+that all circles, whether great or small, even if no bigger than a
+nickel, contain three hundred and sixty degrees; and that every degree
+is divided into sixty parts called miles--geographical miles. These
+miles are the navigator's knots."
+
+"Except the knots, the rest all comes back to me," said the lady. "But
+I don't understand the difference between a knot and a statute mile, as
+you call it."
+
+"I can't say that I know much of anything about it," added Dr. Hawkes.
+
+"A degree contains sixty-nine and a quarter miles, though the fraction
+varies with different authorities. Now, if you will divide 69.25
+statute miles by 60," continued the captain, performing the operation
+on the back of an envelope, "the result will be 1.154 statute miles
+to a knot. The sixteen knots of this ship would therefore be nearly
+eighteen statute miles an hour."
+
+"I think I understand it now, Captain Ringgold," said Mrs. Belgrave;
+and the others said the same.
+
+"If we go as fast as that, we shall soon overtake the Maud," suggested
+Mrs. Woolridge.
+
+"Not to-day, madam," replied the commander.
+
+"When shall we catch up with her?"
+
+"I told Captain Scott not to try to make more than ten knots an hour,
+which is very good sailing for a steamer of her size. She left at
+midnight, and is therefore twelve hours, or one hundred and twenty
+miles ahead of us."
+
+"Knots or statute miles?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"Knots always at sea. We rarely make any use of statute miles. I have
+directed Mr. Shafter to make his best speed, so that we sail six knots
+faster than the Maud. Gaining six knots an hour, it will take us twenty
+hours to overhaul the Maud," said the captain. "I shall expect to see
+her about eight o'clock to-morrow morning, when we shall be off Magrowa
+Point."
+
+Captain Ringgold invited all the party to his cabin, where the chart
+of the Mediterranean Sea was spread out on the table. He pointed out
+Alboran Light to them, with a ring thirty miles in diameter drawn
+around it. On the northern edge of this circle was a cross, which was
+connected with Europa Point by a red line.
+
+"What is the ring for?" asked Dr. Hawkes.
+
+"It indicates the distance from all points at which the light can be
+seen," replied the commander.
+
+"I suppose that red line shows the course we are sailing," added Uncle
+Moses. "But why is your course alone marked on the chart?"
+
+"I marked that myself with a red pencil; it was not printed on the
+paper, as you seem to suppose. Captain Scott made just such a line on
+his chart," the captain explained.
+
+"But it is not straight," the surgeon objected. "If you should keep on
+this course you would hit the African coast at Columbi Island," as he
+read the name from the chart.
+
+"It was not intended to be straight," answered the commander. "I am
+following the course laid down by Captain Scott for the Maud, so that I
+shall be able to find him to-morrow morning. I should have gone farther
+to the north of Alboran, and I should not have seen it in consequence;
+but I thought he might need the light to assure him where he was."
+
+"Here is another little red cross just north of Algiers, with a red
+line drawn from it to the one north of Alboran," said Dr. Hawkes,
+scrutinizing the chart very closely. "That, I conclude, is the course
+between the two crosses."
+
+"Quite right, Doctor; you would easily become a navigator."
+
+"I shall not make the struggle. But why is the point north of Algiers
+chosen rather than some other one?"
+
+"I took Captain Scott's mark, which he selected, ten miles north of
+Algiers, because the course to it would carry him clear of the coast of
+Africa, and of all dangers of every kind from rocks or shoals. When we
+get to Captain Scott's point off Algiers, we shall make the course a
+quarter of a point more to the north, so as to pass Ras al Koran, where
+the navigation becomes more difficult on account of rocks and shoals."
+
+"But how in the world do you know which way to steer in order to reach
+Captain Scott's red cross at the end of the red line?" inquired Mrs.
+Belgrave, who had been studying the chart with all her might, though it
+was about the same as trying to read the notice posted on a Chinaman's
+laundry.
+
+"And what are all these rings on the chart for?" asked Mrs. Blossom, as
+she put her finger on one of the diagrams of the compass.
+
+"You both ask about the same question," replied the commander, as he
+picked up his parallel rule, and began to work the same problem before
+described. "This is called a parallel rule," he added, working it back
+and forth. "The brass connecting pieces keep the two parts of the
+implement exactly parallel."
+
+"What is the use of keeping the pieces parallel?"
+
+"That is what I am going to show you."
+
+He placed the rule so that one edge was on both of the red crosses. He
+then worked the rule to the nearest diagram, and took off the course
+east a quarter south. But the ladies would not be satisfied till they
+had done it for themselves, and the captain made other crosses till
+they could do it very well.
+
+
+
+
+                            CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+                   MORRIS ON "THE RULE OF THE ROAD"
+
+
+On board of the Maud it had been issued as an order by Captain Scott
+after the matter had been fully talked over, that the watches should be
+four hours in length, except the dog-watches, which were to be half as
+long, both in the sailing and the engineer department. The arrangement
+was precisely the same as on board of the Guardian-Mother, or any other
+ship at sea. The tricks at the wheel were to be two hours in length.
+
+The commander of the little steamer had all the dignity appertaining
+to the master of a vessel, but the smallness of the ship's company
+rendered it necessary that he should perform his full share of the work
+like an ordinary deck-hand. But he was accustomed to this sacrifice of
+one of the immunities of his position; for on board of the Seahound,
+in which he had made a voyage of over a thousand miles, he had been
+captain, crew, cook, and steward.
+
+Felix was at the wheel, where he was to remain until four bells, or two
+o'clock in the morning. The half-hours were regularly struck on a bell
+hung in front of the pilot-house, and a line from its tongue extended
+into the apartment. Between the two windows in front was a clock, so
+that the wheelman could keep the run of the time, and strike the bells.
+Captain Scott was obliged to do duty as a deck-hand during the two
+hours of Felix's watch. His principal occupation at this time was to
+keep the lookout, a very important duty on board of a steamer.
+
+Many vessels, a large proportion of them steamers, were constantly
+passing in and out of the Mediterranean, and there was always danger of
+a collision. At sea there are "rules of the road," as well as on the
+land; and Captain Scott had learned them so that he knew just what to
+do under any circumstances; and he was the only one on board who did
+know them in full, though Morris had learned the most necessary ones.
+
+On the road, in the United States, it is generally the rule to keep to
+the right when two vehicles meet, going in opposite directions, and to
+keep to the left in getting ahead of another, though it is the opposite
+rule in England and Canada. At sea, when two steamers approach each
+other "end on," or going directly towards each other, both also keep to
+the right, and each leaves the other on the port hand. But the rules
+of the road on the ocean are too complicated and dry to be given in a
+story in full.
+
+"Where are we now Captain Scott?" asked Felix, when he had about
+finished his trick at the wheel.
+
+"Twenty miles east of Europa Point," replied the captain, who was
+beginning to be very sleepy, though he had walked the deck all the
+time in order to keep himself awake, for he had worked hard and been
+greatly excited from the early evening till two o'clock in the morning.
+
+"I knew that myself," replied the wheelman cheerfully, for he had taken
+a nap.
+
+"Then why did you ask me, Flix?"
+
+"I thought we might be near some place."
+
+"We are out of sight of land, and there isn't a thing to be seen."
+
+"But where is the light we are running for?"
+
+"Alboran; that is ninety miles ahead of us, and we shall not see it
+before eleven o'clock in the forenoon," replied the captain. "I will
+take the wheel now, Flix, for I need something to keep me awake."
+
+"Then I suppose I may go to sleep," added Felix.
+
+"No, you may not!" protested Scott with energy. "It is still your
+watch, and will be till eight bells. You will keep a sharp lookout, for
+that is your duty for the next two hours, as it has been mine for the
+last two;" and he struck four bells.
+
+"All right, Captain Scott; and I am wide awake," replied Felix; and he
+left the pilot-house, and began to plank the deck on the forecastle.
+
+The duty of the lookout was not of a very exciting character; and
+though the Milesian had not been dubbed a knight-errant, he would have
+preferred something a little more stirring. It would have suited him
+better to remain at the wheel; but the captain would not permit any one
+to take the trick of another. Occasionally he halted at the windows of
+the pilot-house and had a chat with the captain.
+
+"I wonder if the Grand Mogul will try to arrest you and Felipe
+to-morrow?" he asked at one of these halts.
+
+"I think he has a bigger bone than that to pick with Captain Ringgold,"
+replied Scott. "I should not wonder, from what the Pacha said, if they
+had a row. He wanted to fight a duel with the commander, who would not
+do anything of the sort, though he would defend himself if he were
+assaulted."
+
+"The captain is able to take care of himself, and he will do so," added
+Felix.
+
+Then the lookout walked again, and continued to do so till Scott called
+him a couple of minutes before it was time to strike eight bells.
+
+"Now you will turn out the port watch and call Don in the forecastle,"
+said the captain.
+
+"All right;" and Felix went to the cabin where he waked Louis and
+Morris; then he descended to the forecastle, and aroused the second
+engineer.
+
+Everything was done with the greatest regularity, for all hands had
+learned on board of the Guardian-Mother to have a very high respect
+for all the forms in the routine of ship's duty. Morris relieved the
+captain as officer of the deck, and directed Louis to take the helm.
+Scott repeated the course to the latter as he resigned the wheel to
+him. In his turn the first officer became the lookout, and everything
+proceeded in as orderly a manner as before.
+
+Just after Louis had rung one bell in the morning watch, Morris
+reported a sail dead ahead, only there was no officer on deck of higher
+rank than himself to whom he could discharge this duty.
+
+"I see it; red and green light both to be seen," replied Louis.
+
+"We are end on, and I suppose you know what to do, Louis," added
+Morris. "If you don't, port the helm, and remember this couplet:--
+
+    'When both lights you see ahead,
+    Port your helm, and show your red.'"
+
+"That is a good bit of mnemonics," said Louis, as he repeated the
+lines. "I see the other steamer is doing the same."
+
+"She is following the rule of the road. I suppose you know that there
+are 'International Steering and Sailing Rules' so that all nations may
+follow the same directions."
+
+"I never heard of them before, for I do not claim to be much of a
+sailor, though I have given some attention to sailing a steamer since
+I have been on board of the Guardian-Mother," replied Louis. "I have
+learned to steer, and I know something about handling the engine. I
+never was placed in any responsible position on board a vessel, and
+that is the way to learn all about it."
+
+"Now she shows her red light, and we are doing the same thing to her,"
+said Morris. "Here is a bit more mnemonics:
+
+    'Green to green, or red to red--
+    Perfect safety, go ahead!'
+
+That is, you cannot see the red or green alone unless you are abreast
+of the other vessel on one side or the other."
+
+"I can remember the two couplets; but both of them assure you only when
+you are all right. One would like to know what to do when things are
+not all right," suggested Louis, who had already repeated to himself
+both of the safety couplets several times.
+
+"Of course you know all the lights a vessel is obliged by law to carry
+at sea, Louis," continued Morris, as they passed the other steamer,
+distant about a quarter of a mile.
+
+"I know that every steamer is obliged to carry a white light on the
+foremast, not less than twenty feet above the deck, a green light on
+the starboard side, and a red one on the port side."
+
+"That is enough to know, though very minute directions are given in the
+international rules for placing these lights. I used to be bothered to
+remember which was which. But a naval officer told me that red was on
+the port side because that was the color of port wine; and any fellow
+must be green who could not tell the color on the other side."
+
+"Captain Ringgold told me the first part of your rule--port from the
+color of port wine," added Louis.
+
+"Now we have a case in point!" exclaimed Morris with sudden energy,
+as he pointed to another light in the distance. "That is a red light,
+and it is on the starboard side of us. This is the position of the
+greatest danger, for that steamer is running towards us. Here is more
+poetry:--
+
+    'If to your starboard red appear,
+    It is your duty to keep clear;
+    To act as judgment says its proper--
+    To port, or starboard, back, or stop her!'
+
+That is just as yonder steamer appears in relation to the Maud--red
+on our starboard, her helmsman has green on his port, and this verse
+applies to him, as it would to us in his position:--
+
+    'But, when upon your port is seen
+    A steamer's starboard light of green,
+    There's not so much for you to do,
+    For green to port keeps clear of you.'"
+
+"She is still a long distance from the Maud; but what am I to do when
+we come nearer?" asked Louis.
+
+"Red to starboard; we must keep out of her way," replied Morris. "She
+will do nothing, for she has the right of way. Port the helm a little
+and we shall go astern of her all right."
+
+"Where do you find these international rules?" asked the wheelman, as
+he obeyed the order.
+
+"I found them in 'The Sailor's Handy Book,' which will tell you all
+about a thousand nautical things," replied Morris. "I have a copy of it
+in my valise, and I will lend it to you to-morrow."
+
+"Thank you; and I will buy it as soon as I can find one; but I am not
+likely to find one over here," added Louis.
+
+An hour later the Maud passed astern of the approaching steamer, and
+she had evidently not changed her course a point.
+
+The day had already begun to dawn in the east, in the Orient towards
+which the little vessel was sailing. She was still out of sight of
+land. At four bells, or six o'clock, Pitts came out of the forecastle,
+and Morris saluted him with a "good-morning," as if one had not been
+the chief officer and the other the cook, and Louis did the same.
+
+"What time am I to have breakfast ready on board of this steamer?"
+asked Pitts.
+
+"You must ask the captain; but you need not wake him for that purpose.
+Half-past seven is the hour on board the ship, and you had better be
+ready at that time," replied Morris; and Louis nodded assent when the
+mate looked at him.
+
+The cook went to his apartment, and made a fire in the galley. His
+first need was hot water, and he went to the run to obtain a supply
+with a couple of buckets. He took off the scuttle in the standing-room,
+careful to make as little noise as he could in order not to wake the
+starboard watch in the cabin, the doors of which were wide open.
+
+He descended by the little ladder, but it was dark in the run, and as
+he stepped from the lower round, he put his foot ankle deep in water.
+He was startled, for it looked as though the steamer had sprung a
+leak. He hastened to procure a lantern, and made an examination. Two
+half-casks of water were secured on each side of him. He attempted to
+move one of them in order to find a leak. It was empty! So were the
+other three! It was an alarming discovery, and he made haste to report
+it to the first officer. Morris could not explain it; neither could
+Louis; but they knew they could not proceed on the voyage without
+water.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXIX
+
+                    THE PROSPECT OF A WATER-FAMINE
+
+
+Morris and Louis were quite as thoroughly startled as Pitts had been
+when he made the discovery that the water-casks were all empty; for he
+had sounded all of them, and afterwards shaken them, listening for the
+noise of the needed fluid.
+
+"What shall be done?" asked Morris, who had just relieved the wheel, as
+he directed a blank gaze at Louis.
+
+"It is not for me to say what is to be done," replied the deck-hand,
+remembering that he was such, and not a leader of the big four, as he
+had generally been.
+
+"We can't get along without water," added Morris.
+
+"We cannot; and I am as thirsty as a grounded polywog," answered Louis,
+as he turned to the ice-pitcher with which the pilot-house was supplied.
+
+Pitts passed it out of the window to him, and he drank a copious
+draught.
+
+"That is good," he added, "though it is a little warm."
+
+"But there is plenty of ice on board, sir," interposed the cook and
+steward, as he took the pitcher from the deck-hand. "I will put some
+in it, for it is nearly full of water; and that may be all there is on
+board."
+
+There was an ice-chest built into the after part of the run, which had
+been filled from the ship's supply, and the provisions were stored
+around it.
+
+"Pitts can't even make any coffee for us," continued Morris ruefully.
+"It takes water to make coffee."
+
+"That is as true as truth itself," replied Louis cheerfully; "but we
+will not cry about it."
+
+"I don't mean to cry about it; but it is a serious question, for the
+Guardian-Mother cannot overhaul the Maud in less than twelve or fifteen
+hours more, and we want something to eat and drink to-day."
+
+"I think we can stand it one day," added Louis, laughing. "I went
+longer than that on a New Jersey sand-spit without a drop of drink of
+any kind."
+
+"I can melt the ice and get water enough to cook with," interposed
+Pitts.
+
+"But suppose the Guardian-Mother should fail to find us, as she did
+your party, Louis, when you made the run in this boat from Funchal to
+Tarifa?" suggested Morris.
+
+"That is possible, but not probable," added Louis.
+
+"Why did the commander of the ship instruct Captain Scott to make a
+port at Valetta in the island of Malta?" demanded the first officer.
+
+"Because, as I said, it is possible that the ship may fail to find the
+Maud. But this question is no more to me than to the rest of the party;
+and I am willing to do what the majority think best, Morris," replied
+Louis, when the mate began to be a little warm in the discussion.
+
+"I think we had better call the captain, and have the matter decided at
+once," added Morris.
+
+Louis was sent aft to attend to this duty, as the mate decided. Scott
+was sleeping very soundly, and he was entitled to another hour nearly
+in his bed. He woke with a start when Louis put his hand on the arm of
+the dreamer, as he appeared to be.
+
+"Eight bells?" demanded Captain Scott, as he sat up in his bed.
+
+"Not yet, Captain; it wants almost an hour of it; but the mate ordered
+me to call you, for we have got into a sort of difficulty," replied
+Louis.
+
+"What kind of a difficulty? Is the Pacha chasing us?"
+
+"Not that I am aware of; but the water has all leaked out of the casks
+in the run," said the messenger, telling the whole truth all in a heap.
+
+"How can that be?" asked the captain blankly.
+
+"I am sure I don't know. Pitts found the casks empty when he went to
+the run for water."
+
+"What's the matter now?" asked Felix, springing up in his bed. "Has the
+bottom dropped out of the little steamer?"
+
+"No; but the bottom has dropped out of the water-casks, and we are
+likely to be a thirsty set," replied Louis, as the captain proceeded to
+dress himself in readiness to consider the difficult question.
+
+Felix followed his example, and in a few minutes they were all on the
+forecastle. Louis expressed his view of the question as he had before,
+and Morris did the same. While they were talking about it, Pitts went
+to the run again, and made another examination of the casks, and
+then he carried the four to the standing-room, from which the velvet
+cushions had been removed the night before. It was clear enough to
+him now, as it had been before, that there was no water in the casks.
+Taking off his shoes and stockings, he descended to the run again. He
+stubbed his foot against something, which proved to be a plug in the
+flooring, used to let the water off when the run was washed out, which
+was frequently done to keep it clean as a receptacle for the provisions.
+
+There was but a small quantity of ice in the chest, and that was needed
+to preserve the meats in it. Then he went on deck and looked over the
+casks. He could insert the small blade of his knife in some of the
+seams in them. They had not been in use on board of the ship, and had
+dried up in their place by the fire-room. They had been lowered into
+the run in the night, and the hands had failed to observe that there
+was any serious leak in them. Pitts reported what the situation was.
+
+"I think we are in danger of being missed by the Guardian-Mother,"
+said Captain Scott in the course of the discussion, as Pitts appeared
+upon the forecastle. "She might pass us in the night or in a fog. We
+don't know when she sailed from Gib, or what time she will sail; and
+I hardly think Captain Ringgold, from what he said to me, expected to
+overhaul the Maud before she arrived at Valetta."
+
+"There is not a drop of water in any of the casks, Captain," reported
+Pitts at this point of the discussion. "There is not ice enough to last
+us more than to-day; and the meats will spoil without it, for it is hot
+in the run."
+
+"That does not look like a very pleasant prospect for water," added
+Captain Scott.
+
+"There is a water-jar in the cabin," suggested Louis. "How much is
+there in that?"
+
+"I filled it up last night, and there must be some in it," replied
+Pitts.
+
+The steward was sent to examine the jar, and reported that it contained
+about two quarts.
+
+"We can get along a while on that, and we will not change our course at
+present," said the captain, settling the matter, at least for a time.
+"Don't boil any potatoes, Pitts; fry them, and keep what water there is
+for coffee."
+
+"How far are we from the island of Alboran?" asked Louis.
+
+"About fifty miles."
+
+"We ought to be able to get some water there; for if the island is
+inhabited, as they say it is, the people there cannot live without it.
+The lightkeeper must have water."
+
+"I don't know anything about it," replied Captain Scott. "There isn't
+a mile of land on it, and I should not care to go a great way off the
+course with the expectation of filling our casks there. Keep her going
+east by south, Morris."
+
+Captain Scott went back to the cabin, followed by Felix, and both
+of them were soon fast asleep again. Pitts drew off the water from
+the jar, and went to work in the galley; but it was eight o'clock
+when breakfast was ready, for the cook had been delayed by the water
+question. The table was set in the cabin at the last moment, so that
+the sleepers might not be disturbed; and they were called only when the
+meal was ready.
+
+Morris had just relieved the helm, and he insisted that Louis should
+go to breakfast first. The captain took his place at the head of the
+table, with Morris on his right and Louis on his left. Pitts left them
+to take care of themselves while he served the meal for the engineers;
+for they had decided to breakfast together in the engine-room, where a
+shelf served as a table.
+
+"This is not bad for a beginning," said Captain Scott, as he seated
+himself and looked over the dishes on the table. "Ham and eggs are to
+my mind, though I served them half the time on board of the Seahound.
+They look very nice, and Pitts appears to be a good cook."
+
+"I don't believe we shall starve, or suffer from thirst, in spite of
+the water famine," added Morris.
+
+"The praties are moighty foine," said Felix. "Ye's couldn't get a
+betther male in an Oirish castle."
+
+"What's an Irish castle, Flix?" asked Morris.
+
+"A noice bit of a house tin fate shquare, wid a thatched roof and a
+mood flure."
+
+"But they have water to boil their potatoes in an Irish castle," added
+the captain.
+
+"Faix, they have; the foinest wather in the wurruld."
+
+"But we mustn't stay here too long to talk; for the owner of the
+Guardian-Mother is at the wheel, and it is time for the starboard watch
+to go on duty," said Captain Scott, as he broke open a hot biscuit.
+
+Not much ceremony was used at the meal, and it was soon finished. As
+the trio passed the engine-room on their way to the forecastle, a
+flood of Spanish speech struck their ears, and it was evident that the
+engineers were enjoying their morning meal. As soon as the steward
+saw the captain he hastened aft to rearrange the table; and Louis was
+served as elegantly as became the dignity of a ship-owner, though he
+put on no airs. He ate his breakfast alone; but he had a good appetite,
+for he had been up since the morning watch was called at four o'clock.
+
+By nine o'clock Pitts had cleared the tables, and put everything in
+good order in the galley. His head was still full of the water-casks,
+and he went to the standing-room to examine them again. They were
+simply dried up when the water was drawn into them from the tanks. In
+six hours they had drained themselves empty, which was a leakage from
+each of only about four gallons an hour; but he wondered that Mr.
+Gaskette, who had superintended the work of putting them in the run,
+had not discovered the condition of the casks.
+
+While he was engaged in his examination Don joined him. The engineer
+had slept most of the night, and he had no desire to turn in again.
+He looked the casks over with the steward, and declared that he could
+make them as tight as when they were new in fifteen minutes. He went to
+the engine-room, and returned with a hammer and a piece of iron in his
+hands. He calked the casks as though he had been a cooper all his life,
+and then proceeded to drive the hoops.
+
+In less than half an hour the job was completed, and Don was sure
+the casks would not leak a drop. Morris and Louis went aft when they
+heard the sound of the hammer, and the former reported to the captain
+what was going on at the stern. Louis examined the casks when they
+were finished, and tried to penetrate the seams with the blade of his
+penknife; but they appeared to be perfectly tight.
+
+"We have the casks, and all we want now is the water to fill them,"
+said he. "Do you know anything about Alboran, Don?"
+
+"I have seen it, but I never went ashore there," replied the second
+engineer. "I think there must be water there."
+
+The captain was at the wheel. Pitts had sounded the water-jar in the
+cabin, and declared that there was hardly water enough left to enable
+him to get dinner; and he reported accordingly at the pilot-house.
+
+"Alboran is not more than a dozen miles off our course, and we will try
+there," said Captain Scott, after he had looked the water-question over
+again. "We have passed Malaga; and the next place on the Spanish coast
+is Almunecar, but it is thirty-five miles off our course. Then we have
+no papers; and I am afraid we should be sent into quarantine."
+
+The captain changed the course to south-east.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XXX
+
+                  THE MAUD INCLINED TO TURN SOMERSETS
+
+
+Among other nautical furniture, Captain Ringgold had put an
+old-fashioned log-line, chip, reel, and second glass on board of the
+Maud. Captain Scott had been unable to use it during the mid watch for
+the want of some one to assist him. After he had changed the course he
+gave the wheel to Felix, and with the assistance of Morris, Louis, and
+Don, had heaved the log. It gave him very nearly ten knots an hour; but
+he was not confident that his work had been accurate.
+
+Felipe kept account of the number of revolutions a minute; and he
+insisted that the Maud was making her ten knots an hour, and the
+current might make it a trifle more than that. The captain had timed
+the steamer by distances on the chart, and he was satisfied that the
+log was substantially correct.
+
+"It is now half-past nine, and we have made ninety-five miles from
+Gib," said he, after he had taken the wheel again. "It would have been
+thirty-five miles to Alboran if we had kept on our former course; it is
+less than that now, say about thirty-two. At about eleven o'clock it
+will be time to be on the lookout for the lighthouse."
+
+At ten Felix took his trick at the wheel, and the captain was the
+lookout man. Morris and Louis lay down in the cabin and went to sleep.
+There was nothing to occupy their attention. The weather was pleasant,
+the sky exceedingly blue, and the sea was quite smooth. Scott had
+seated himself on the forecastle, and everything on board was as quiet
+as midnight in a church. He had a spy-glass within his reach, and he
+occasionally looked through it in the direction in which the steamer
+was headed.
+
+"What time is it, Flix?" he called to the wheelman, after he had taken
+an observation with the glass.
+
+"Half-past eleven, Captain," replied Felix.
+
+"Alboran in sight through the glass," added Scott.
+
+"How far off is it? Are we in any danger of running over the island,
+and knocking the lighthouse into flinders?" asked the Milesian.
+
+"No danger yet, for it is at least twelve miles distant," replied the
+captain. "It gives me great satisfaction to know that my calculations
+were correct."
+
+"Well it might; you do that sort of thing as well as the captain of the
+Guardian-Mother," added Felix.
+
+Scott watched the lighthouse till the helmsman struck eight bells,
+which was noon. Then he went aft and called the port watch.
+
+"Where are we now, Captain?" asked Louis, rubbing his eyes.
+
+"Alboran light in sight, and about seven miles distant," replied Scott,
+as he hastened forward again, for he had seen a felucca ahead, and he
+wished to speak to her.
+
+When he reached the forecastle, he shouted through the scuttle for
+Don, who came on deck immediately. It was time to relieve Felipe at
+the engine; but the captain ordered all hands, and the Spaniard was
+requested to remain at his post. Pitts was busy in the galley getting
+dinner. The felucca in sight was a large one, and evidently belonged
+to the island. She was standing out from the lighthouse, and as soon
+as the Maud was near enough to her, the captain ordered Morris to stop
+her, for he had just relieved Felix.
+
+"Now, Don, hail her," said Scott to the engineer.
+
+"Felucca, ahoy!" said he in Spanish.
+
+The hail was returned in the same language, and the craft came up into
+the wind.
+
+"Is there any water on that island?" asked Don at the dictation of the
+captain.
+
+"Plenty of it," returned the skipper of the felucca.
+
+"We are short of water, and want a cask or two," continued the engineer.
+
+"I can sell you two casks," returned the speaker from the felucca.
+
+"He is on the make," added Scott, when Don had translated the sentence;
+and he could not help laughing at the business turn of the Spaniard.
+
+"Is it fresh?" asked the captain; and Don put the question to the
+skipper.
+
+"He says he filled the casks from the well this morning," said Don,
+rendering the reply into English. "But he may be lying about it,"
+suggested the engineer, smiling. "I have known some Spaniards to be
+guilty of falsehood; and I think you had better try the water before
+you buy it."
+
+"Tell him we will go alongside his felucca," added the captain, as he
+directed Morris to ring one bell.
+
+The Maud went ahead slowly, and in a few minutes she was alongside the
+felucca. Felipe came out of his room when he had stopped the engine,
+and began a talk with one of the Spaniards.
+
+"Ask the price of the water, Don," said the captain, when the skipper
+presented himself abreast of the forecastle; and the engineer put the
+question.
+
+"_Veinte pesos le tonel_," (Twenty dollars a barrel).
+
+"_Veinte pesos le tonel!_" exclaimed Louis.
+
+"No!" shouted the skipper, with no little indignation in his tone and
+manner. "_Veinte pesetas le tonel_ (Twenty _pesetas_ a barrel).
+
+"Twenty _pesetas_! That is a horse of another color," added Louis.
+"Didn't he say _pesos_, Don?"
+
+"I understood him so, sir; but perhaps it was a slip of the tongue,"
+replied the engineer. "I don't think he meant that, for twenty
+_pesetas_ is a very high price for water."
+
+"How much is a _peseta_?" asked Scott.
+
+"Twenty cents," replied Louis.
+
+"Four dollars a barrel! That is a steep price," added the captain.
+
+"Let Don ascertain if the water is good," suggested Louis.
+
+The engineer went on board the felucca, and the skipper filled a tin
+dipper from one of four barrels lashed to the side of the craft. Then
+he tried one on the other side. Returning to the deck of the Maud, he
+reported the water to be fresh and pure.
+
+"But the price?" said the captain, turning to Louis.
+
+"Those are fifty-gallon barrels," interposed Don. "They contain enough
+to fill your four casks, sir."
+
+"Never mind the price, Captain Scott. It would cost us more than eight
+dollars to make a landing on that island, fill the casks, and get them
+on board again, for we could take only one at a time in our little
+tender," argued Louis.
+
+"You and Morris pay the bills, and I have not a word to say," replied
+Captain Scott, laughing and shrugging his shoulders, as though he did
+not regard himself as the victim of the swindle, though he saw the
+force of Louis's reasoning.
+
+But then another question came up when it was found that the skipper
+did not include the price of the casks in that for the water, and
+he wanted two dollars apiece for the barrels. Scott was in favor of
+emptying them into the four half-barrels; but there was nothing like
+a tunnel in either vessel, and the four dollars additional was paid
+rather than use up any more time.
+
+"Six dollars a barrel for water!" exclaimed Don. "Why, you could buy
+wine at that price over on the main land."
+
+"I prefer the water to the wine," replied Louis. "Besides, these poor
+fellows on the island don't often have a chance to make a dollar; and
+when they do have one, they use it to the best advantage."
+
+The skipper then offered to sell some fresh fish, just out of the
+water. Louis gave him four Spanish _pesetas_; and for it he put fish
+enough on the deck of the Maud to feed the whole ship's company for
+three days. He was evidently feeling very good after the unexpected
+trade he had made, and perhaps had more money in his pocket than for
+six months before; and he was profuse in his compliments and his thanks.
+
+The Maud cast off her fasts, and Morris rang one bell, which was
+speedily followed by the jingling of the speed bell. The captain
+dropped his broad shelf in the pilot-house till it became a table on
+which he spread out his chart. Applying his parallel rule, he took off
+the course from Alboran light to his point ten miles off Algiers.
+
+"East a half south, Morris," said he when he had obtained the course.
+
+"East a half south, sir," repeated the helmsman, after the manner it
+was done on board the Blanche and the Guardian-Mother. "While you were
+dickering for water, Captain Scott, I noticed a change, a drop, in the
+barometer. Did you observe it?"
+
+"No; but I noticed that the wind was backing," replied Scott, rushing
+to the barometer, which was suspended by the side of the starboard
+door. "That felucca is going west, and she has the wind on her port
+beam.
+
+"What do you mean by backing, Captain?" asked Louis, who was standing
+at the door of the pilot-house.
+
+"When a west wind shifts against the sun, or works round towards the
+east through the south-west and south, sailors call it backing,"
+replied the captain, who was as fond as the average young fellow of
+telling what he knew.
+
+"I have heard old farmers talk about the wind backing round, and I knew
+that it was towards the south when it did this thing; but I did not
+know that the sun had anything to do with it," added Louis.
+
+"The sun moves from east to west, as it must if it rises in the east.
+From east to south would be _with_ the sun; but from west to south and
+to east would be _against_ the sun," continued the captain.
+
+"That's so," added Morris; "and there is a couplet about it:--
+
+    'When the wind shifts against the sun,
+    Trust it not, for back it will run.'"
+
+"The barometer has dropped, and I see that the felucca has all the
+breeze she can take care of," said Scott, as he looked at the Spanish
+craft. "The wind is backing to the southward; and before night we shall
+know what sort of a sea-boat the Maud is."
+
+"Dinner is all ready, Captain Scott," Pitts announced at the port door.
+
+"That means the captain and Flix," added Scott, "for they are off watch
+just now. Here, Pitts, we must have the meal hours fixed a little
+differently. It is half-past twelve now, and the watch ought to dine
+before they come on duty."
+
+"That would make the dinner hour come at half-past eleven, sir,"
+replied the steward, "and the other meals at very odd times, sir."
+
+"No matter for the oddity. Hereafter, breakfast at half-past seven,
+dinner at half-past eleven, and supper at half-past five," said Captain
+Scott. "Then either watch will have half an hour for a meal before it
+goes on duty, and the one relieved can have all the time they want. If
+we find that half an hour is too much time, we can put the time ahead
+ten minutes."
+
+"The hours you have named are those used in the navy and on board the
+Guardian-Mother for the ship's company," added Louis.
+
+Roast beef with a few vegetables and a pudding was the dinner, and it
+was highly approved by both watches. The meal was hardly finished by
+the port watch before all hands became thoroughly conscious of a change
+in the mood of the Mediterranean Sea, for the little steamer had begun
+to roll as though she intended to make a complete somerset. With her
+course about east and the wind south, she spent more than half of her
+time in the trough of the sea, which is a very uncomfortable place to
+be in, especially in a small steamer like the Maud.
+
+It would not be called a very heavy sea, and it was the direction of
+the wind rather than the quantity of it which made it uncomfortable
+on board. The water slopped in over the bulwarks, and Captain Scott,
+like a prudent shipmaster, made a survey of the deck, taking with him
+Felix and Don. The scuttles over the run and forecastle were secured in
+their places, and everything put in order for a gale.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXXI
+
+                 CAPTAIN SCOTT SETS A REEFED FORESAIL
+
+
+The Mediterranean had very suddenly lashed itself into a fury. Nothing
+movable would stay in place, and everything had to be secured.
+Rope-yarns were in great demand; and Captain Scott had done everything
+possible for the safety of the property on board, in the pilot-house,
+on deck, and in the cabin. At first everything in the galley was
+pitched into heaps; but Pitts had brought order out of confusion there.
+
+By the middle of the afternoon watch, with Morris and Louis on duty,
+everything had been put in order; for after the captain and Felix
+believed that all was safe, something would break loose and need
+further attention. The water-casks had given them the most trouble.
+Felipe and Pitts had assisted them in putting the half-casks back
+into the run and securing them there; but the full ones, containing
+fifty gallons each, were more troublesome. They were blocked up in the
+standing-room, and made fast with strong ropes; but they still had an
+inclination to break away.
+
+Louis Belgrave had the wheel from four bells, or two o'clock; and he
+found he had his hands full, and that it required no little of his
+strength to manage it. He had seen several heavier gales than the
+present, when the Guardian-Mother knocked about quite as much as the
+Maud in the more tremendous seas of the Atlantic. Felipe had sailed in
+the Maud more than any other person on board; but he appeared to be the
+only one who was at all alarmed at the situation, though he had made
+the voyage from Mogadore to Funchal and back, and at the time when he
+took his final leave of the Pacha; but he had never been at sea in her
+in a gale.
+
+At about every roll of the little steamer the sea broke over the
+bulwarks and swept over the bow and stern where there was no deck-house
+to obstruct its passage. Every door, window, or other opening had been
+closed and securely fastened, and thus far no water had found its way
+into the inside of the boat. As long as the engine did not break down
+Captain Scott had no fears for the safety of the Maud, uncomfortable as
+she was to those on board in such a gale.
+
+The little steamer had two masts, and she was rigged as a schooner;
+but they appeared to be more for ornament than for use. A mainsail,
+foresail, and jib were stowed away in the forecastle; but it was
+doubtful if they had ever been bent on. The rigging and spars certainly
+added to the nautical effect of the craft; and they afforded an
+opportunity for the display of flags, for the gaffs on each mast were
+secured in place aloft by the vangs. The American flag had been set at
+the main peak during the voyage to Tangier; though, as anything but a
+tender of the ship, she was not legally entitled to use it.
+
+"Well, Louis, what do you think of this?" said Captain Scott, who had
+watched his opportunity when the starboard side of the steamer was
+under water to open the port door of the pilot-house wide enough to
+enable him to enter.
+
+"I think it is a tolerably fresh breeze," replied the young
+millionaire, as he heaved the wheel over to meet a big billow. "It
+makes a lively time in a steamer no larger than the Maud."
+
+"It is a regular muzzler," added the captain. "But I have been out in
+a gale as heavy as this one in the Seahound; and she was not as big as
+the Maud."
+
+"It is not comfortable; and I suppose that is about the worst that can
+be said of it."
+
+"She is all right as long as the engine holds its own; and both Felipe
+and Don say there is no danger of its giving out," said the captain. "I
+suppose it is all right; but I wish we had another string to our bow."
+
+"What other string could we have to our bow?" asked Louis, giving his
+companion an inquiring glance.
+
+"The sails; and I wish I had thought to bend them on before we left
+Gib, or this forenoon, when we had nothing under the canopy to do but
+bite our finger-nails."
+
+"I dare say it would be well to have them ready for use as a last
+resort," suggested Louis.
+
+"As something more than that, though it would be exceedingly convenient
+to be able to set a reefed foresail in case the engine should break
+down. I have been thinking of bending on the foresail since it came on
+to blow heavily."
+
+"You have no use for it yet; for Felipe says the Pacha had everything
+about the craft built twice as strong as was necessary, and I have no
+fear of the engine," replied Louis.
+
+"If the sails were bent on, I should have set a reefed foresail, and
+perhaps a reefed mainsail, before this time," continued the captain.
+"It would steady her a great deal if nothing more, for I do not believe
+we are making our ten knots an hour just now."
+
+Captain Scott sat on the divan, and appeared to be considering the
+expedient he had mentioned. A few minutes later he announced his
+intention to bend on the foresail, and he made his exit with the same
+precaution he had used in entering. He called Felix, Pitts, Morris, and
+Don to assist in the work, after he had been into the forecastle by the
+way of the engine and fire rooms. He overhauled the sails, and found
+the one he wanted.
+
+Pitts carried it on deck, and it was passed up to the promenade deck,
+as they called the roofs of the deck-houses. The foremast was between
+the galley and the pilot-house. The gaff was lowered; and Scott and
+Pitts, who were both sailors, lashed the head of the sail to it. The
+mast-hoops were all in place, and the inner-leach was readily secured
+to them. Felix and Don, who were not sailors, had enough to do in
+holding on at the sail to keep the wind from whipping it out of the
+hands of the operators.
+
+The promenade deck was swept by floods of spray all the time, and the
+party had not been there five minutes before they were wet to the skin;
+but no one minded this, for the weather was quite warm, the wind, fresh
+as it was, coming from the burning sands of Africa.
+
+The tack was secured, and the clew hauled out to the end of the boom.
+The foot of the sail was then lashed down, and the work was finished,
+though it had taken an hour and a half to do it. The two sailors then
+overhauled the sheet and the halyards to see that they were in working
+order. Pitts had brought up some "slush," or grease, which was applied
+where it was needed.
+
+A single reef was then put in the sail, and then a second upon the top
+of it, so that the last could be turned out if the craft would bear
+more sail. Captain Scott then stationed his force so that none of them
+would be knocked overboard by the thrashing of the sail, which was then
+hoisted with no little difficulty. The sheet was hauled in and made
+fast to the lower block, which moved on a traveller.
+
+[Illustration: "THE SAIL WAS THEN HOISTED WITH NO LITTLE
+DIFFICULTY."]
+
+The wind was square on the beam, and filled the reefed sail. The blast
+laid the steamer down to the plankshear; but she rallied after the
+first shock, and did not heel over as much as the captain supposed she
+would. The effect was very satisfactory, and the Maud went along much
+steadier than before.
+
+"What do you think of it, Pitts?" asked the captain, and all the party
+were holding on at the stays of the smoke-stack.
+
+"She behaves like a dandy, sir," replied the steward. "She would carry
+the foresail with only one reef in it."
+
+"That is just what I was thinking," added Scott. "What is more, I am
+going to turn out the second reef, and let her go it with one."
+
+"It won't be an easy thing to do with the wind on the beam, sir,"
+suggested Pitts. "If you spill the sail, sir, the boom will run out so
+as to make a hard job of it, sir."
+
+"I was thinking of that," replied the captain, as he went forward, and,
+bending down over the front of the pilot-house, yelled to Louis at the
+wheel to head the steamer up into the wind.
+
+"Ay, ay, sir!" screamed the helmsman; and in a moment more the Maud was
+pitching into the head sea, and the reefed foresail was flapping in the
+gale.
+
+The second reef was turned out in a minute or two, and the order was
+sent down by Morris for Louis to come up to the course again. The sheet
+remained as before, and the sail filled as the Maud came about. As it
+was done gradually there was no shock as before, and the steamer soon
+came to her bearings. She heeled over more than before, but not much,
+and her motion was decidedly steadier.
+
+At four o'clock Louis rang eight bells, and the watches were to be
+changed. It was the turn of the starboard watch, and the captain's
+trick at the wheel. He directed Felix, his watch-mate, to keep the
+lookout on the promenade deck where he could see the sail and keep it
+in trim, for he was sailor enough to do this, though he was not an able
+seaman. The rest of the party descended to their places below.
+
+"Well, Louis, what do you think of it now?" asked the captain, as he
+went into the pilot-house on the lee side.
+
+"I think you have greatly improved the situation, Captain Scott."
+
+"I feel perfectly happy, my boy," replied Scott, who appeared to be
+considerably exhilarated as he took the wheel from the hands of Louis.
+"I seem to know where I am now better than I did before. The engine may
+break down now if it is so disposed, and I can snap my finger in its
+face, for we have sail enough to keep the Maud on the top of the water
+if anything happens to the machinery."
+
+"You were certainly born to be a sailor, Captain," replied Louis, as he
+seated himself on the divan.
+
+"I believe that with all my might, and this experience is worth a
+hundred dollars a day to me," answered Scott.
+
+"Call it fifty," laughed the other.
+
+"It is very valuable to me, whatever you call it in figures. I have a
+big ambition in this direction; and it is bigger now than it was before
+I became a decent fellow. I think Captain Ringgold will make a man of
+me."
+
+"It looks as though he had already done so," added Louis.
+
+"Perhaps he has not finished his work yet. We are going along very
+nicely now, my hearty."
+
+"We are indeed. The Maud rolls a good deal"--
+
+"You don't expect her to go along on an even keel in such a sea as
+this, do you?" interposed the captain.
+
+"Certainly not; she is behaving very well."
+
+"She is behaving like a lady in a ballroom!" exclaimed Scott with
+enthusiasm. "She has a good deal of motion, like the belle of the
+waltz; but her motion is poetry."
+
+"She is waltzing along very well."
+
+It was the first dog watch. Pitts could not get up a regular dinner,
+for the pots and pans would not stay on the galley; but he gave the
+ship's company enough to eat. The racks, or "fiddles," on the table
+in the cabin kept the dishes in tolerable order. After the meal the
+captain called all hands, and succeeded in heaving the log, which, to
+his astonishment, gave thirteen knots. He concluded that there must be
+some mistake, and he repeated the operation with the same result.
+
+"I don't understand it, Don," said he. "Have you been driving the
+engine?"
+
+"The last time I looked at the revolutions, I thought she must be
+making about eleven knots," replied the second engineer. "The furnace
+has a big draught in this wind, and the sail helps her a couple of
+knots."
+
+The captain did not object to the speed. The steamer went along without
+incident or accident, and by this time the ship's company had become
+accustomed to the motion. Southerly storms are not usually of long
+duration, and at midnight the gale broke, though the sea was still
+disturbed. The watches were regularly kept, the lookout man attending
+to the sail on the upper deck. In the morning the wind had shifted to
+the south-west.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXXII
+
+                    THE MEETING OF THE TWO STEAMERS
+
+
+"Where are we now, Captain Scott?" asked Louis, who had just finished
+his breakfast, as he went into the pilot-house to relieve the starboard
+watch.
+
+Morris was with him, and he took the wheel according to the programme
+which had been laid down in the beginning of the voyage. This was at
+eight o'clock on the second morning of the trip. The captain had his
+chart table in use when they entered, with Felix at the wheel.
+
+"Where are we now is the question; and I can't guess the conundrum
+exactly, for I don't know how fast we have been running during the
+night," replied Scott. "Our standard speed is ten knots an hour; but
+the log last evening showed that we were doing three knots better than
+that."
+
+Then he looked at a station-bill he had made out in pencil which was
+tacked to the starboard door for the want of a better place. It showed
+all the watches, who served on them, the number of hours from Europa
+Point, from which the departure was made, and the number of miles run
+at the end of each watch, figured at the standard speed.
+
+"We are thirty-two hours out, and have run three hundred and twenty
+miles, or ought to have run only that; but in the last twelve hours
+we have probably made from twenty-four to thirty-six miles more than
+that," continued the captain. "I will heave the log after breakfast,
+and that will give us a better idea, for we are still carrying the
+reefed foresail. Morris reported to me when he was relieved by the
+morning watch that he had started the sheets about two bells. We have
+the wind on the starboard quarter now, and it must help her somewhat. I
+should say that we had made three hundred and forty-four miles."
+
+"Land, ho!" shouted Felix, who had gone out on the deck.
+
+"Where away?" demanded Scott.
+
+"On the beam," replied Felix.
+
+"That is just where it ought to be," added Scott, as he turned to his
+chart. "We must be off Magrowa Point, where the mountains are close to
+the shore. Three hundred and forty-four miles must be the figure."
+
+The captain and Felix went to breakfast, after which the log was heaved
+and it gave twelve knots. The Maud was now going along with comparative
+steadiness. The gale had entirely subsided, though the sea was not yet
+reduced to its former smooth condition. There was a gentle breeze, and
+Scott ordered the reef in the foresail to be shaken out. Don declared
+that they had burned too much coal while the wind was so fresh, and
+that they had reduced the quantity.
+
+At four bells, when Louis took the wheel, the log was tried again, and
+it appeared that the old standard of ten knots had been restored in
+spite of the sail. But Scott had bent on the mainsail and jib while he,
+Felix, and Don were off watch, assisted by the steward. He had set all
+sail, and then the log gave eleven knots. He had hardly completed the
+job before the starboard watch were called to dine before they took
+the deck at eight bells. Morris was the lookout on the promenade deck,
+attending to the sails also.
+
+"Sail, ho!" shouted he, standing over the pilot-house.
+
+"Where away?" demanded Louis.
+
+"Directly astern of us!" cried Morris.
+
+Pitts carried this report to the cabin. Louis had no chance to observe
+the sail, and he passed the glass up to his watch-mate. Morris examined
+the distant sail with the instrument, and he could see only her masts
+and sails; but a streak of black smoke in the air indicated that she
+was a steamer. She was hull down, and he could not make out anything
+about her. But it was soon evident to him that the sail was gaining
+rapidly on the Maud.
+
+Louis struck eight bells, which was noon this time, and the captain and
+Felix appeared on time. He wrote "386 miles" on his station-bill as the
+distance the Maud had made at the end of the forenoon watch. He took
+the wheel, and then asked about the sail which had been reported. All
+that was known was stated to him; but he could make nothing of it.
+
+"I don't know when the Guardian-Mother left Gib, and of course I can't
+tell when she will overhaul us," said he. "She must have got off some
+time yesterday forenoon, and it is time that she was up with us. On the
+upper deck, Flix, watch the sails, and keep a lookout for the steamer
+astern."
+
+After Felix and Morris had dined they hastened to the promenade deck;
+they were interested in the sail astern, for it had been already
+demonstrated that it was steering the same course as the Maud. In a
+couple of hours more, her burgee, which had evidently been set for a
+purpose, could be distinguished.
+
+"It's the Guardian-Mother as sure as that my mother was born in
+Ireland!" exclaimed Felix, who was the lookout man, and had the glass,
+which he passed to Louis as soon as he had satisfied himself.
+
+"The sail is the Guardian-Mother!" he shouted over the pilot-house.
+
+"I don't believe those on board of her will know the Maud," suggested
+Morris. "They never saw her carrying sail, and she will look like a
+strange sight to them."
+
+"Captain Ringgold will make her out in good time," added Louis.
+
+In half an hour the steamer astern was within a quarter of a mile of
+the Maud. At this time Pitts and Don came on the upper deck with the
+order from the captain to take in sail, which the former delivered to
+Morris as the first officer, and he had already hauled down the jib. It
+was an easy matter to furl the sails compared with what it had been to
+set them, and the stops were soon put on the after sails. There was no
+longer any need of the party on the upper deck, and they descended to
+the forecastle.
+
+By this time the Guardian-Mother was abreast of the Maud, and hardly a
+biscuit's throw from her. In this position she stopped her screw, and
+Captain Scott rang one bell for the same purpose.
+
+"Maud, ahoy!" shouted Captain Ringgold from the officer's promenade,
+where all the cabin party were seated.
+
+"On board the Guardian-Mother!" returned Captain Scott.
+
+"How goes it?" asked the commander of the ship, putting a general
+question which covered everything.
+
+"All well, sir!" answered the captain of the Maud.
+
+The sea was still too rough to permit the two vessels to come
+alongside each other; but it was seen from the little steamer that
+the Guardian-Mother was lowering the first cutter into the water,
+and in a few minutes that her crew were pulling to the consort, with
+the commander in the stern-sheets. The gangway was rigged out on the
+starboard quarter, for it was not a fixture as on board of larger
+steamers. No one was required at the helm or engine of the Maud, and
+all hands gathered in the standing-room to give the commander an
+appropriate welcome.
+
+The only proper salute that came to the mind of Captain Scott was
+three cheers, which he called for, and they were given with decided
+enthusiasm. No one could blame the young commander of the little
+steamer for feeling very much exhilarated as the time came for him
+to make his first report of the cruise. He had brought his craft
+safely through a smart gale in as good condition as when she had left
+Gibraltar. If he was proud of the achievement, as he certainly was, he
+had sufficient foundation for an honest pride.
+
+The cutter came up to the gangway on the lee side, and Captain Ringgold
+ascended to the deck, which was not a long journey, for the Maud sat
+low in the water. The ship's company stood in a group, with Captain
+Scott in front of them as the commander came over the rail. He went
+directly to the captain, who was the first to be saluted in virtue of
+his office, and took him by the hand.
+
+"We did not recognize the Maud when we first made her out," said
+Captain Ringgold. "We never saw her under sail before; but she looked
+quite natural after you had furled everything."
+
+Without waiting for any reply, the commander shook hands with Morris,
+Louis, and Felix, and nodded to the two engineers.
+
+"Well, Captain Scott, I did not find you exactly where I expected to
+overhaul you, for you are about twenty-five miles farther along than I
+supposed you would be," continued the captain of the Guardian-Mother.
+
+"We were rolling very heavily in the gale, sir, and I bent on the
+foresail, which made things easier on board; and as the wind was fair,
+we made twelve and thirteen knots an hour for about ten hours."
+
+"It was a smart gale; and when I did not find you where I expected, I
+was a little anxious about you this forenoon. How does the Maud behave
+in heavy weather, Captain Scott?"
+
+"Like a lady, sir; of course she does a great deal of rolling on
+account of her size, but she stood it very well, and kept up her speed
+in spite of the knocking about she had."
+
+"I suppose you have become a sailor by this time, Louis," added Captain
+Ringgold, turning to the young millionaire.
+
+"Not much of a sailor, sir," replied Louis.
+
+"You must be full-fledged, Mr. Woolridge, after the experience of the
+last thirty-six hours," he added.
+
+"I tried to do my duty, sir," answered Morris, rather startled to hear
+himself mistered,-- a distinction to which he was entitled as mate,
+though the big four had been more familiar with him.
+
+"Mrs. Belgrave and Mrs. Woolridge were somewhat worried about you
+during the gale; but Mr. Boulong will take you to the ship, Louis and
+Morris, while I am arranging things with the captain for the future,"
+said the commander. "You will return in an hour."
+
+The first officer of the Guardian-Mother took the hands of the young
+gentlemen as he received them in the cutter, and listened with interest
+to a brief account of their voyage. In return he told them the news
+from the steamer, and told them what had passed between Captain
+Ringgold and the Pacha. But the time was too short to say much, and in
+a few minutes both of them were in the arms of their mothers, after
+which there was a general shaking of hands with the other passengers.
+
+"I don't see that we have any occasion to go to Malta," said the
+commander to the captain of the Maud, after the departure of the
+cutter. "We can take that in at another time. Have you had any trouble
+of any kind on board?"
+
+"None whatever, sir," replied Scott, hardly understanding the meaning
+of the question.
+
+"Boys will sometimes get up ill-feeling and even quarrels among
+themselves when they are off on their own hook," added Captain Ringgold
+with a smile.
+
+"There has not been a particle of trouble of any kind, or anything
+like ill-feeling," protested Scott very warmly. "Every one has obeyed
+orders, and when I bent on the foresail in the gale all were ready
+to work, whether they were on watch or not. It was a hard job on the
+promenade deck, which would not hold still a moment, and where we were
+wet to the skin with every spray that flopped over her. I have not
+heard a growl or a grumble since we sailed from Gib. Pitts and Don have
+done all kinds of work, and done it cheerfully."
+
+"Your report is excellent, Captain Scott. I have been considering
+whether or not I should hoist the Maud on the upper deck of the ship,"
+replied the commander.
+
+"Of course I haven't anything to say about that sir; but I believe I
+could go around the world in the Maud. Our casks leaked all the water
+out, and we had to get a fresh supply off Alboran;" and Scott detailed
+the meeting with the felucca.
+
+"You have done so well, and got along so pleasantly, that I will not
+take the Maud on board of the ship, and you shall proceed on the
+voyage."
+
+Captain Ringgold marked the course for the Maud on the chart to
+Constantinople. Louis and Morris returned to the little steamer at the
+end of the hour, and both vessels proceeded on the voyage.
+
+
+
+
+                            CHAPTER XXXIII
+
+                  THE PROFESSOR'S LECTURE ON ALGERIA
+
+
+It would require several volumes to detail all the particulars of the
+daily life of the big four on board of the Maud during the long voyage
+from the point where the two vessels had met to Constantinople, where
+Captain Ringgold had decided to make his next stay of any length. The
+routine of duty and the ordinary experience of the young Americans
+afloat have been described so that the reader can understand how the
+days were passed on board of the Maud.
+
+Captain Ringgold had decided that the Guardian-Mother and her consort,
+as the Maud had now come to be called, should keep together, the
+former regulating her speed by that of the latter. At the same time
+the commander had marked out the course on the chart of Captain Scott,
+so that he could proceed on the voyage alone if by any accident they
+should be separated.
+
+This course was along the coast of Africa, passing Algiers and Tunis,
+as far as Cape Bon; then stretching across to Cape Passaro, the
+south-eastern point of the island of Sicily, leaving Malta on the
+right. From this cape the course was east for about four hundred
+miles to the southern capes of Greece, and passing through the channel
+between the island of Cerigo and the mainland into the Archipelago,
+where the course would generally be north-east to the Dardanelles.
+After going through this strait and the Sea of Marmora, the little
+squadron would arrive at its destination at the city of the Sultan.
+
+Perhaps Captain Ringgold was a little facetious about it, but he called
+this voyage running away from Ali-Noury Pacha; and it is certain that
+Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge were very much relieved after the steamer left
+Gibraltar, where the Fatimé was still at anchor. But the need of coal
+and fresh provisions would require that some calls should be made at
+the various ports on or near the course.
+
+The commander had consulted his passengers frequently in regard to
+where they should go and what they should do. They always protested
+that they should be happy wherever the commander took them; but now
+that the danger of encountering the Pacha appeared to be removed, they
+expressed their minds more freely, though they often changed them.
+
+"I suppose we are going over some of this ground, or rather this water
+again, are we not?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"I think not," replied Captain Ringgold.
+
+"But we all want to see something of Algiers," added the lady.
+
+"Algeria is French now; but I have never been there," added Professor
+Giroud.
+
+"It is only about eighty miles to Captain Scott's red cross off
+Algiers, and we shall be up with it at midnight; but as you desire
+to visit the place, we will go there," replied the commander; and he
+ordered the course to be changed a point to the southward.
+
+"Algiers" was spelled out with the signal flags for the Maud; and she
+replied that the message was understood. At two o'clock in the morning
+the Guardian-Mother stopped her screw off the red and green lights
+placed at the ends of the two moles that enclose the inner harbor, and
+the Maud followed her example. The city is built partly on a hill five
+hundred feet high, and partly on the low ground in front of it. It is
+on the west side of a bay between Capes Caxine and Matifou, on each of
+which is a light.
+
+In the early morning the ship led the way into the harbor, and stopped
+at the approach of the quarantine boat. The Maud placed herself
+alongside the Guardian-Mother, and the doctor boarded her first. He
+addressed Captain Scott in French; but Louis, who could speak the
+language nearly as well as he could English, hastened to his relief. He
+stated that the little steamer was the tender of the big one, which was
+a yacht on a pleasure voyage. The Frenchman laughed, was exceedingly
+polite, and hastened on board of the principal vessel.
+
+She had a clean bill of health, and being a yacht, the custom-house
+officers, who soon appeared, had no duties to perform or exact. The
+big four breakfasted on board of the ship, and it was a pleasant
+reunion after the separation. After the meal the party gathered on
+the promenade. Blanche Woolridge manifested a great deal of pleasure
+at meeting Louis again, and he assisted her to mount the steps to the
+upper deck, and provided her with a chair, taking a seat beside her;
+and neither her father nor mother frowned at this act of courtesy.
+
+Somewhat to the astonishment of the company, as soon as they were all
+seated where they could see the upper and the lower city spread out
+before them, Professor Giroud took a position in front of them. Without
+saying anything to others, the commander had invited him to tell them
+something about Algérie, as it is called in French.
+
+"I obey the order of the commander of the Guardian-Mother in standing
+up before you to say something about Algérie; and I hope I shall not
+be so dry as to tire you out in half an hour," the scholar of the ship
+began; and he was answered with a round of applause in which all the
+ladies joined. "Algérie was formerly a part of the Turkish Empire; but
+the French have conquered it and made it a colony of my country, and
+extended its boundary about two hundred miles farther to the south. Its
+area is said to be a hundred and sixty thousand square miles; but that
+is only an estimate. As our good captain would add, it is nearest in
+size to the State of California, and about four times as large as the
+State of Virginia.
+
+"The population is estimated at 2,600,000, considerably more than half
+of them being Europeans, mostly French. About one-fifth of the country
+is under cultivation; and some of it is very fertile, especially in the
+river valleys. If you look at your maps you will see that the Barbary
+States--Morocco, Algérie, and Tunis--are crossed by mountain ranges
+quite near the coast, as on the west coast of South America, so that
+there can be no large rivers in them.
+
+"Algiers, Bona, and Oran are the principal cities. The provinces with
+these names are extremely fertile, and were formerly the granaries of
+Italy. The Southern parts are something like the desert of Sahara,
+which they border, but contain oases, which are part of the date
+country.
+
+"The climate in some parts is very hot, but it is cool on the seashore
+and cold in the high mountains. The thermometer averages sixty-three
+in this city. The productions are the grains, resin, timber, olives,
+and dates. Oxen, sheep, and camels are the animals. French is now the
+language of the people, though Arabic and Turkish are still spoken. In
+ancient days the eastern part was the country of the Numidians, and the
+western of the Moors, or a portion of what was called Mauritania."
+
+"My favorite name," added Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"A pretty name, but with little to recommend it, madame," added the
+professor. "As Roman colonies these regions enjoyed their highest
+prosperity; but the conquest of the Vandals sent them back into a state
+of barbarism. The Mohammedans then got possession, and an improvement
+followed, and at one time the Arabian savants held the burden of the
+knowledge then in existence.
+
+"When Ferdinand and Isabella completed the conquest of Granada, the
+year that Columbus discovered America, they drove the Jews and Moors
+over into Africa. In revenge for the treatment they had received,
+they became pirates, and preyed upon their late oppressors. For this
+Ferdinand attacked them, and captured this city in 1509, fortifying the
+place. One of the Algerine princes called in Barbarossa, the famous
+pirate chief, to his assistance. He was a renegade Greek, and had
+become a Turk. This pirate turned his forces against the emir who had
+called him over, treacherously murdered him, and made himself Sultan.
+He was very successful in his wars; the Spaniards were alarmed, and
+marched out from Oran upon him. Barbarossa was taken prisoner and
+beheaded, and his brother was chosen his successor. He called in the
+aid of the Turkish government, whose armies drove the Spaniard out of
+the country. They established a system of despotism and piracy, which
+lasted till 1830. For three hundred years the nations of Europe warred
+against this piracy.
+
+"In 1815 a United States fleet defeated the Algerines, and compelled
+the dey to respect the American flag ever after. The pirates still
+exacted tribute or presents from several of the nations of Europe.
+Various outrages upon the commerce and officials of France brought on a
+war, which continued with more or less activity for thirty years, and
+was only ended by the capture of Abd-el-kader. The French have been
+engaged in extending their conquest up to the present time.
+
+"The city before you, or the beginning of it, was built in the year 935
+by an Arab chief, whose name I don't remember. The fortress you see on
+the hill, five hundred feet high, is the Casbah, and commands the whole
+city, as the deys who occupied it found it necessary to overawe their
+own subjects. You observe the lower town nearest to you, and with the
+exception of a few mosques, it consists of government and commercial
+buildings. The French occupy this part of the town, while the upper
+city is still Moorish, as its people and its inhabitants will assure
+you when you visit it; and this is the part of the city that will
+interest you most. But I think I have said enough, and perhaps too
+much."
+
+"No!" shouted Dr. Hawkes, as the professor stepped back and took his
+seat. "I have been very much interested, for I knew next to nothing
+about Algeria."
+
+"I heartily indorse the remark of my Brother Adipose Tissue," added
+Uncle Moses, and the whole party gave a round of applause as an
+expression of the general sentiment.
+
+"I see that I did wisely and well to call on the professor for this
+occasion instead of attempting the task he has done so well," said the
+commander. "But we will use our time while we have it and the weather
+is pleasant. We are not compelled to take to the barge or cutters for
+the purpose of going on shore, for we are fortunately provided with a
+tender under the name of the Maud; and I have directed the engineers
+to have her in readiness for us. We shall now be under the command of
+Captain Scott."
+
+"I can find my way to the shore, but I am not a pilot in this harbor,"
+added the captain of the Maud. "I see the custom-house, and I will
+land you there. There is not less than eighteen feet of water anywhere
+within the moles, and we can't get aground."
+
+Pitts had put the water into the half-casks, and lowered them into
+the run. They did not leak now. The velvet cushions were placed on
+the seats, and the awning stretched out for the protection of the
+passengers. The standing-room was just a pattern for them. Captain
+Scott took the wheel, and in five minutes the little steamer was
+alongside the wharf, for it was not more than three cables' length from
+the ship. The party divided into groups according to their own fancies.
+The two fat men were in sympathy, and went together. As usual, Captain
+Ringgold was the escort of Mrs. Belgrave; the professor took charge of
+Mrs. Blossom; Louis placed himself at the side of Miss Blanche, and the
+other three of the big four went by themselves.
+
+"This is nothing but a French town, Miss Blanche," said Louis to his
+companion, after they had walked a short distance. "It looks like many
+others I have seen."
+
+"I suppose you could talk with these French people, Mr. Belgrave,"
+added the young lady.
+
+"I could; couldn't you?"
+
+"I am sure I could not. I have studied French in Switzerland and in New
+York, but I cannot speak it yet."
+
+"I am afraid you don't practise it enough, Miss Blanche."
+
+"I don't practise it at all out of school, for I have no one to talk
+with. Morris can't speak French any more than I can, and mamma has
+forgotten all she ever knew."
+
+Louis spoke to her in French, and she replied to him in the same
+language. With a little assistance over hard places she got along very
+well, and declared that she was delighted with the exercise, which she
+should be glad to repeat every day.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXXIV
+
+                       ORIENTAL VIEWS IN ALGIERS
+
+
+The party from the Guardian-Mother continued their walk towards the
+upper town till they came to a large square, which was laid out with
+lime and orange trees, and surrounded by the best buildings in the
+town, which were in European style. Captain Ringgold found a hotel
+there of considerable size, which he entered, and presently returned
+with a guide who spoke English and Arabic.
+
+"This is the Place Royale," replied this man in answer to a question.
+
+"You have all sorts of people here," said the commander. "Are there
+many English here?"
+
+"Very few English and Americans; only once in a while one who comes to
+look at the city."
+
+"Most of the nations seem to be represented here."
+
+"Arabs, Moors, Jews, French, Spaniards, Germans, Italians, Maltese,
+and Turks," added the guide. "That street is Bab-el Ouad, and a little
+farther is Bab-azoun, two of the best streets in the city; and they are
+very fine."
+
+"They are built like the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, with colonnades on
+each side; but they are very narrow, like the streets of most
+Spanish and Oriental cities. Bab means street, I take it," said the
+captain, as the party stopped to look down the first of the two
+streets. "When the sun is hot that would be a very comfortable place to
+walk."
+
+After the party had spent an hour in the Place Royale, with a short
+walk in the Bab-el Ouad, the guide conducted them up a narrow and
+irregular street to the upper town, where the scene became vastly more
+interesting because it was novel and strange.
+
+"I should think we were back in Mogadore," said Mrs. Belgrave, the only
+Oriental city she or any of the other passengers had ever seen, and
+every person and object commanded their attention.
+
+The people of this section were nearly all Mohammedans, and the few
+women they saw were veiled. Most of them were fat and dumpy, for
+obesity is a chief attraction in an Oriental belle. The Nubians were
+jet black, but they were as closely veiled as those who were whiter.
+Many mosques were in sight all the time, and the commander spoke to the
+guide about them.
+
+"There are one hundred mosques and marabouts in the city," said he.
+
+"What are marabouts?" asked the captain, and all the others were
+gathered around him to hear what was said; and the natives gazed at
+them as much in wonder as the tourists at the strange sight before
+them.
+
+"A marabout is a tomb, or the sanctuary of a saint, and some of them
+are very elegant edifices."
+
+"What is this in front of us?"
+
+"That is a _mesjid_, which means a second-class mosque, as you
+Americans would say. The principal ones are called _djamas_, and some
+of them are very elegant. The tomb of a dey or a very rich pacha is
+often exceedingly fine."
+
+"The houses here are very queer, Mr. Belgrave," said Miss Blanche; "but
+they are like those we saw in Mogadore, and not at all like those in
+the lower town."
+
+"That is a French town, and I saw two or three buildings five and six
+stories high. They have earthquakes here, and I should rather be in
+one of these Moorish houses than on the sixth floor of one of those
+lofty structures," replied Louis, who had read up a little as soon as
+he returned to the ship. "These dwellings all have flat roofs, Miss
+Blanche. Do you know why that is so?"
+
+"So that the rain can get into them, I should suppose," replied the
+beautiful maiden; and not only the French but the Moors had paused to
+get a second look at her.
+
+"Hardly for that; but as soon as the sun has gone down, in the cool
+of the evening, the people pass their time on the roof. I read some
+stories by a French writer who had spent some time in Algeria, and he
+speaks of passing his evenings on the roof of the house he had hired, a
+Moorish house in Bougie, on the seashore."
+
+"These houses have no windows, as we understand the word," said
+Blanche, who was taking in all the strange sight before her. "They are
+nothing but peek-holes, with iron bars, which make them look like so
+many prisons."
+
+"These houses would not suit us any better than ours would the people
+who live in them. These narrow streets keep out much of the glare of
+the hot sun, and make the place cooler than it would otherwise be. You
+noticed the same thing in Cadiz and Seville, and it is an Oriental
+idea."
+
+"It looked very odd to see omnibuses in the Place Royale, just as we
+see them in Paris."
+
+"The French have introduced a great many improvements here; in
+fact, they have everything here as they do in France, even to the
+horse-racing, of which the Arabs are very fond, as well as the
+Frenchmen."
+
+"Where did you learn so much about Algiers, Mr. Belgrave?" asked Miss
+Blanche, bestowing a pleasant smile upon him.
+
+"I have not had time to look up much about this town; but the ship's
+library contains books treating of all the cities in the world,"
+replied Louis, who felt just as though he was floundering about in a
+sugar-bowl all the time.
+
+"Before we come to another place I want to learn something about it,
+and I wish you would put me in the way of finding what I shall want."
+
+"I will do so with the greatest pleasure if I happen to be on board
+of the ship; but I shall probably continue to be a deck-hand on the
+Maud for the next week," replied Louis; and he thought of the only
+disadvantage that came to his mind in being in another craft than the
+Guardian-Mother.
+
+"You must have fine times on board of the Maud, Mr. Belgrave."
+
+"We all have to do duty there as the officers and seamen do on board of
+the ship."
+
+"I should like to sail some of the time in the little steamer, Mr.
+Belgrave," said Miss Blanche, looking her chaperon full in the face as
+if to ascertain the possibility of such a change.
+
+"I don't believe you would be as comfortable there as you are on board
+of the ship," replied Louis, not a little moved by the suggestion of
+the young lady.
+
+"I know I couldn't live on her; but I mean to ask Captain Ringgold to
+let me spend a day on board of her," persisted Blanche.
+
+The young millionaire thought it would be absolutely delightful for him
+to take his trick at the wheel with Miss Blanche standing on the lee
+side, with the privilege of looking at her occasionally,--for he never
+permitted himself to stare at any lady,--and the idea invested the Maud
+with a new charm.
+
+The sun had become very hot in the middle of the day, and they found
+the shade of the narrow streets very agreeable as they descended the
+rough thoroughfare to the lower town. The party were all complaining of
+the heat, and the commander sent the guide to procure an omnibus for
+them.
+
+[Illustration: "THEY FOUND THE SHADE OF THE NARROW STREETS VERY
+AGREEABLE."]
+
+"The professor said the thermometer was only 63° here; but I should
+say it was 90° now, Mr. Belgrave," said Miss Blanche while they were
+waiting for the vehicle.
+
+"He spoke of the average temperature for the whole of Algeria, and
+there are snow and ice on some of the mountains. The professor only
+meant to say that it was not so hot as it might be," replied Louis, as
+the omnibus came for them. "To-day the south-west wind brings the hot
+air of the desert to Algiers."
+
+It was but a short ride to the custom-house, and the party embarked
+in the Maud. The tourists were glad enough to get on board the
+Guardian-Mother again, for it was comparatively cool under the awning
+on deck. The passengers all said they had seen enough of Algiers; for
+none of them were artists, antiquarians, or archæologists, and it would
+have been a bore for them to stay there a week, though the student of
+art or history would have found enough to occupy his time for a much
+longer period.
+
+A lighter was alongside the ship, filling up her bunkers with coal,
+and another supplied those of the Maud in the afternoon. At lunch the
+commander consulted the party in regard to their wishes. Something was
+said about putting in at Tunis by the professor; but the captain shook
+his head.
+
+"It is more than thirty miles off our course, and then at the head of a
+shallow lake nine miles farther," said he.
+
+"But it is within three miles of the ruins of ancient Carthage,"
+interposed the professor.
+
+"_Delenda est Carthago_," replied the commander, laughing. "I believe
+that means that Carthage must be destroyed, or, in other words, a war
+of extermination; and I fear we must make that of Carthage in this
+instance, for the navigation is difficult. I went there when I was a
+boy during the war in the Crimea, and I can assure you that Tunis is a
+dirty hole, though it has some fine mosques, well-supplied bazaars, and
+the palace of the Bey is magnificent; but it hardly pays to go there.
+The professor is a fine classical scholar, and he would enjoy it more
+than any of the others. But if you wish to go there, I will take the
+ship to Tunis with the greatest pleasure imaginable."
+
+"Don't go there on my account, Captain Ringgold," protested Professor
+Giroud.
+
+"I will put it to vote, and the majority shall decide," replied the
+commander, and he proceeded to do so.
+
+No one, not even the professor, voted in favor of the visit, and the
+question was decided in the negative. In the middle of the afternoon
+the captain went on shore in the first cutter to attend to the
+formality of clearing. On his return the order was given to heave up
+the anchor, and the ship's company of the Maud was sent on board of
+her. The officers took leave of the party that were to proceed in the
+ship.
+
+"I want to sail some day in the Maud, Captain Ringgold," interposed
+Miss Blanche.
+
+"Not now, I hope, for it will soon be night, and there are no
+accommodations on board of her for you," replied the captain.
+
+"No; I mean some day when the sea is not too rough," added the maiden.
+
+"There will be no difficulty at all about it, Miss Woolridge; and I
+thought of sending all my passengers on board of the Maud when we get
+to the Archipelago, for then we shall be in sight of land all the time
+among the islands. I can easily put you on board of her some morning
+when it is pleasant, and you say the word."
+
+Louis was satisfied that Miss Blanche would soon be a passenger on
+board of the Maud for a day, and he went to his duties on board of the
+little steamer. He had talked with the professor about his studies, and
+he took his books with him. The pilot was on board the Guardian-Mother,
+and the Maud was to follow her out of the harbor. The two steamers went
+to sea that night, and the weather was delightful. The rough sea had
+subsided, and the commander anticipated a prosperous voyage.
+
+He was not mistaken in his prognostication; for in four days and
+sixteen hours the steamers were off Cape Matapan, the southern point of
+Greece. The professor became enthusiastic when the name was announced;
+Dr. Hawkes and Uncle Moses, both of whom were graduates of colleges and
+interested in classic lore, were not unmoved.
+
+Off Cape Bon, which is within seventy-five miles of the island of
+Sicily, and with the exception of Spain at the Strait of Gibraltar, is
+the shortest distance between Europe and "The Dark Continent." At this
+Cape Miss Blanche was put on board of the Maud, and remained there till
+evening, greatly to the beatification of the millionaire deck-hand.
+Two days later the visit was repeated, this time in company with
+Mrs. Belgrave; and they were on board of the Maud when she made Cape
+Matapan.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXXV
+
+                     THE ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE
+
+
+Since the departure from Algiers the weather had been like a dream of
+paradise. The African winds came over water enough to cool them, and
+the thermometer on the deck of the Guardian-Mother stood at seventy,
+hardly varying from that during the day. Across the Ionian Sea, between
+Sicily and Greece, the sea was somewhat disturbed, but not enough to
+make it uncomfortable, even on board of the Maud.
+
+"I think this is perfectly delicious!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave, as the
+little steamer was passing Cape Matapan about noon.
+
+"Nothing could be finer," replied Captain Scott, who had just been
+relieved by the port watch.
+
+Morris was at the wheel, and Louis had seated Miss Blanche on the
+forecastle, where he was keeping the lookout. Pitts was busily engaged
+in getting up a dinner as elaborate as the resources of the little
+steamer would permit for the guests on board.
+
+"You seem to know all the land and all the water in this part of the
+world as well as Captain Ringgold, Captain Scott," said Mrs. Belgrave,
+after they had passed the Cape.
+
+"Why should I not? I have never been here before, but my chart puts me
+in possession of all it is necessary to know in connection with the
+navigation," replied the captain, flattered by the remark and not less
+by the smile of the lady. "We have to cross the entrance of the Gulf of
+Kolokythia now; but it is not more than twenty miles wide, and then we
+go into the Cervi Channel."
+
+"Dinner all ready for the starboard watch, Captain Scott," said Pitts,
+presenting himself in the standing-room.
+
+"Where is Miss Blanche?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"She is keeping the lookout with Louis," replied the captain with a
+significant smile. "The steward will call her."
+
+"I will call her myself," replied the lady as she went forward, where
+she found Blanche looking through a spy-glass at the shores of Greece
+under the direction of Louis, who held the end of the glass. "Come to
+dinner with the starboard watch, Miss Blanche."
+
+"I don't want any dinner yet, Mrs. Belgrave, for I wish to find the hut
+of the hermit of whom Captain Ringgold told us this morning."
+
+"You will not find it here, for the hermit lived on Cape Malea," said
+the lady with a merry laugh. "Besides, they don't keep a restaurant on
+board the Maud, and have 'meals at all hours.'"
+
+"But the port watch must have meals at all hours; and I have already
+accepted an invitation to dine with Mr. Woolridge, the distinguished
+first officer of the Maud, and the equally distinguished deck-hand
+without any handle to his name whom you call Louis, and I call Mr.
+Belgrave."
+
+The young lady had her own way, and dined with the port watch to the
+great satisfaction of the young millionaire deck-hand. The dinner was
+late on account of the extra preparations made for the guests, and did
+not conform to the usual hours. The dinner was very creditable to the
+skill of Pitts; and Miss Blanche enjoyed it quite as much as Louis,
+though it was doubtless a very tame affair to Morris, who was not
+elevated to the seventh heaven by the circumstances.
+
+The Maud sped on her course, and was in the middle of the gulf with the
+Greek name when the port watch finished the dinner, and Louis returned
+to his post on the forecastle; but the young lady seemed to prefer this
+part of the deck, and accompanied him. The captain and Felix returned
+to the standing-room when they were relieved, for they had served out
+of course on account of the lateness of the dinner hour.
+
+"I suppose you begin to feel at home here, Flix," said the captain as
+they seated themselves opposite Mrs. Belgrave. "I believe you have
+always claimed to be a Greek, though you were born in America."
+
+"Is it a Grake? Upon me worrud I am a Grake from Kilkenny," replied
+Felix; Mrs. Belgrave, who had known him from his childhood, always
+laughed when he spoke the Milesian dialect, and he used half a dozen
+different ones.
+
+"Can you give us the Greek name of this island on the starboard hand to
+which we are coming?"
+
+"Av coorse Oi kin; sure it's Sayraygo."
+
+"I was not aware that you knew any Greek, Felix," added Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"Nayther do I know the Grake these haythins shpake out here. It's only
+the pure Grake, as it comes from Kilkenny, that Oi know."
+
+"But what is the name of the island we are coming to, Captain Scott?"
+asked the lady.
+
+"Flix told you correctly, only he pronounced it in Greek. It is Cerigo."
+
+"That's jist what Oi say, Sayraygo!" exclaimed Felix. "Sorra one uv 'em
+out here knows how to shpake Grake."
+
+Louis had to take the wheel at four bells, and Miss Blanche resumed
+her place on the lee side of him, precisely as he had imagined the
+scene beforehand. She remained there till eight bells, when the port
+watch was relieved. At three whistles, about three bells, the steamer
+stopped, and the second cutter came for the two lady passengers. The
+young lady declared that she had had a delightful time all day when she
+met her mother at the gangway.
+
+The next day, while the little fleet were sailing through the
+Archipelago, the entire party went on board of the Maud, and passed the
+day with the big four. They chatted, laughed, and sang all day long,
+making just such a pleasure excursion of it as most of them had often
+enjoyed at home. They were so delighted that they repeated the visit
+the next day, and left the little steamer only at the entrance to the
+Dardanelles, for they could see the shores better from the deck of the
+big steamer. The night was passed on the Sea of Marmora; and they were
+all sorry when the darkness prevented them from seeing the strange
+sights that still surrounded them. The steamers had been obliged to
+slow down so as not to arrive in the night; but early in the morning
+they went into the Golden Horn.
+
+Captain Ringgold, fully appreciating the anxiety and trouble into which
+the reappearance of Ali-Noury Pacha had thrown the parents of Miss
+Blanche, had suddenly reversed his principal plan, which was to follow
+the southern coast of Europe to its most eastern point which it was
+desirable to visit. Instead of doing so, he had followed the coast of
+Africa as far as Cape Bon, and then continued to the eastward till he
+reached the Archipelago. In this manner the Guardian-Mother and her
+puny consort had sailed over two thousand miles.
+
+A great deal had been said by the boys and also by the passengers about
+the Orient; and they had certainly been cruising in the Orient the
+greater portion of the distance. The Barbary States were Mohammedan
+countries, and they had been near their shores half the time. The
+commander was sorry they had not been able to pass through the Sea of
+Marmora in the daytime; but he had slowed down so that they entered the
+Bosporus at six o'clock in the morning, and the passengers had seen the
+sun rise, which most of them were not in the habit of seeing.
+
+The entire party were gathered together in their usual place when
+they desired to see to the best advantage the surroundings--on the
+promenade, which was about seven feet higher than the upper deck. A
+pilot had been taken at the entrance to the Dardanelles, and another on
+the sea a few miles from the Oriental city.
+
+"The Bosporus here is just about one mile wide," said Captain Ringgold,
+who had now nothing to do but attend to his passengers.
+
+"What does Bosporus mean?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"It means 'Cow-ford,'" replied Professor Giroud, whom the Captain asked
+to make the explanation. "Perhaps 'Heifer-ford' would be the better
+name, for it comes from mythology. Io was the daughter of Inachus, king
+of Argos, Peloponnesus (now called the Morea), which we saw day before
+yesterday, Cape Matapan being its most southern point. She was a very
+pretty young lady, and Jupiter, as he was very apt to do in such cases,
+fell in love with her."
+
+"We haven't much time for long yarns just now, Professor," laughed the
+commander.
+
+"I will finish in a moment. Juno, who was the wife of Jupiter, properly
+enough under such circumstances, was jealous of Io, and turned her into
+a white heifer. She then caused a gad-fly to torment Io, and sent her
+wandering all over the earth. In the course of her travels she swam
+over this Strait. 'Bos' is the Latin for ox or cow. It is also said
+that the name was given because the Strait was so narrow that a cow
+could swim across it. That is all, Captain."
+
+"Thank you, Professor, for the explanation. I did not wish to hurry
+you, but I desire to point out some of the localities here. The land on
+our left is occupied by the site of the ancient city of Byzantium. We
+are now off the Seraglio, where you see the palaces. It is an enclosure
+three miles in circumference; but we shall visit it in due time."
+
+"Is that Constantinople also on our right?" asked Uncle Moses.
+
+"That is Scutari," replied the commander.
+
+"There is a lighthouse near the shore," added Miss Blanche.
+
+"It is not a lighthouse, Miss Woolridge. It is sometimes called
+Leander's Tower, and the Turks call it Kiz Kullehsi, which means
+Maiden's Tower. I suppose you have heard of a young gentleman by the
+name of Leander," added the captain, turning to Miss Blanche.
+
+"He swam the Hellespont to see Hero. Then this is the Hellespont of
+ancient times," replied the young lady.
+
+"It is not; and there is no reason to call that tower after Leander.
+The Dardanelles was the Hellespont over which he swam; and it was no
+great thing, for Lord Byron did it for the fun of it. Now we are off
+Seraglio Point, and entering the waters of the Golden Horn, which is
+simply an arm of the Bosporus, of which there are several others,
+extending about five miles inland. The water in it is very deep, and
+there is room enough for more than a thousand large ships to lie at
+anchor in its quiet waters.
+
+"Now you will leave the Bosporus on your right," continued the
+commander, as the steamer turned into the Golden Horn, closely followed
+by the Maud. "In front of you is the modern city, and the part nearest
+to us is Galata, the commercial section. On the hill is Pera, where
+the hotels are situated, and where all the foreign ministers reside.
+Farther up the Strait is Tophana, where the Sultan lives at the present
+time in a magnificent palace."
+
+In the earlier morning the party had taken its first view of
+Constantinople, and some of them had made the usual remark that it
+looked like the most beautiful city in the world. The mosques, towers,
+and minarets glittered in the rays of the rising sun, and gave it a
+glory which a walk through its streets, narrow and dirty, fails to
+realize. The pilot rang to stop the screw when the ship was near the
+shore; and she came to anchor quite near the landing, for the water was
+very deep.
+
+Both of the steamers were immediately surrounded by a multitude of
+boats, containing runners for the hotels, and men who wanted the job of
+taking the passengers to the shore. A big fat Turk, who proved to be a
+custom-house officer, came on board of the Guardian-Mother. He could
+not speak English, but addressed the captain in Italian, which is the
+language used on board of the Austrian Lloyd's steamers, which ply on
+the Black and Mediterranean Seas in great numbers.
+
+"Hotel d'Angleterre," called a man dressed like a Greek, as a boat came
+alongside the Maud.
+
+"We don't want any boat," replied Captain Scott.
+
+"Come alongside, Maud!" shouted Captain Ringgold.
+
+Scott rang the bell, and the Maud went ahead to the discomfiture of the
+boats, and the little steamer was made fast to the big one. Louis and
+Morris went on board, and were warmly received by their mothers. The
+passengers had descended from the promenade, and were seated under the
+awning, where the professor was to speak to them about Turkey.
+
+
+
+
+                             CHAPTER XXXVI
+
+                        THE CITY OF THE SULTAN
+
+
+Pitts and the engineers remained on board of the Maud, but the rest of
+her ship's company repaired to the deck of the Guardian-Mother, where
+the captain and the professor were to tell them something about Turkey.
+They had been studying geography all the time, and they had obtained
+a better knowledge of the countries visited than it would be possible
+to get from books and maps. History was to be mingled with it so far
+as practicable. The regular class in the library, consisting of Miss
+Blanche and the big four, were present, for their instruction was one
+of the principal purposes of the voyage round the world.
+
+"I suppose you all know where you are," said Captain Ringgold, rising
+from his chair.
+
+"In a horn," replied Felix.
+
+"That is the standard joke of this locality, and I heard it thirty-four
+years ago when lying at anchor where we are now," replied the commander.
+
+"I thought it would be as fresh and new as though it just came out of
+Kilkenny," added the Milesian.
+
+"No; it is a chestnut. But why is it called the Golden Horn?"
+
+"Because that's the best sort of a horn to be in," answered Felix.
+
+"Hardly. This gulf, as it properly is, extends back about five miles,
+and several streams flow into it from the Valley of the Sweet Waters.
+It gets its name from its shape, and it is called golden on account of
+the riches brought to its shores from other lands. It is a safe harbor,
+though great storms sometimes pass through the Bosporus. You can see
+that it is crossed by two bridges of boats."
+
+"With two humps in each of them," said Scott.
+
+"Those are to enable boats to pass under them; and some of the pontoons
+are drawn aside to permit the passage of large crafts. Do any of you
+happen to know the name of this country?"
+
+"Turkey; and it was named after the Thanksgiving bird," replied Felix.
+
+"The bird of which you speak is a native of Mexico, and was first taken
+to Europe by the Spaniards."
+
+"Thanks to the Spaniards, for we have eaten the bird in Europe."
+
+"The people here wouldn't know what you meant if you called their
+country by the name of the bird. Their name is Osmanli Vilaieti; but we
+do not expect you to speak Turkish, and the proper name in English is
+The Turkish or Ottoman Empire. It consists of three divisions, Turkey
+in Europe, in Asia, and in Africa. The first has thirty thousand less
+square miles than New York and Pennsylvania together. We used to
+say it had a population of fifteen millions; but it has lost Servia,
+Roumania, and Bulgaria, and a census makes it less than five. The whole
+empire is estimated at twenty-seven and a half millions.
+
+"The principal industry is agriculture, which is carried on in a very
+slipshod manner. Grain, rice, cotton, and tobacco are raised. Olives,
+grapes, figs, dates, oranges, citron, and otto of roses are largely
+exported. The ladies will find the last at the Bazaar. This is about
+the season here for the nicest grapes in the world, and you will see
+them for sale about the streets. If you wish to buy them, the money
+here is in _piastres_, worth five cents apiece, and _paras_, of which
+it takes forty to make five cents, or one-eighth of a cent apiece.
+At the hotels and foreign stores French money, which is the same as
+Italian, is used, a franc or lira passing for eighty-eight _piastres_.
+
+"The present Sultan is Abdul-Hamid II., born in 1842. In Turkey the
+eldest son does not succeed to the throne of his father, as in most
+Christian countries. The founder of the empire was Othman, who reigned
+in the thirteenth century, and his oldest male descendant succeeds to
+the crown up to the present day. When I was here the second time in
+1870, Abdul-Aziz was the Sultan. I took my hat off and bowed to him on
+his way to the mosque; but he took no notice of me. His son, Yussuf
+Izzeddin Effendi, a boy of thirteen, returned my salute, and was more
+polite than his father.
+
+"When the Sultan Aziz became the Sultan that was, to repeat an old
+joke, the boy I had seen had to step aside for his Uncle Murad, who was
+older, and therefore nearer in his descent from the original Othman.
+Murad reigned but three months, and was then deposed as an idiot; but
+he had a brother, who is the present Sultan, Abdul-Hamid II."
+
+"I thought these sultans were not married like other princes," said
+Mrs. Woolridge.
+
+"They are not; for the Imperial Harem, as it is called, is a state
+institution, and all the children born there are equal and legitimate.
+The ladies there are usually brought in from other countries,
+principally Circassia, and they are practically slaves. The Sultan does
+not contract a regular marriage as we understand the matter; but from
+the inmates of the Harem he usually selects seven, who are supposed to
+be more especially his wives. An aged lady is the superintendent of
+this institution, through whom alone any communication can be obtained
+with the outer world; and then it must be done with the guard of
+_eunuchs_, whose chief is the equal of the Grand Vizier, the principal
+officer of state, and is his superior on some occasions."
+
+The commander retired, introducing the professor.
+
+"The government of Turkey is called an absolute monarchy; but it is
+limited by the Koran and the Multeka, which is a collection of sayings
+of Mohammed and his immediate successors. The Grand Vizier represents
+the sultan, and is the head of the government as the premier is in
+England and France. Next to him is the Sheik-ul-Islam, who is the
+head of the church. There are a dozen or more ministers in the several
+departments.
+
+"The history of the Ottoman Empire is simply a record of conquests over
+other divisions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Turks originally came
+out of Tartary. It would require too much time to relate the events of
+these wars, and you may read an epitome of them in several books in the
+library. This country has long been regarded as the 'sick man,' and no
+doubt it would have been dismembered before this time if the nations
+of Europe had not been jealous of any increase of territory and power,
+each of any other. Russia would like to have Constantinople, which
+could be made the finest seaport in the world. England and France have
+been the allies of Turkey to prevent Russia from becoming too powerful
+by its acquisition. But I think you are all in a hurry to go on shore,
+and I will not detain you longer."
+
+After lunch the party went on shore in the Maud, to the great
+disgust of the boatmen. There were no carriages to be had, and they
+were obliged to walk. A steamer had just come in, and they had an
+opportunity to see how a passenger with a trunk and other baggage
+would get to his hotel in the Rue de Pera, at the summit of the hill.
+A porter with a kind of saddle on his back, having a shelf for his
+burden, rendered this service. The trunk was placed on this shelf, the
+valise and packages on the top of it, till they were piled up higher
+than his head.
+
+"That man is called a _hammal_, Miss Blanche," said Louis, who had
+placed himself at her side.
+
+"He has to carry an awful load," she replied as they followed him up
+the street, which was not more than eight feet wide, and was very wet
+and muddy. "There is a lady coming down the hill; at least, I take her
+for one."
+
+She was stout, and not very clean. She wore about the same trousers as
+the men, with a sort of long jacket and red slippers. She was closely
+veiled, and her _yashmak_ was quite thick.
+
+"She needs a veil, for she is as homely as a hedge fence," said Louis,
+laughing. "There is one who is better-looking, and her veil is not so
+thick."
+
+"What a lot of dogs!" exclaimed the young lady, as her companion shoved
+one out of her path. "I should think every person in the city kept one."
+
+"On the contrary, no one keeps a dog. They do not belong to any person,
+but every one of them has to look out for himself."
+
+A little farther along a mule was approaching with panniers on his
+back, filled with cord wood. The street at this point was not more
+than six feet wide, and they had to step into a doorway to avoid being
+knocked down. They reached the Rue de Pera, which was wider, and looked
+a little more like a street in a European city. They walked through
+a portion of it, looking in at the shop windows, till they came to
+Misserie's, as it is oftener called than Hotel d'Angleterre, its proper
+name.
+
+At this hotel Captain Ringgold procured the services of two guides who
+were to serve the tourists for the next week, and longer if needed; and
+they were to be on board of the steamer the next morning. Dimitri was
+the principal one, and was a Greek; the other was a Turk, whose name
+was Munif. Both of them spoke English, French, and Italian, as well as
+Greek and Turkish.
+
+"To-morrow will be Friday, and that is the Mohammedan Sunday, and
+you can see the Sultan when he goes in procession to the church,"
+said Dimitri. "You will need a _firman_ to visit the mosques and holy
+places."
+
+"We must certainly see the Sultan, and the procession will be a fine
+sight," added Mrs. Belgrave. "But what is a _firman_?"
+
+"It is a permit to visit the sacred places of the city, given by the
+Sultan, or in his name; and it costs five hundred _piastres_, or
+twenty-five dollars," replied the commander.
+
+"Then it is very expensive to see the sights here."
+
+"The _commissionaires_, or guides, usually make up a party of a dozen,
+so that it does not cost but about two dollars apiece. Be sure and have
+the _firman_ ready for to-morrow, Dimitri," said the captain as the
+party left the hotel, though they halted in the street.
+
+"But how are we to get about this city if there are no carriages?"
+asked Mrs. Woolridge. "The walk I had up that narrow street, through
+the mud and garbage, was quite enough for me."
+
+"We have carriages, though it is impossible for them to go through
+most of the streets; but there is a fine road at Tophana, where we see
+procession," interposed Dimitri.
+
+"Engage enough of them to seat the party," added Captain Ringgold.
+
+"There are sedans for ladies, and saddle horses for gentleman when we
+go to the Seraglio," added the guide, who hastened away to procure the
+_firman_.
+
+"There is a pedler selling grapes," said Miss Blanche, as she
+discovered a Turk with a big basket at a corner.
+
+He was dressed in full Turkish costume, and Felix insisted that he
+had escaped from some circus company. The basket looked as though it
+contained about two bushels of the fruit; but it was a fraud with a
+partition near the top, upon which the grapes were heaped up so as to
+make the greatest possible display.
+
+"We must have some of them," added Louis; but he had no Turkish money.
+
+Munif, the second guide, had attached himself to the party, and he soon
+procured a supply of it with an English shilling, and about half a peck
+of the luscious fruit was purchased. All the tourists tasted them, and
+declared they were fully equal to the recommendation the captain had
+given them. After a basket had been obtained it was filled, and the
+guide insisted upon carrying it, apparently as an excuse for going with
+the party.
+
+But most of the travellers were tired by this time, and the older
+members strolled down the hill to the landing. With the assistance of
+Munif, Louis treated Miss Blanche to a variety of Turkish confects
+and drinks. The sherbet of which they read in the Arabian Nights
+was nothing but raspberry shrub, as it is called in New England, or
+something very like it. The little cakes or rolls were strong of rancid
+grease, and the young lady could not eat the candy. They concluded that
+there was some delusion about things Oriental.
+
+Miss Blanche was tired, and Louis obtained a sedan to convey her to the
+little steamer, walking by its side down the narrow, filthy, and steep
+street.
+
+
+
+
+                            CHAPTER XXXVII
+
+                 THE SULTAN AND THE DANCING DERVISHES
+
+
+Dimitri appeared on the shore the next morning with four carriages,
+"hooded phaetons" as they called them there, each of which seated three
+persons. The commander, Mrs. Belgrave, and Scott went in the first
+one; Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge and Morris in the second; Louis, Miss
+Blanche, and Mrs. Blossom in the next, and Uncle Moses, Dr. Hawkes, and
+Professor Giroud in the last. Then it was found that Felix was left
+out, and he was put in with Morris in the second.
+
+By keeping near the water room enough was found for the phaetons, for
+it would have been impossible for them to ascend the hill on which
+Pera is situated. They reached the broad, well-made road on which the
+Sultan's palace is located. It was quite level, and different from
+anything else in Constantinople. A multitude of people had collected
+there, and all the nations of the earth seemed to be represented in the
+throng.
+
+The Imperial Guard of the Oriental potentate, or a portion of it, was
+drawn up at the side of the street. Dr. Hawkes declared they were the
+finest body of men he had seen gathered together. Of course they were
+picked soldiers, rather large in stature, and of lusty _physique_.
+They were clothed in complete Turkish costume, wearing the great
+bagging trousers and a sort of jacket, with the fez on their heads.
+The latter is worn by all the people, though there are Arabs about the
+streets who are crowned with a kind of turban.
+
+Every one of the Americans had all he could do to take in the sights to
+be seen on this brilliant occasion. Promenading the avenue were quite
+a number of carriages of various patterns; most of them were English,
+though a few of them might have been Turkish for aught the observers
+knew, the body setting on its springs, with the driver on the nigh
+horse. All of them were open, and all of them contained only ladies,
+closely veiled.
+
+"But what are these ladies, Captain Ringgold?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, who
+was more interested than at any other time during her ten months of
+travel.
+
+"I suppose they are all the wives or the property of various pachas,"
+replied the commander with a smile. "I know nothing more about them.
+This building we are passing, with no windows anywhere near the ground,
+is the harem of the Sultan; but none of his ladies are to be seen in
+the streets."
+
+"Do they stay in-doors all the time?" inquired the lady.
+
+"They have grounds inside the walls. They go to the summer palace, but
+in close carriages, so that no one can see them. Two of the four ladies
+in that carriage are young and good-looking, but the others are old
+and homely enough to bring the average down very low," said the captain.
+
+"The younger ones are the wives of a rich pacha, and the old ones are
+their duennas," said Dimitri, who was seated with the driver and could
+hear all that was said.
+
+"One of them is a beauty," added Mrs. Belgrave.
+
+"She is indeed," said Scott. "I can see all her face almost as well as
+though she did not wear the hackmatack."
+
+"The _yashmak_," laughed the captain. "In her case the veil is the
+thinnest gauze."
+
+"The old ladies did not have gauze over their faces," replied Scott.
+
+"The older and uglier the women are the thicker is their _yashmak_,"
+added Dimitri.
+
+Presently the survey of the promenaders was interrupted by the strains
+of a band of music, which were of a wild, barbaric character, quite
+different from anything they had ever heard before. A string of cavalry
+then lined the avenue on both sides, leaving the middle entirely open.
+No man must go in front of the Sultan, which is the rule of the road in
+Turkey; and the potentate appeared riding on horseback in the middle of
+the street.
+
+Abdul-Hamid II. was about fifty years old. He wore a frock coat and
+trousers in European style, but with a fez on his head. His breast was
+covered with decorations and orders of honor. The trappings of his
+magnificent horse were of the richest material, and were ornamented
+with gold. As he approached, the Imperial Guard gave a wild and weird
+yell as a salute, to which the potentate made no response even with a
+nod.
+
+The gentlemen of the party removed their caps and hats, and some of
+them bowed; but his imperial majesty made no response of any kind,
+though he glanced at the Americans. It was something more than a glance
+which he bestowed upon the inmates of the third carriage, in which Miss
+Blanche sat in her radiant beauty. The guides pointed out the four sons
+of the Sultan, the oldest of whom was about twenty and the youngest
+seven. He has also three daughters who do not appear in processions.
+
+The rest of the parade consisted of pachas dressed in the most
+magnificent costumes, and mounted on the finest horses. Dimitri called
+many of them by name, but no one was the wiser for it. The Albanians
+surpassed all the others in the elegance of their dress, and all the
+ladies would have voted for them.
+
+The Sultan and his retainers passed on to the church, and the American
+party hastened to the Rue de Pera, where the monastery of the Dancing
+Dervishes is located. Passing through a courtyard, they entered the
+vestibule of the building. Dimitri obtained several pairs of large
+slippers, which the gentlemen put on over their boots. Some smaller
+ones were procured for the ladies and young gentlemen.
+
+"What is all this for?" asked Mrs. Belgrave in a whisper.
+
+"'Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou
+standest is holy ground,'" replied Captain Ringgold. "No one must touch
+the floor of a mosque or holy place with the shoes that have been in
+the dirt. Formerly no one was allowed to enter one of these places
+without actually taking off the shoes; but the rule has been modified
+so that overshoes may be taken off, or put on, when going into one of
+them."
+
+The apartment to which they were then conducted by the guide was in
+the form of an octagon, and of considerable dimensions. The roof was
+supported by columns, which also sustained a small front gallery and
+a larger one on the side, latticed for women so that they could see
+and hear without being seen by the audience or the celebrants. Around
+the enclosure which contained the dancing-floor was a rail to keep the
+spectators at a proper distance. The visitors had to squat on the floor
+next to this rail on sheepskins, a very uncomfortable position for the
+ladies.
+
+The front gallery was occupied by a reader and the music. A prayer
+carpet was spread on the floor opposite the door, for the sheik, or
+chief, of the monastery. About twenty of the dervishes entered, one by
+one or in groups, and squatted on the floor like so many tailors. They
+were dressed in loose, brown robes, and looked very grave, as though it
+was a religious exercise, as it really was, upon which they were about
+to enter.
+
+The sheik was a venerable old man, with a long white beard, and bowed
+with age. He entered and squatted on the prayer carpet. Like all the
+others, he wore a lightish brown hat, in the shape of a flower-pot
+placed upside down on his head. There were boys, and men of eighty or
+more, though the average age appeared to be about forty. They all had
+an expression of religious enthusiasm.
+
+The sheik repeated some passages from the Koran, and then one in
+the front gallery intoned something from a book, which none of our
+party could understand. After some more sentences from the sheik, the
+dervishes followed a leader several times around the room, pausing at
+the prayer carpet, bowing low to the sheik. Two of them crossed their
+arms on their breasts, and, facing each other, bowed low. Turning on
+their heels they faced two others, and went through the same ceremony;
+and it was repeated till all had passed the carpet.
+
+When the bowing was finished, the head of the line slipped off into the
+centre of the room and began to whirl or waltz. He was followed by all
+the others, till the whole of them were gyrating in two circles around
+the circus. The music sounded like the thrumming of a banjo, with
+another instrument. When the men engaged in the service had warmed up
+they threw off their brown robes, and appeared in a suit of white, worn
+under the other. It consisted of a jacket, and a skirt reaching nearly
+to the floor.
+
+With no cessation the whirling was kept up for half an hour. Not one of
+them knocked against another, and their skirts were spread out as far
+as they could be extended. They were all barefoot, and took a regular
+step, and their movements were very graceful. The arms were elevated
+in set positions, which were uniform with all. When the whirling was
+finished, the dervishes all passed before the sheik again, the reader
+intoned more sentences, and the service was finished.
+
+"What in the world does it all mean?" asked Mrs. Belgrave when they
+were in the street.
+
+"I only know that it is a religious service, though some one told me,
+when I was here last, that it was in imitation of the revolutions
+of the heavenly bodies; but I cannot say that this is a correct
+explanation," replied the captain.
+
+Miss Blanche asked the same question of Louis, but he was not even as
+wise as the commander.
+
+"I could hardly keep from laughing," she added.
+
+"Captain Ringgold cautioned us not to laugh; for it was a religious
+ceremony, and should be treated with respect," replied Louis.
+
+By this time the tourists were tired enough to return to the ship; but
+the big four obtained permission to walk about the streets for a while,
+Munif to go with them.
+
+"If I were going to live here, the first thing I should do would be to
+kill off a lot of these dogs," said Scott, as they walked up the Rue de
+Pera.
+
+"The Turks would kill you if you did that," added Munif.
+
+"These dogs are the only scavengers that go about the streets," said
+Louis. "They don't have any swill-tubs here, but throw everything into
+the street. The dogs live on this garbage."
+
+"They starve on it then," replied Scott. "I have not seen a
+decent-looking dog among them; they are all curs."
+
+"There's a row among them," added Morris, as a tremendous howling and
+yelping was heard in the next street. "I did not suppose they had grit
+enough to fight; and they are all small dogs, lank and mangy."
+
+"There are lots of battles among them every night, more than in the
+daytime. All the dogs have quarters; and when one lot invades the home
+of another, looking for something to eat, the residents of the section
+attack them, and a hard fight sometimes follows, as I read the other
+day in Yusuf," explained Louis.
+
+"Mind your eye, Louis!" exclaimed Felix, in a low tone, grasping his
+friend on the shoulder. "Do you see that gentleman standing in front of
+Misserie's Hotel?"
+
+"I see him; but what of him?" asked Louis as all the four stopped in
+the street.
+
+"He has changed his rig; but you ought to know him," whispered Felix.
+
+The gentleman was dressed in European costume, and appeared to be less
+than thirty years old. He certainly had a very handsome face, and an
+elegant jet black beard. He was looking carelessly about him, and did
+not appear to notice the boys. A moment later he went into the hotel.
+
+"I never saw him before," Louis insisted.
+
+"Yes, you have!" exclaimed Felix. "That gentleman is Ali-Noury Pacha!"
+
+"Nonsense, Flix!" replied Louis. "If the Fatimé had come here, we
+should have seen her."
+
+"I did not say that he came here in his steamer," added Felix.
+
+"He has gone into the hotel. Come with me, Flix, and we will soon find
+out if it is he;" and Louis led the way into the house.
+
+They made their way to the reading-room, where the gentleman had seated
+himself in an arm-chair and picked up a newspaper. Keeping out of sight
+themselves, they were soon satisfied that the person was the Pacha.
+
+
+
+
+                            CHAPTER XXXVIII
+
+                   HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY
+
+
+When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris
+bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.
+These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the
+horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes. With the
+assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the
+horse. Scott and the guide attended him.
+
+"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as
+they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy
+street.
+
+"Do you believe now that the gentleman is the Pacha, my darling?" asked
+the Milesian.
+
+"I have no doubt of it," replied the young millionaire. "He is dressed
+like a Christian now; but there is no mistaking his face. He is the
+handsomest man I ever saw in my life, not only in his figure-head, but
+in his form."
+
+"I was just going to say the same thing; and he could make his fortune
+in a dime museum, with his circus clothes on, though his present dress
+shows him off to the best advantage," added Felix.
+
+"According to all accounts, he is about as bad a man as ever lived,
+in spite of his masculine beauty, and he is as rich as Crœsus; a
+Mohammedan millionaire. The Portuguese gentlemen at Funchal said that
+he travelled all over Europe, Asia, and Africa on shore or in his
+yacht, and spent his money as freely as water," continued Louis. "He is
+a man of the world in the worst sense of the term."
+
+"But how did the blackguard get here so soon?"
+
+"We have not seen the steam-yacht in which he sails since we left
+Gibraltar; but she may be in the Bosporus or Golden Horn for all that.
+We stopped a day at Algiers, and the ship slowed down to the ordinary
+speed of the Maud. But he could have come here by land in much less
+time," Louis explained.
+
+"Well, he is here, and it don't make much difference how he got here,"
+said Felix. "But Captain Ringgold took him down so thoroughly in Gib
+that I should suppose he had had enough of him."
+
+"That may be the very reason why he is here. Whether he is dressed as
+a Moor or a Christian, he has the Oriental love of vengeance in his
+bones, and his millions will enable him to gratify it at any expense,"
+replied Louis.
+
+"He is a more dangerous enemy than John Scoble, _alias_ Wade
+Farrongate, ever was. Do you suppose he means to follow us all over the
+world to get his revenge for the upsetting the captain gave him?" asked
+Felix. "He can make it lively for us, if that is his idea."
+
+"I don't know what he means to do, and I don't much care. I only
+hope the captain will not run away any more from this Mohammedan
+millionaire."
+
+When they reached the landing they found that the Maud had gone off to
+the steamer; but she returned immediately, and they went on board of
+her to wait for the coming of Scott and Morris. Presently the horse
+appeared, leading the procession, with Scott in the saddle. They
+declared that there was no fun in riding horseback at a walk, and they
+had had enough of it. Munif went off to the Guardian-Mother with them,
+as Dimitri had done before.
+
+Felix and Louis had kept their own counsel in regard to the Pacha, and
+the equestrian party had not heard a word about him. As soon as they
+went on board of the ship they hastened to the captain's cabin, where
+they found him looking over some letters he had just received. Louis
+told his story; and the commander listened to it with a frown on his
+face, as though it was not pleasant news.
+
+"Of course Scott and Morris know all about this matter?" asked the
+captain.
+
+"We kept it to ourselves," replied Louis.
+
+"That was wise; and you will oblige me by saying nothing about it to
+any one. We will continue to attend to our affairs without regard to
+the Pacha. To-morrow we are to make an excursion in the Maud through
+the Bosporus and Golden Horn, and we shall ascertain whether or not the
+Fatimé is here."
+
+Nothing more was said about the matter on board, and the next morning
+the entire party started on the excursion, the two guides attending
+them. The little steamer passed through the bridge of boats, and then
+coasted along the eastern shore, passing the navy-yard and several
+government buildings, the commander, Louis, and Felix keeping a sharp
+lookout for the Fatimé, but nothing was seen of her. After a run of
+about three miles they landed at the mouth of a stream and visited the
+mosque at Eyub.
+
+"This is Eyub; the word means Job, who was an Arabian general buried
+here twelve hundred years ago," said Dimitri, as the party landed. "The
+_firman_ will admit us to the mosque."
+
+On their return the Maud followed the other shore, and made another
+landing at a place to which Dimitri gave a name which no one could
+remember ten minutes, from which they proceeded to a Turkish cemetery,
+which was full of interest to them. The sad-looking cypress grew in
+great numbers on the grounds, as in the miles of burial-places in and
+about the city. The most of the sail back was alongside the part of the
+city called Stambool.
+
+The excursion was continued through the Bosporus to the Black Sea; and
+on the way the guides, Dimitri in the standing-room and Munif on the
+forecastle, pointed out all the castles and other objects of interest.
+They talked all the time, and the commander related some of his own
+experience in this part of the world. The Bosporus is about seventeen
+miles long. The Maud stood out a short distance into the Black Sea,
+which seemed to justify its name, for the little steamer began to jump
+on the billows so that the ladies soon saw enough of it.
+
+The excursionists took a late lunch, and then proceeded to Stambool
+in the Maud, landing at a point quite near the Seraglio. They visited
+the Mosque of St. Sophia, or Ayia Sofia as the Turks call it. A wall,
+in which are three gates, extends across the peninsula from the Sea of
+Marmora to the Golden Horn. The principal one is the imperial gate,
+called the Sublime Porte, which has given its name to the Turkish
+government.
+
+The party visited the Mosque of Solomon the Magnificent and of
+Achmet the next day. Another day was given to the walls and the
+Mosque of Sultan Bajazet. In the courtyard of the latter are immense
+flocks of doves, or pigeons, or they are there as soon as the grain
+is distributed. Birds and beasts fare better at the hands of the
+Mohammedans than men and women who become their enemies on account of
+religion or politics.
+
+A piece of money was given to an old Turk who sat near a chest, and
+he scattered a quantity of grain, precisely as the same thing is done
+in the square of St. Mark at Venice. Thousands of pigeons alighted on
+the pavement, and the food was soon all gone. More money was given by
+various members of the party; and the birds settled two or three deep
+all over the court, crowding, scrambling, and fighting for the grain.
+They had their fill that day. They were very tame, and some of them
+ate out of the hands of the excursionists.
+
+On the Sundays the ship was at Constantinople the Maud visited the
+shore to convey the party to church at the English embassy. Services
+were always held for the whole ship's company and the passengers in the
+cabin or on deck, consisting of singing, Scripture reading, prayer, and
+a sermon selected and read by the commander. On the second Mohammedan
+Sunday the party witnessed the services of the Howling Dervishes, which
+they regarded as a very disagreeable exhibition, though it was not
+prepared for them.
+
+The Bazaar was extremely interesting to the ladies and not much less
+to the others. Many purchases were made of silks, rugs, and attar of
+roses, besides curious trinkets and useful articles, for all of them
+had money enough. A ride in carriages was taken to the Palace of the
+Sweet Waters,--the one in Europe, for there is another in Asia; but the
+ideas of Oriental splendor were not realized in the buildings or the
+waters. Scott declared that there were more and finer palaces on the
+Hudson than on the Bosporus. There were plenty of buildings at home
+that could "discount" anything they had seen in the Orient.
+
+The party were kept very busy during the two weeks spent in
+Constantinople, though the sights they saw are not fully described
+in this volume.[1] By this time they began to feel that they had
+seen quite enough of this phase of the Orient; and they were looking
+forward with the most pleasurable anticipations to a change of scene,
+especially to the islands of the Archipelago and to Greece, which were
+the next regions to be visited. The Maud was regarded as an excellent
+investment by Captain Ringgold and Mr. Woolridge, for she had proved
+to be exceedingly convenient in visiting the sights of the city of the
+Sultan.
+
+[Footnote 1: In "Cross and Crescent," one of the author's "Young
+America Abroad" series, may be found a much fuller account of the
+objects of interest to be seen in Constantinople, and he is not
+inclined to repeat himself to the extent required to do justice to the
+subject.]
+
+Nothing had been seen or heard of Ali-Noury Pacha till the day
+before the Guardian-Mother sailed from the Golden Horn. The company
+then landed for a visit to the Rue de Pera to purchase a supply of
+photographs. The guides had been dismissed the day before; and they
+preferred to do their shopping without any assistance, as the latter
+generally implies a commission to be collected afterwards by the guide,
+and is included in the price paid.
+
+While those who were interested in obtaining souvenirs of their visit
+were in the stores, Captain Ringgold and Louis wandered through the
+street as far as Misserie's Hotel. They were talking about the Pacha,
+as they were alone, and wondering why they had not seen him before,
+since he was in the city. The commander had begun to doubt that he
+was there; but Louis suggested that he had probably had enough of his
+companion in Gibraltar. They were about to enter the hotel, when the
+elegant gentleman presented himself before them.
+
+He was now dressed in full Oriental costume. Probably he had come by
+Vienna and the Danube, and had worn the European garments to escape
+too much attention from observers. Louis expected that he would "pitch
+into" the commander, and he braced himself to render him an efficient
+support. He even thought he could handle the Pacha alone; for the Moor,
+though five feet eight in height, was not heavier than the American
+boy. But His Highness did nothing of the kind. On the contrary, he
+bowed very politely, and stepped back to allow the captain to pass.
+
+"Good-morning, Captain Ringgold," said he, extending his hand to him.
+
+"Good-morning, sir," replied the commander; but he did not take the
+offered hand.
+
+"Good-morning, Mr. Belgrave," he continued, quite as politely.
+
+Louis was as civil as his companion had been.
+
+"I desire to apologize to you, Captain, for my rudeness at Gibraltar,"
+continued the Pacha.
+
+"The apology is accepted, and I have no desire that you should
+humiliate yourself any further," replied the captain promptly. "But
+I wish to say that my sentiments in regard to you remain the same as
+before."
+
+"Then you are not inclined to make friends with me?" added the Moor,
+biting his lips with chagrin and disappointment.
+
+"I shall treat you like a gentleman while you behave like one."
+
+"I was extremely interested with the very agreeable party I met in
+the cabin of your steamer at Mogadore, and I should be most happy to
+continue the acquaintance. If you suppose that I have any sinister
+motives, you are greatly mistaken."
+
+"I have no ill-will against you, though you and your servants assaulted
+me in the street."
+
+"If you will consider that you insulted me, you will take a different
+view of the subject," pleaded the Pacha.
+
+"I simply expressed my views in plain language as they were then and as
+they are to-day," added the commander very mildly.
+
+"You compel me to regard you as an enemy instead of a friend," said
+Ali-Noury, beginning to look very savage.
+
+"That is my misfortune, but I cannot help it."
+
+"Then you prefer my enmity?"
+
+"I do not; but I do not tremble at even that."
+
+"I came here on a mission in the service of my august master, the
+Sultan of Morocco. I have unlimited wealth at my command, and I can be
+of great assistance to you in your tour around the world," continued
+the Moor, still biting his lip, and evidently controlling his anger by
+a great effort.
+
+"I shall be obliged to deprive myself and my friends of any aid you
+might render," replied the captain with dignity. "If you will excuse me
+now, I will attend to my own affairs."
+
+"Then I will follow you to the ends of the earth till I obtain my
+revenge!" exclaimed the Pacha, as he retreated to the interior of the
+hotel; and he was plainly too wise to attack the doughty shipmaster
+again.
+
+"What can he do, Captain?" asked Louis when they resumed their walk.
+
+"He may annoy us, and we must keep our eyes open. It looks a little
+like another edition of Scoble; but I believe we shall be able to take
+care of ourselves."
+
+The party returned to the Guardian-Mother, and nothing more was seen
+of the Moor; but at sunset they saw the Fatimé steaming up the Golden
+Horn. Captain Ringgold had made all his preparations for leaving.
+Mr. Sage had filled the ice-house with provisions, and the bunkers
+of both steamers were full of coal. At daylight in the morning the
+Guardian-Mother, followed by the Maud, was steaming out into the Sea of
+Marmora.
+
+The cabin party happened to be at dinner when the Pacha's yacht came
+in; and she was seen only by Mr. Boulong, who was on deck while the
+rest of the officers and the crew were at supper. He was requested by
+the captain to keep his knowledge to himself. In the course of the
+following week the Pacha began to make himself felt, though his yacht
+did not appear on the scene at the time.
+
+Into what adventures the big four tumbled while they were on board
+of the Maud, and all the party saw as the voyage continued, must be
+related in "The Young Navigators; or, The Foreign Cruise of the Maud."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+                      ALL-OVER-THE-WORLD LIBRARY
+
+                            By OLIVER OPTIC
+
+             _Illustrated, Price per Volume $1.25_
+
+
+                             FIRST SERIES
+
+                           A MISSING MILLION
+                  OR THE ADVENTURES OF LOUIS BELGRAVE
+
+                       A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN
+                 OR THE CRUISE OF THE GUARDIAN-MOTHER
+
+                         A YOUNG KNIGHT-ERRANT
+                    OR CRUISING IN THE WEST INDIES
+
+                         STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD
+                    OR A VOYAGE IN EUROPEAN WATERS
+
+
+                             SECOND SERIES
+
+                         AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT
+                       OR CRUISING IN THE ORIENT
+
+                         THE YOUNG NAVIGATORS
+                   OR THE FOREIGN CRUISE OF THE MAUD
+
+                         UP AND DOWN THE NILE
+                    OR YOUNG ADVENTURERS IN AFRICA
+
+                            ASIATIC BREEZES
+                        OR STUDENTS ON THE WING
+
+
+                             THIRD SERIES
+
+                             ACROSS INDIA
+                     OR LIVE BOYS IN THE FAR EAST
+
+                         HALF ROUND THE WORLD
+                       OR AMONG THE UNCIVILIZED
+
+                         FOUR YOUNG EXPLORERS
+                    OR SIGHT-SEEING IN THE TROPICS
+
+
+                    _OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION_
+
+                      ANY VOLUME SOLD SEPARATELY
+
+
+                   LEE AND SHEPARD Publishers Boston
+
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75149 ***
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+<body>
+<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75149 ***</div>
+
+<div class="titlepage">
+
+<p class="ph1"><i>All-Over-the-World Series</i></p>
+
+<h1>AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT</h1>
+
+<p>OR</p>
+
+<h2>CRUISING IN THE ORIENT</h2>
+
+<p class="ph1">By OLIVER OPTIC</p>
+
+<p>AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD" FIRST<br>
+AND SECOND SERIES "THE BOAT-CLUB SERIES" "THE GREAT WESTERN SERIES"<br>
+"THE WOODVILLE STORIES" "THE ONWARD AND UPWARD SERIES" "THE LAKE<br>
+SHORE SERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES" "THE RIVERDALE STORIES" "THE<br>
+BOAT-BUILDER SERIES" "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY SERIES" "A MISSING<br>
+MILLION" "A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN" "A YOUNG KNIGHT-ERRANT" "STRANGE<br>
+SIGHTS ABROAD" ETC.</p>
+
+<p>BOSTON<br>
+LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS<br>
+10 MILK STREET</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1893, by Lee and Shepard</span></p>
+
+<p><i>All Rights Reserved</i></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">American Boys Afloat</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Type-Setting and Electrotyping by<br>
+C. J. Peters &amp; Son, Boston, U.S.A.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">S. J. Parkhill &amp; Co., Printers, Boston, U.S.A.</span></p>
+
+<p>TO<br>
+MY EXCELLENT FRIEND<br>
+DR. WILLIAM P. LEAVITT<br>
+ONE OF MY FELLOW-TRAVELLERS<br>
+IN FOREIGN LANDS<br>
+This Volume<br>
+IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED</p>
+
+
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+
+<h2>PREFACE</h2>
+
+
+<p>"American Boys Afloat" is the fifth volume of the "All-Over-the-World"
+series; and it is a continuation of the travels and adventures of Louis
+Belgrave and his faithful and life-long friend and constant associate,
+Felix McGavonty, who are still inseparably united wherever they are
+and whatever they do. But they have been reinforced by two other
+American boys, and "The Big Four," as they have been named by some of
+the humorously inclined passengers in the Guardian-Mother, become the
+heroes of the adventures recounted in the volume.</p>
+
+<p>These additions to the force of the young millionaire are not wholly
+strangers to the readers of this series, for Morris Woolridge filled
+a prominent place as an actor in some of the events already related,
+though he had not then become one of the party whose moving home
+was on board of the steam-yacht. From the beginning the Belgraves
+and the Woolridges have been intimate friends; and at the close of
+the preceding volume the manner in which they became members of the
+expedition around the world in the same steamer was narrated.</p>
+
+<p>The wild and reckless Scott, reformed by the excellent discipline of
+the commander of the steamer, and his association with such high-minded
+young men as Louis, Felix, and Morris, becomes more of a character than
+even his companions. The little steam-yacht, the Salihé, is discovered
+at Gibraltar, and the events which caused her owner to dispose of her
+to the combined millionaires of the Guardian-Mother are detailed. This
+little steamer, with her Mohammedan name changed to one more Christian,
+becomes the tender of the ship, and very naturally falls into the
+possession of the big four. They organize a regular ship's company,
+and the reformed member of the quartet, who is more of a sailor and
+navigator than the others, becomes Captain Scott. Under his command,
+the little craft, though not so small as to be uncomfortable, makes the
+voyage from Gibraltar to Constantinople, keeping on the African side,
+and thus "cruising in the Orient" all the way.</p>
+
+<p>The steamer and her little consort visit Algiers and Constantinople,
+where the party devote themselves to sight-seeing, and listen to
+historical and descriptive lectures of the countries in whose waters
+they float, for the commander insists upon the instructive element of
+the cruise.</p>
+
+<p>While the author was wondering how he could crowd the story of the
+voyage of the Guardian-Mother, including the adventures of the big
+four, into six volumes, his publishers very graciously permitted him
+to extend the series to twice that number. The voyage will therefore
+be continued on the same plan, the little steamer, with the young
+navigators on board of her most of the time accompanying the ship.</p>
+
+<p class="ph4">WILLIAM T. ADAMS.<br>
+<span class="smcap">Dorchester, Mass.</span>, Aug. 15, 1893.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<table>
+<tr><td class="tdr">I.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_I"><span class="smcap">The Salihé Alongside the Guardian-Mother</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">II.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_II"><span class="smcap">The Big Four arrange an Excursion</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">III.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_III"><span class="smcap">The Possible Dangers of the Voyage</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">IV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"><span class="smcap">An Exploration of Gibraltar Bay</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">V.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_V"><span class="smcap">At the Mouth of the Palmones River</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">VI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><span class="smcap">The Battle on the Deck of the Salihé</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">VII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"><span class="smcap">The Big Four as Prisoners in the Cabin</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">VIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"><span class="smcap">A Moral Conspiracy on Board the Salihé</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">IX.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX"><span class="smcap">Working up the Details of the Scheme</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">X.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_X"><span class="smcap">Lassoing the Scotchman</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI"><span class="smcap">The Return of the Victorious Knight-Errant</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII"><span class="smcap">The Smugglers make a Trip to Algeciras</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII"><span class="smcap">What is Worth Knowing about Gibraltar</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XIV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV"><span class="smcap">American Witnesses in a Spanish Court</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV"><span class="smcap">Exploring the Rock of Gibraltar</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XVI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI"><span class="smcap">An Addition for the Fun of the Big Four</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XVII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII"><span class="smcap">The Ship's Company of the Steamer Maud</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XVIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII"><span class="smcap">An Afternoon Excursion to Tangier</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XIX.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX"><span class="smcap">Enter Ali-Noury Pacha and the Fatimé</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XX.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX"><span class="smcap">An Unexpected Peril in View</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI"><span class="smcap">Euchring the Grand Mogul</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII"><span class="smcap">Consternation on Board the Ship</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII"><span class="smcap">A Fugitive from the Enemy</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXIV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV"><span class="smcap">A Stormy Interview with Ali-Noury Pacha</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV"><span class="smcap">The Starboard and Port Watches of the Maud</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXVI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI"><span class="smcap">The Pacha finds he has caught a Tartar</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXVII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII"><span class="smcap">A Few Lessons in Navigation</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXVIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII"><span class="smcap">Morris on "The Rule of the Road"</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXIX.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX"><span class="smcap">The Prospect of a Water-Famine</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXX.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX"><span class="smcap">The Maud inclined to turn Somersets</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI"><span class="smcap">Captain Scott sets a Reefed Foresail</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII"><span class="smcap">The Meeting of the Two Steamers</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII"><span class="smcap">The Professor's Lecture on Algeria</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXIV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIV"><span class="smcap">Oriental Views in Algiers</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXV.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXV"><span class="smcap">The Arrival at Constantinople</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXVI.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVI"><span class="smcap">The City of the Sultan</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXVII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVII"><span class="smcap">The Sultan and the Dancing Dervishes</span></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="tdr">XXXVIII.</td> <td class="tdl"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVIII"><span class="smcap">His Highness in the Oriental City</span></a></td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+
+<h2>AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT</h2>
+
+
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE SALIHÉ ALONGSIDE THE GUARDIAN-MOTHER</p>
+
+
+<p>"It seems to me that I have seen that little steam-yacht before," said
+Louis Belgrave, as the four young Americans stood upon the promenade
+deck of the Guardian-Mother, of which the speaker was the owner, though
+the young man was only seventeen years of age.</p>
+
+<p>"Be the modther of me, it's the Sally Hay!" exclaimed Felix McGavonty,
+the Milesian of the party, though he could pronounce the President's
+English as well as any of his companions when he chose to do so.</p>
+
+<p>"She certainly looks just like the Salihé," added George Scott
+Fencelowe, whom everybody on board addressed as Scott simply: and the
+three who had spoken had made a voyage in the little steamer from
+Funchal in Madeira to Gibraltar, where the Guardian-Mother was now
+moored inside of the New Mole.</p>
+
+<p>"You fellows who have made a long cruise in her ought to know her if
+she is the Salihé," said Morris Woolridge. "I never even saw her but
+once, and I can throw no light on the subject."</p>
+
+<p>"She was painted white when we made our trip in her, and now she is the
+color of a black cat," continued Scott, the oldest of the party and
+the best sailor and boatman, for he was eighteen, while Morris, the
+youngest, was only fourteen.</p>
+
+<p>"It seems to me to be hardly possible that she can be the Salihé,
+though she looks like her in everything except her color," replied
+Louis. "If the Fatimé were here, I should have no doubt it was she."</p>
+
+<p>"But the large steam-yacht of His Highness, Ali-Noury Pacha, is not
+here, and we know that she passed through the strait and went to sea;
+and that is what makes me think the craft is not the Salihé," added
+Scott, who had been for a short time in the service of the Pacha, and
+had made the voyage in the little steamer from Funchal.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose Ali-Noury could not very well take her with him on his trip
+up the Mediterranean, and he left her here," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"If that were true, the Pacha would not have had her painted black,"
+reasoned Scott; and there seemed to be a good deal of force in the
+argument.</p>
+
+<p>"Where is Philopena?" demanded Felix. "Sure, he ought to know the
+shtaymer if he's acquainted wid his own fadther, for he was ingineman
+of the craft."</p>
+
+<p>Felipe Garcias, a young Spaniard of eighteen, had been the engineer
+of the Salihé in the service of the Pacha, and being ill-treated by
+his Mohammedan employer, he had run away from Mogadore with the small
+steam-yacht. The steam-launch which was the subject of the conversation
+was coming out from the dockyard inside of the New Mole, and
+approaching the Guardian-Mother. Felipe, who was now an oiler on board
+of the steamer, was called by Morris, and his attention was directed to
+the approaching steam-yacht. He looked her over very carefully; but the
+change of color evidently perplexed him at first, though a little later
+he came to his conclusion.</p>
+
+<p>"Salihé!" he exclaimed.</p>
+
+<p>When Felipe came on board of the Guardian-Mother, he could not speak
+a word of English; but in the time that had since elapsed he had made
+good progress in acquiring it, though he was not yet fluent in the use
+of it.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you sure of it, Phil?" asked Louis, who had translated his Spanish
+name into English, and then abbreviated it.</p>
+
+<p>"Ver sure," replied Felipe decidedly. "I see some things what I know."</p>
+
+<p>"She was white when we brought her here," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"She has become black now; but I know some marks," persisted Felipe;
+and he proceeded to mention and point them out; but he spoke in Spanish
+to Louis, who had become tolerably fluent in the language by this time.</p>
+
+<p>"Why don't ye's shpake to the man forninst her poilot-house,"
+suggested Felix. "Perhaps he knows somephwat about her."</p>
+
+<p>"That's a bright idea of yours, Felix; he would be likely to know
+something about her," laughed the owner of the Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>The Salihé was making a course within twenty feet of the side of the
+steamer, and it was not a difficult matter to hail her. The man in the
+little box that was dignified with the name of pilot-house was the only
+person that could be seen on board of the little steamer, though there
+was doubtless another in the engine-room. The boat was moving along
+very slowly, and the pilot seemed to be looking about him all the time
+and in every direction.</p>
+
+<p>"Salihé, ahoy!" shouted Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the steamer!" replied the man at the wheel, as he threw it
+over so as to direct the boat towards the gangway.</p>
+
+<p>The Guardian-Mother was the steam-yacht of Louis Belgrave, who had
+become a millionaire at sixteen, less than a year before; and she was
+also the college of the young gentleman, for the vessel was provided
+with a study, or schoolroom, abaft the principal cabin, in which
+Professor Giroud, a very learned Frenchman, instructed him and his
+fellow-students in literature, science, history, and languages.</p>
+
+<p>In what manner the steamer became the yacht and college of the young
+millionaire has been fully related and repeated in the preceding
+volumes of this series, and need hardly be repeated at length. She had
+sailed from New York on the first of December before, and had made an
+eventful voyage to the Bermudas, to Nassau, and around the island of
+Cuba, visiting all the principal ports.</p>
+
+<p>Louis Belgrave, on account of the peculiar family circumstances that
+surrounded him, had fallen into many and various adventures, and passed
+through and out of not a few perilous situations. None of them were of
+his own choice, and he was not a seeker after Quixotic enterprises,
+though his excellent friend and trustee had dubbed him a knight, and
+called him "Sir Louis;" and his example had been followed by the
+commander and others on board.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Royal Ringgold, commanding the steamer, had always been a
+friend of Louis, and especially of Mrs. Belgrave, his mother. The
+young millionaire had requested him to visit and examine a schooner he
+proposed to purchase for a yacht; and his mother and Felix had been
+his companions. The stirring adventures to which this visit gave rise
+strengthened the friendship before existing.</p>
+
+<p>The captain had advised the purchase of the steamer to which Louis gave
+the name of "Guardian-Mother" as a sort of recognition of her who had
+given him being, and to whom he was devoted to a degree rarely observed
+even in good and worthy sons. He originated the idea of making the
+vessel the young gentleman's college, in which the study of books could
+be combined with foreign travel.</p>
+
+<p>Squire Moses Scarburn was an old-fashioned lawyer, usually called
+Uncle Moses, and was one of the party. Dr. Philip Hawkes, an eminent
+physician and surgeon of New York, and Professor Pierre Giroud had
+become passengers in consequence of an accident. The doctor and the
+lawyer each weighed two hundred and twenty-six pounds and a fraction,
+and both of them were humorously inclined.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Blossom had been the housekeeper of the squire, and a friend of
+Mrs. Belgrave; and she was on board as the companion of the owner's
+mother. The party in the state cabin of the steamer who had made the
+voyage to the West Indies, across the Atlantic, visiting Teneriffe and
+Madeira, voyaging from one port to another in European waters till they
+had spent several months in England, Holland, France, and the western
+part of Spain, consisted of the seven persons named.</p>
+
+<p>Among the Bahama Islands they had picked up a bank defaulter, whose
+adopted son, Scott Fencelowe, had brought him there in the Seahound,
+his yacht. When Captain Ringgold realized that the bank officer was
+a defaulter, and had secured his plunder, he sent him back to the
+United States, forwarding the money he had stolen at the same time. The
+adopted son was a wild and reckless fellow, and his foster-father had
+practically bound him to the captain as a sort of apprentice.</p>
+
+<p>The young scapegrace had run away three times, but had been reclaimed.
+He had reformed his life and manners, and was now a worthy young man,
+as he had been for about three or four months. From a common sailor,
+berthing with the crew, the captain had promoted him to the rank of
+quartermaster, messing with the officers, for he was a good steersman.
+He was also a student in the study, where the professor had four pupils.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lowell Woolridge was a Fifth Avenue millionaire of New York,
+whose wife, son, and daughter, as well as himself, had increased the
+number of the party in the cabin to eleven, making up a dozen with the
+commander, who spent with them all the time he could spare from his
+duties. Mr. Woolridge had become acquainted with the Belgrave family
+through the agency of his yacht, the Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>His daughter, a very beautiful and graceful young lady of sixteen,
+having some slight symptoms of a pulmonary disease, had been sent to
+Orotavo, in the island of Teneriffe, by the physicians, and her father
+had been advised to take her there in his yacht. In a long and violent
+gale the Blanche had nearly foundered; but the Guardian-Mother had
+saved the vessel and the family. Dr. Hawkes declared that nothing ailed
+the fair patient, and the Blanche accompanied the steamer on her voyage
+as far as Southampton.</p>
+
+<p>On the passage there the commander and the Belgraves decided to invite
+the Woolridges to join the party on board of the steamer; and the
+arrangements had been completed at Southampton, so that the expense
+of the voyage around the world should be equally divided between
+the two millionaires. While the two parties were travelling in the
+United Kingdom, some needed alterations were made in the cabin of the
+steamer, increasing the number of staterooms.</p>
+
+<p>Six of the rooms on board were provided with bathrooms, with all the
+appendages, and were as luxurious as the suites of a first-class hotel.
+Mr. Melancthon Sage, the chief steward, was a caterer of established
+reputation, and Monsieur Odervie, the chief cook, was an artist in
+his profession of the highest rank. In fact, everything on board of
+the Guardian-Mother was luxurious. The ship was good for eighteen
+knots an hour when driven, and was officered by men of skill and long
+experience. Besides the boatswain and three quartermasters, her crew of
+sixteen seamen were all picked men, and it would have been difficult to
+find their equals as a whole in any yacht that sailed the seas.</p>
+
+<p>Felix McGavonty was born of an Irish father and mother, but within the
+United States; and he claimed to be as much an American as his friends
+and companions; and his claim was freely allowed by all of them. His
+mother was dead, and his father had "disappeared." The four young
+Americans on board of the Guardian-Mother were fast friends at the time
+of their introduction, though Scott had been heartily received as such
+at a recent date.</p>
+
+<p>The little steam-yacht, though she was large enough to have a cabin,
+engine-room, and pilot-house, came up to the gangway of the ship.
+The boys, as the commander always called them when speaking of them
+collectively, went over the rail and descended the steps to the
+Salihé. Individually, Captain Ringgold, as well as all the officers
+and seamen, called Louis "Mr. Belgrave." Though he never put on airs,
+some little deference was extended to him by his companions on account
+of his ownership; but among themselves the boys were equals in every
+respect.</p>
+
+<p>The man in the pilot-house stepped out, and when he had made fast
+to the side of the steamer, he invited the party on board. He was
+evidently an Englishman, for he slaughtered his h's without mercy,
+and was over fifty years old. He was well dressed, and one might have
+taken him for the mate of a merchantman. He was polite in his way, and
+provided his guests with seats.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE BIG FOUR ARRANGE AN EXCURSION</p>
+
+
+<p>"What steam-yacht is this, sir?" asked Louis, as he seated himself on a
+stool in front of the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"She's the Sali'é, sir," replied the man, pointing to the name above
+his head.</p>
+
+<p>"That's an odd name; is it English?" added the young millionaire.</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all, sir; it is a 'eathen name. She was built on the Clyde for
+the Grand Mogul of Mogadore; and a very fine craft she is, too, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"But how came she here? This isn't a heathen place, and you don't have
+a great many Grand Moguls in Gibraltar, I believe."</p>
+
+<p>"Bless you, no, sir! This place is a part of the realm of the Queen of
+Hengland, which she is likewise also the Hempress of Hindia, and is a
+Christian sovereign. Is it 'ow comes she 'ere?"</p>
+
+<p>"His it the Queen? His she 'ere?" demanded Felix, opening as though
+he was immeasurably astonished; and Louis looked at him and shook his
+head in deprecation of the Milesian's travesty of the language of the
+present skipper of the Salihé. "If her gracious majesty's here, I'll
+go ashore and give her the top of the mornin' as the shades of aiv'nin'
+are gadtherin' forninst the big bit of a rock," continued he, taking
+his friend's decided hint and promptly acting upon it.</p>
+
+<p>"The Queen which she is not in Gibraltar," replied the skipper,
+apparently not at all pleased with the style of the last speaker. "I
+was speaking of the Sali'é, sir, and not of the Queen."</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, sir; I assure you on the honor of an Oirishman I
+mint no offince," added Felix, taking off his cap and bowing to the
+Englishman, entirely appeased by the apology.</p>
+
+<p>"Is it 'ow the steam-yacht comes to be 'ere in Gib, sir? Well, it's
+a bit hodd 'ow she comes 'ere. The Grand Mogul as owned 'er 'ad a
+Spanish hengineer which he run away with the Sali'é, and brought 'er
+to Gib. But the Grand Mogul 'imself was 'ere in 'is big steam-yacht,
+and the Spaniard which 'e got frightened, and made fast the Sali'é to
+the Fatimé which it is the Grand Mogul's big yacht, and left for Spain
+without stopping to wipe the grease off 'is fingers."</p>
+
+<p>"Then the engineer went to Spain?" queried Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I s'pose 'e did; where helse would a Spaniard go?" replied the skipper
+with a vacant stare.</p>
+
+<p>"I give it up."</p>
+
+<p>"You gives it hup! If any one gives hup the thief as stole the yacht,
+the Grand Mogul would cut 'im hup hinto five quarters."</p>
+
+<p>"Four would be enough," interjected Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Is the Grand Mogul here now?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Not in Gib now, and I reckon he went back to Mogadore. He spoke
+Henglish like a rock scorpion."</p>
+
+<p>"Like a what?" demanded Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Like a rock scorpion, Flix; and that is a pet name for a person born
+in Gibraltar," interposed Louis. "Where were you educated?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not among the scorpions, moi darlint."</p>
+
+<p>"Then the Spaniard returned the Salihé to her owner, did he?" asked
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"'E left 'er alongside the Fatimé, and fled like a rat with a cat
+after 'im. The Grand Mogul was madder'n a bull with a bunch of Chinese
+fire-crackers tied to 'is tail. 'E couldn't do nothing with the yacht
+'ere 'n Gib. 'E offered me ten pounds to sail 'er down to Mogadore; but
+I wouldn't go to sea in a craft no bigger'n she is. Then 'e sold her
+'nd I bought 'er."</p>
+
+<p>"What did you give for her?" inquired Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"A 'undred pounds, which she is worth five 'undred," replied the
+skipper, whose name, later on, proved to be Giles Chickworth.</p>
+
+<p>"And what do you do with her?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I makes 'er pay the interest on what she cost me, and good wages
+besides. I takes out parties as comes to the Rock," replied Chickworth.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you charge for her?"</p>
+
+<p>"Five shillings an hour, sir; and that's only two pound ten a day,
+which it is very cheap for a beauty like the Sali'é, sir. Per'aps you
+young gentlemen would like to take a turn in 'er?" suggested Giles
+Chickworth.</p>
+
+<p>Louis liked the idea, and the boys had a hasty conference in regard to
+the matter. The passengers on board had not yet been on shore; for the
+Viking, whose commander and his wife were their friends, was moored
+near the Guardian-Mother, and they were having very pleasant times in
+visiting each other. Three of the young gentlemen had to dine that
+day with the guests of Mrs. Belgrave; and they thought it would be
+more agreeable to make the excursion in the evening, when it would be
+cooler, and the full moon would lend her splendors to the occasion.</p>
+
+<p>"We cannot go now; but we should like to engage the Salihé for this
+evening at six o'clock," said Louis, at the close of the conference.</p>
+
+<p>"Me and the hengineer is engaged this evening," replied the skipper.
+"We 'ave to go to a meeting of our society, and I must be there, for
+I'm the chairman;" and the latter clause seemed to be the idea he
+particularly wished to convey to his auditors.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, Mr. Chairman; but will you let the Salihé without the
+captain or engineer?" inquired Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Sergeant Files told me as 'ow the Guardian-Mother was owned by a young
+gentleman in his teens as was sailing in 'er. With all due respect,
+which is the gentleman as owns 'er?" inquired Chickworth, touching his
+tarpaulin at random to the big four, as Captain Ringgold sometimes
+facetiously called them, evidently borrowing the term from a western
+railroad folder.</p>
+
+<p>With one accord Felix, Morris, and Scott pointed at Louis, as though
+they were rehearsing a Scriptural tableau of what Nathan said unto
+David: "Thou art the man!"</p>
+
+<p>"Which his name it is Mr. Belgrave," added Chickworth, taking off
+his tarpaulin and bowing low to the young gentleman indicated by his
+companions, for he had more respect for millions than for birth and
+attainments.</p>
+
+<p>"My name is Louis Belgrave, at your service, Mr. Commander of the
+Salihé," replied the young millionaire, laughing heartily at the
+pantomime of his friends and the obsequiousness of the skipper.</p>
+
+<p>"I knowed it was you, sir, from the gentility which it is marked on
+your honor's face, and shows itself in every motion you make," gushed
+Mr. Chickworth. "My name which it is Giles Chickworth."</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Chairman, I move that you use no more blarney; and I should say
+you had kissed the Blarney stone if you were an Irishman."</p>
+
+<p>"The motion is not seconded, and I can't put it to the 'ouse," said the
+skipper.</p>
+
+<p>"Put it to yourself and not to the house, and I shall be satisfied.
+Now, Mr. Giles Chickworth, let us talk business. Will you let the
+steam-yacht without captain or engineer?"</p>
+
+<p>"Which I will do with the greatest pleasure in the world to a gentleman
+with millions in his trousers' pocket; for if you wreck or injure the
+beauty of a craft, you will pay for 'er like the Christian you are."</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly, I will; but we do not intend to wreck or injure her," added
+Louis, as he proceeded to arrange the terms more definitely.</p>
+
+<p>Everything was satisfactorily adjusted, and Chickworth promised
+to have the Salihé at the gangway of the ship at six o'clock. The
+Guardian-Mother had arrived at Gibraltar about noon on the day that the
+boys discovered the little steam-yacht. The Viking had come a couple
+of hours sooner. Captain W. Penn Sharp, her commander, had formerly
+been the third officer of the steamer, and his wife had been intimately
+connected with the affairs of the Belgrave family.</p>
+
+<p>They came on board of the ship as soon as she was moored; and the
+rest of the party, including Captain Ringgold, were in the cabin
+while the big four were bargaining for the use of the Salihé. The two
+commanders had some business, and the ladies had more to say than could
+be disposed of in half a day. Fourteen persons sat down at luncheon
+together, and just escaped the fatal number by one, so that no life was
+sacrificed to the ominous thirteen.</p>
+
+<p>The boys went on deck as soon as the meal was finished, for they were
+anxious to see more of the famous Rock, while the rest of the party
+remained in the cabin. The little steam-yacht cast off her cable, and
+stood off towards the town, where her enterprising captain probably
+expected to obtain a job for his boat.</p>
+
+<p>"You have not said anything to Captain Ringgold about this excursion,
+Louis," suggested Morris Woolridge, as they observed the departing
+steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not consider it necessary to say anything to him," replied the
+owner of the Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>"He will charge you with getting up another adventure like that you
+three had in the same little craft, or that we had in the felucca off
+Teneriffe, Sir Louis."</p>
+
+<p>"If there is any adventure in a moonlight excursion in Gibraltar Bay
+in which you cannot get away more than five miles from the ship, I do
+not see it," added the young knight-errant, as Uncle Moses and Captain
+Ringgold insisted upon regarding him.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm go'n' wid ye's, moi darlint, and Oi shall see that no harrum comes
+to ye's," interposed Felix. "I'll take as good care of ye's as your
+modther wud if she went wid ye's."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I shall be perfectly safe, Squire Felix; but who will take care
+of you, my broth of a boy?" laughed Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"St. Patrick hisself, long loife to 'm! is allus on the lukout for me;
+an' ye've nothin' to faer as long as Oi'm wid ye's."</p>
+
+<p>"We have no pilot for these waters," suggested Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"You can take a look at the big chart of this locality before we go,
+and then we shall be all right," replied Louis. "The water here is a
+hundred fathoms deep, and I believe there is only one island in all the
+bay."</p>
+
+<p>"But there may be shoal places in the northern part of the bay, and it
+would not be pleasant to get aground and have to stay all night stuck
+in the mud," argued Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"The tide rises and falls about four feet here; and by the looks it
+will not be at the flood before nine or ten this evening; and if we get
+caught, we can work off any shoal without much trouble. You will be the
+pilot, Scott, and you must study up the tide and the shoals before we
+leave."</p>
+
+<p>"In what conspiracy are the big four engaged just now?" asked the
+commander, as he came out of the boudoir, in which was the grand
+staircase to the state cabin; and those rather high-sounding names were
+so marked on the plan of the interior of the ship, made by the original
+owner before she was purchased for the young millionaire. "Do you
+intend to set Gibraltar Bay on fire, blow up the Rock, or bridge over
+the Strait?"</p>
+
+<p>"We may set the bay on fire to-night if it will only burn. Do you see
+that little steam-yacht, Captain, making for the town?" replied Louis,
+as he pointed to the pretty craft.</p>
+
+<p>"I see her; and she is quite a handsome steam-launch," answered the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the Salihé, in which Flix and I, with the 'middy,' made the
+voyage from Madeira to Tarifa," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"That? It seems to be quite impossible."</p>
+
+<p>"She has been at the gangway, and her captain and owner, Mr. Giles
+Chickworth, told us all about her, and how he happened to buy her of
+the Grand Mogul;" and Louis proceeded to relate the entire history of
+the craft, and to inform the commander that the big four had engaged
+her for a moonlight excursion on the bay.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold made no serious objection to the enterprise.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE VOYAGE</p>
+
+
+<p>Scott Fencelowe, who had been on probation over three months,
+proved very unexpectedly to the captain and others on board of the
+Guardian-Mother to be thoroughly reformed. As soon as the commander
+was satisfied on this point, he treated him with great kindness and
+consideration. The young man had been a very diligent student, and,
+having rather remarkable ability, he made rapid progress in his studies.</p>
+
+<p>The stateroom formerly occupied by the third officer, leading off the
+promenade deck, like those of the first and second officers, had been
+assigned to him. He was nominally a quartermaster, though his services
+were seldom required at the wheel. He was the commander's messenger,
+and had come to be called the "middy." He had the charge of the flags
+and signals, and was made useful in any capacity in which he could be
+of service.</p>
+
+<p>He messed with the officers, and as a sort of reward of merit he was
+occasionally invited to dine with the cabin party, as were the other
+principal officers of the ship. The other boys treated him as though he
+had been in every respect their equal, as indeed he was, except that
+he was a petty officer, as Felix was the captain's clerk. Scott was a
+very skilful boatman, and in three months he had learned his duty as a
+seaman.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose this moonlight excursion means an adventure of some sort,
+Sir Louis," said Captain Ringgold, when the serious part of the
+business was settled, and no objection had been made to the enterprise
+of the big four.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I am bound to be a knight-errant wherever I go and whatever
+I do, and I am as sure to get into an adventure as I am to get into my
+berth when I turn in," replied Louis, laughing with the captain all the
+time.</p>
+
+<p>"It generally happens so. You were going to the top of the Peak of
+Teneriffe; but instead of going there, you had a battle with banditti,
+and whipped out your captors in a felucca."</p>
+
+<p>"But the big four came back safe and sound, and brought the enemy with
+them."</p>
+
+<p>"You were all plucky, and I believe you never fail to get the better of
+all enemies in whatever form they come."</p>
+
+<p>"Now, beloved commander of the Guardian-Mother, can you tell me what
+possible chance there is for an adventure in the excursion we have
+arranged?" asked Louis, rather more seriously.</p>
+
+<p>"If you should undertake to capture the Rock of Gibraltar, it will
+be well for you to know that it is garrisoned by about five thousand
+soldiers of all arms; and that number of full-grown men are too many
+for even the big four," continued the commander, not disposed to be
+serious.</p>
+
+<p>"The big four don't mind five thousand soldiers; if there were ten
+thousand of them, we might hesitate."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps you will prefer to pick up the entire Rock and drop it into
+the bay; but the water is not deep enough to cover up the highest
+points of it, and somebody might find out what you had been about."</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Captain, could you be reasonably serious for a moment, only long
+enough to guess the conundrum I put to you just now?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I might try. What was the conundrum?" asked the commander, smoothing
+off his face.</p>
+
+<p>"If my mother knew I was going ashore, or off in a boat, she would
+immediately conclude that I was to be shot, pitched over a precipice,
+or sunk to the bottom of the bay with a fifty-six tied around my neck."</p>
+
+<p>"Formerly she would; but Dr. Hawkes has wonderfully improved her
+nervous system, so that she would not conclude that anything of the
+sort would happen to you. You have got into so many scrapes and always
+come out of them without the singeing of a hair of your head, that
+she has acquired some confidence in your happy destiny," replied the
+captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Then can you indicate nearly or remotely what possible adventure I can
+fall into in this excursion?"</p>
+
+<p>"I give up the conundrum; I cannot guess as to how it is to come about;
+but if I were a sporting man, I should be willing to wager that you
+will have an adventure of some kind; but I should wish to wager at the
+same time that you would come out of it unscathed, and with the head of
+the enemy under your arm," answered the captain, resuming his mirthful
+rallying.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot see for the life of me where the adventure is to come in.
+John Scoble is hard at work in Sing Sing prison, and"—</p>
+
+<p>"He may have been pardoned, or escaped from the stone walls that held
+him," interposed the commander, very cheerfully, as though he did not
+anticipate either of these events.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Fobbington, <i>alias</i> Wilson Frinks, is mending roads with his
+ankles chained together in Santa Cruz, in the island of Teneriffe;
+these two were the most virulent enemies I ever had, and I do not know
+where to look for any others," replied Louis, as he saw his mother with
+the rest of the party come out of the boudoir.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold told her all about the proposed excursion of the big
+four; but Mrs. Belgrave did not offer a single objection. She asked her
+son some questions about it, and then joined Mrs. Sharp in a walk on
+the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"But which of the big four is to be the engineer of the Salihé?" asked
+the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"No one of them, Captain; and that reminds me that I wish to borrow
+Felipe Garcias, the oiler, for that office," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>The commander sent the middy to summon Felipe; and both of them soon
+returned together. The young Spaniard was very willing to undertake
+the duty, as he was anything that was for Louis, to whom he was fully
+devoted. The dinner in the cabin, complimentary to Captain and Mrs.
+Sharp, was served at five o'clock in Monsieur Odervie's best style. The
+boys retired early, and were at the gangway when the steam-yacht came
+alongside.</p>
+
+<p>Giles Chickworth was in the pilot-house, and the same engineer as when
+they had seen the craft before was at the door of the engine-room.
+Felipe was in readiness to take the place of the latter, as Scott was
+that of the former. But the young engineer did not appear to be in a
+very cheerful mood, and looked furtively about the vicinity of the ship
+as if in search of somebody or something.</p>
+
+<p>"Ali-Noury Pacha here?" he said, looking earnestly at Louis, for he had
+been generally confined to his duties below, and had not heard the news
+that the Pacha's yacht had gone to the southward three weeks before.</p>
+
+<p>"The Grand Mogul is not here now," replied Louis, laughing at the fears
+of the young Spaniard. "His steam-yacht has probably gone back to
+Mogadore."</p>
+
+<p>"Sure?" persisted Felipe.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure the Fatimé is not here, though I am not sure where she has
+gone. Besides, he has sold the Salihé to the man in the pilot-house,
+and he has no claim to her," Louis explained.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know; the Grand Mogul is a bad man; I am afraid," added the
+engineer, shaking his head doubtfully.</p>
+
+<p>"He cannot harm you now."</p>
+
+<p>"He send me back to Mogadore; he whip me on the feet; he put me in the
+prison," continued Felipe.</p>
+
+<p>"He cannot touch you here."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not so sure of that," interposed Uncle Moses, the lawyer. "He
+could be arrested for stealing the steam-yacht;" but the trustee spoke
+in a low tone, so that the Spaniard could not hear him, and he could
+not yet speak or understand English very readily.</p>
+
+<p>"He could in Morocco, but not here, under the British flag," suggested
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"There may be an extradition treaty between the two countries," replied
+Uncle Moses. "But I don't think Filopena is in any great danger of
+being arrested. Don't be afraid, my boy," he added to the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"It is all right, Felipe; the Pacha can have no idea of what has become
+of you," said Louis, as he led the way down the steps and on board of
+the Salihé. "You are here on time, Mr. Chickworth."</p>
+
+<p>"Which I am halways on time, sir," replied the owner of the craft.</p>
+
+<p>"This man owns the Salihé now," added Louis, turning to Felipe, who
+closely followed him.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Lo he comprado</i>" (I have bought her), said the skipper, seeing that
+the engineer was a Spaniard. "She is mine now."</p>
+
+<p>But he had no idea that the person he addressed was the one who had run
+away from the home of the Pacha with the steamer; and Louis did not
+deem it wise to enlighten him in this particular.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Esta aqui el Pacha?</i>" (Is the Pacha here?) asked Felipe of the
+skipper.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>No esta aqui</i>" (He is not here), replied Chickworth. "Now, Mr.
+Belgrave, I suppose you are in no 'urry, and per'aps you would not
+mind setting me and my hengineer on shore by the Ragged Staff," he
+continued, turning to Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"In no hurry at all, and we had as lief go to the Ragged Staff,
+whatever that may be, as anywhere else. Run for the shore at any place
+you please. By the way, Mr. Chairman, where shall we leave the Salihé
+when we return?"</p>
+
+<p>"Just make 'er fast by the gangway of your ship, and I will come on
+board to-morrow morning," replied the skipper, as he rang the bell to
+go ahead.</p>
+
+<p>Scott stood at the door and asked some questions about the navigation
+of the bay; but Chickworth seemed to have no doubt that the temporary
+pilot would be able to keep the steamer on the top of the water. It was
+a run of only half a mile to the stairs where the skipper wished to
+land, and a few minutes later he was set ashore there. He stood at the
+head of the steps observing the Salihé as she headed up the bay, and
+seemed to be informing himself whether or not her new crew knew how to
+manage her.</p>
+
+<p>Of course Felipe was entirely at home in the engine-room, for he had
+served there in the employ of the Pacha, as well as on the broad ocean
+when all his present shipmates were with him. Scott was a skilful
+wheelman, and had steered the craft on the voyage from Madeira.
+No commander had been chosen for the present trip, but Louis fell
+naturally into this position without any appointment, for his ability
+invariably made him the leader in all enterprises in which the big
+four engaged. In fact, he had a talent for commanding as well as for
+obeying; and the latter sometimes requires more talent than the former.
+But he was modest and did not make himself offensive by an overbearing
+manner.</p>
+
+<p>The Salihé was abreast of the town of Gibraltar after she left the
+landing stairs, where there is a fixed light, showing green, which
+Scott noted as his guide for the return run. Four miles from it to
+the westward was a light on Verde Island, near the city of Algeciras,
+visible nine miles; and between the two the helmsman was not likely to
+get lost, unless a dense fog should shut them out from his view, of
+which there was no immediate prospect.</p>
+
+<p>"It is about time to give the pilot some instructions in regard to the
+course," said Scott, addressing Louis, who stood on the forecastle with
+Felix. "It won't take long to use up this bay, which don't pan out more
+than five miles in any direction."</p>
+
+<p>"Sailing for itself don't amount to much, for we are somewhat
+accustomed to that sort of thing," replied Louis. "I think you had
+better keep her within about a quarter of a mile of the shore, and make
+the circuit of the entire bay as far as Carnero Point on the other
+side. Then we can see the coast by daylight or moonlight. If anybody
+objects, let him say so."</p>
+
+<p>This course was followed, and the voyagers had a good view of the town
+and of the Rock. Scott had studied the chart, and announced to his
+companions the Old Mole, the Neutral Ground, and finally Point Mirador,
+with St. Roque on the hills above it.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">AN EXPLORATION OF GIBRALTAR BAY</p>
+
+
+<p>"I say, Flix," said Louis, as he seated himself on one of the stools
+with which the forecastle was provided, as they were passing the
+Old Mole, "did it ever occur to you that our voyage from the Bahama
+Islands was over about the same track as that taken by Columbus when he
+discovered the New World?"</p>
+
+<p>"I never thought a word about it, my darling," replied Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder you didn't, for I persuaded you to read Irving's 'Life of
+Columbus'; and you know he took his final departure from the Canary
+Islands."</p>
+
+<p>"I know he did; but he did not come back that way, and he had some
+mighty tough weather, just as we had in coming to the Canaries."</p>
+
+<p>"He returned by the Azores. But I was going to ask you a question,
+Flix."</p>
+
+<p>"Is it a question?"</p>
+
+<p>"Do you remember seeing the word 'cosmography' in the book?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do remember that same; and I remember seeing the dictionary in
+regard to it. It is a very big word for a mighty small matter."</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all. What do you understand by the word?"</p>
+
+<p>"I should say that, according to Columbus, it meant the science or the
+art of drawing maps."</p>
+
+<p>"More than that; for it includes geography and astronomy and something
+more than that, for it is the science of the universe, comprehending
+the laws and relations of all its parts."</p>
+
+<p>"Then it is a big subject; but Captain Columbus did not mean by it much
+more than the description of countries, seas, and oceans. He might as
+well have called it geography. A cosmographer is one who studies the
+world or the universe; and that is what Columbus was, for he had an
+astrolabe, and took the sun like any other old salt."</p>
+
+<p>"Very good, Flix; and I am glad you read so understandingly."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you think I was a fool?" asked Felix with a little gentle
+indignation in his tone and looks.</p>
+
+<p>"I knew you were not; and, like Captain Columbus, you are a
+cosmographer," replied Louis, rallying his companion with a laugh.</p>
+
+<p>"Is it I? Not much!"</p>
+
+<p>"But you are"—</p>
+
+<p>"Neutral Ground!" called Scott from the pilot-house. "It's about a
+half-mile wide, and then comes San Felipe."</p>
+
+<p>"Named after our engineer," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so: and that place is in Spain. You are studying the coast
+of that country, and therefore you are a cosmographer," continued
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, I haven't got it bad," protested Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"You have it as badly as any of us; for we are all studying the
+cosmography of the countries we visit, and especially the shores we
+approach. We are all cosmographers."</p>
+
+<p>"The hill directly ahead of us is the Carbonera Mountain," shouted
+Scott; and it is possible that he desired to display the knowledge he
+had picked up during the afternoon to prepare himself as a pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"Carbonera!" exclaimed Felix. "What a word! I wonder if it means
+anything. What does it mean, Scott?"</p>
+
+<p>"I'm no Spaniard, and I don't know; all I study is the navigation,"
+replied the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"Navigation! Are you going to take us up to the top of that hill in the
+Sally Hay?" chuckled Felix, believing he had made a point.</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all; and I am not going to take you to the top of the
+lighthouse on Verde Island when we return; but I shall use it all the
+same as a guide to assist me in the navigation, as I do the mountain,
+which is nine hundred and seventy-one feet high, and therefore in sight
+even in the night."</p>
+
+<p>"You have got him, Scott," laughed Louis. "Flix, you talk as though
+you were an old lady who believed that lighthouses were put up to
+illuminate the watery region where they are placed, instead of to give
+the mariner his bearings."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not quite so green as the Ragged Staff Light," replied Felix,
+rather cut up by Scott's victory over him. "But I am as wise as the
+pilot, for I don't know any more than he does what the name of that
+mountain means."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Flix, you ought to have studied Spanish with me, as I asked you
+to do before we left New York," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, bother! What do I want of Spanish?"</p>
+
+<p>"To inform you what the meaning is of the name of that hill."</p>
+
+<p>"And do you know what it means, darling?"</p>
+
+<p>"It means a place where they burn charcoal."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not going into the charcoal business at present; and it is of no
+great consequence to me," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Knowledge is not all for business purposes; and it is worth while to
+have it, even if you cannot make any money out of it in detail."</p>
+
+<p>"Point Mala," said Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"And what does that mean, Louis?" asked Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Malo</i> means bad, wicked, or sickly. <i>Mala</i> is the feminine of the
+same word; and it also means the mail, or a mail-bag. I don't know the
+history of this <i>punta</i>, or point, so that I cannot tell whether it is
+a sickly place, a wicked locality, or is the place where they formerly
+landed the mail on its way to San Roque."</p>
+
+<p>"That is San Roque on the hill to the left of Carbonera Mountain," said
+Scott, who could hear all that was said on the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>"Then learning Spanish don't teach you everything, Louis, my darling,"
+chuckled Felix. "It ought to let you know whether Mala is a wicked
+place or a mail-bag."</p>
+
+<p>"Knowledge has its limits; and generally they are not very far off.
+But you might as well refuse to believe you had any hair on your head
+because you can not tell how many capillary shafts it consists of."</p>
+
+<p>"I have none of those things on my pate," laughed Felix, shaking his
+head vigorously. "If I have, I will scatter them. Are those shafts like
+the one that whirls the propeller of the Guardian-Mamma, Louis?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid the limits of your knowledge of the ornamental appendage
+of your fine head are not as near as they might be, for you do not seem
+to know the nomenclature of the hairs of your head."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you talking Spanish just now, my darling? If not, I ought to have
+brought a dictionary with me," said Felix with a gasp to denote the
+depth of his despair.</p>
+
+<p>"Point Mirador," called the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"Punta Mirador," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You ought to have your head bound with iron hoops, like a beer-barrel,
+to keep it from bursting with the fulness thereof, for some of the long
+words are sticking out through the cracks now."</p>
+
+<p>"If it collapses, Flix, I hope you will gather up some of the fruits of
+the explosion; but at present I do not feel any extraordinary pressure,
+and I think you will have to acquire your own knowledge in the ordinary
+laborious manner."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see the p'nt of that point which you call a punta"—</p>
+
+<p>"I don't call it a punta, but a poon-ta. Pronounce it correctly when
+you speak Spanish, Flix," interposed Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Poonta Mirador, then. There is more Mira-Por-Vos in it," added Felix,
+alluding to the group of islands among the Bahamas on one of which the
+foster-father of Scott had been picked up.</p>
+
+<p>"Unfortunately for you there is none of that in it, for mirador means
+a person looking on, or a balcony. You pay your money and take your
+choice."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you pay it in English or Spanish money? There is something on
+the hill that looks like a balcony; and I pay my money for that
+interpretation."</p>
+
+<p>"There is another point before we come to Algeciras called
+Rinconcillo," added the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"Call it Rin-con-cil-yo, for double 1 in Spanish is treated like a
+single letter, sounded like ly joined," Louis explained.</p>
+
+<p>"Cilyo it is, Don Louis; and I shall be wilying to remember it when
+I am spelying out a Spanish word and filying up my empty head with
+such eroodition through the capilyary shafts. But I suppose that
+four-sylyabler means something."</p>
+
+<p>"You observe that the word is a diminutive."</p>
+
+<p>"I observe," replied Felix, shrugging his shoulders, and extending his
+two hands like a puzzled or a deprecating Frenchman. "I always thought
+a diminutive meant something small, and this is a four-syllabler, with
+eleven letters, counting in the y."</p>
+
+<p>"Does infinitesimal cover the length of the word or its meaning, Flix?"</p>
+
+<p>"Give it up! You always beat me in a literary discussion, my darling;
+and Oi'm moighty proud of your lairnin'."</p>
+
+<p>"Rinconcillo, without regard to the length of the word, means a small
+corner," said Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"And that's just where I am!" exclaimed Felix. "There is only one thing
+in which I can beat you."</p>
+
+<p>"What's that, Flix?" asked Morris, who had been too much amused to say
+anything before.</p>
+
+<p>"In using the swate brogue of Ould Ireland, which I lairned from me
+modther, long life to her, though she died when I was a babby."</p>
+
+<p>"Welcome to your superiority in that line, my boy; but I hoped you
+would forget your brogue before this time, for you have talked all the
+evening till now without a touch of it," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Forgit me brogue? Niver! I'd dhrown mesel' in half a point o' wather
+afore I'd forgit me modther tongue!"</p>
+
+<p>"There is an opening in the land on the starboard side, just ahead of
+us," Scott announced. "I suppose it is the River Palmones, and there is
+a village on the north side of it. I missed the Guadarranque River.</p>
+
+<p>"Small loss; but are we going into this river, Scott?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I guess not; I don't know the navigation, and it is not sounded on the
+chart of the bay. But there are some small vessels in there, for I can
+see their masts not half a cable's length from the shore."</p>
+
+<p>"We don't want anything of them."</p>
+
+<p>"There is a boat coming out of the river," said Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"All right: there is room enough in this bay for both of us," added
+Louis, as he glanced in the direction of the outlet of the stream.</p>
+
+<p>"I can see the lights in the houses on the shore of the river,"
+continued Morris.</p>
+
+<p>The moonlight did not produce a very brilliant illumination of
+Gibraltar Bay, though it was light enough to enable the voyagers on
+its waters to see all prominent objects on the shores, and to make out
+the shape of the points projecting from them. There was not a sail in
+sight in this part of the bay, though the masts of the small craft in
+the creek could be plainly distinguished. Both of them were schooners,
+and they were evidently larger than most of the feluccas seen on the
+Mediterranean.</p>
+
+<p>The boat that was approaching contained five men, two of whom were at
+the oars. They were pulling out in a direction to intercept the Salihé.
+Louis examined the boat and the men as well as he could, and though he
+had been utterly unable to imagine any possible danger in connection
+with the moonlight excursion, he made up his mind that he, for one,
+did not care to encounter a group of five men in just this lonely and
+silent locality.</p>
+
+<p>Scott had strictly observed his instructions to keep within about a
+quarter of a mile of the shore, and the steam-yacht was now at this
+distance from the land. The rowers in the boat did not seem to be
+hurrying themselves at the oars, and Louis concluded that it would be a
+very easy matter for the Salihé to run away from the strangers when it
+seemed necessary to do so.</p>
+
+<p>The steamer continued on her course, and no one expressed any alarm.
+Suddenly the Salihé stopped short, her keel grinding in the sand or
+mud.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER</p>
+
+
+<p>Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart,
+which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than
+might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several
+towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night. There was one
+of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.
+At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep;
+but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the
+vicinity was mud.</p>
+
+<p>The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though
+the steamer was now aground. As soon as the grating of the keel was
+heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop
+her, and then to back her. But she had run on the bar when going at
+full speed, and she did not come off so easily as desired.</p>
+
+<p>"How does she head now, Musther Shcott?" asked Felix in a rallying tone.</p>
+
+<p>"South south-west by north north-east," replied the pilot, who was
+always good-natured except when he got mad.</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, I think she's headed down for the place the volcanos vintilate."</p>
+
+<p>"She isn't making any headway in that direction," added Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"She will come off in a few minutes, for it will not be high tide for
+some time yet," said Louis. "You may as well stop the screw and take it
+easy, for she seems to be stuck hard. We are in no great hurry."</p>
+
+<p>"What do you call this river, Scott?" asked Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"The Palmones."</p>
+
+<p>"And what might that mean, Dr. Belgrave?"</p>
+
+<p>"If you mean me, I don't know," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Is there anything you don't know, Professor?"</p>
+
+<p>"There is at least one thing in particular that I don't know, and that
+is why you call me doctor and professor, Flix. I am not a pedant, and
+if you call me by such names, I shall give you the highest-sounding
+title I can find," replied Louis, rather tartly.</p>
+
+<p>"I won't do it then; I didn't mean to vex you."</p>
+
+<p>"You didn't vex me; but you talk to me as though I set myself up for a
+very learned or a very pretentious fellow. Barbers and bootblacks call
+themselves professors in these days; and there is no honor in the title
+unless a man is really a graduate of a college, and is what the name
+implies. I don't know what Palmones means, and it may be the proper
+name of some Spanish don."</p>
+
+<p>"The boat is close aboard of us," said Scott, coming out of the
+pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"And we are in for an advinture," chuckled Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see any adventure yet," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Steamer, ahoy!" shouted a man in the bow of the boat.</p>
+
+<p>"Answer him, Scott," said Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>En el vapor!</i>" shouted one in the stern-sheets of the craft, as
+though he thought the steamer's people might not understand English.</p>
+
+<p>"In the boat!" replied the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>The strangers did not wait for anything more to be said, but came
+alongside the Salihé, the man in the stern grasping the rail to hold
+the boat. As well as they could be made out in the dim light of
+the moon, they were not English lords nor Spanish grandees. On the
+contrary, they were rather a piratical-looking set of men. They were
+talking among themselves, but in Spanish; and the man in the bow
+appeared to be the only one who spoke English.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was not at all pleased with the situation; and he thought it was
+possible, after all, that there might be an adventure to wind up the
+moonlight excursion in the bay. He found his knowledge of Spanish was
+likely to be serviceable, for he could understand all that he could
+hear of what was passing in the after part of the craft. The man in the
+stern called to the one in the bow to leap on board of the steamer.
+The former looked like a cut-throat villain. He wore a woollen cap in
+sugar-loaf form with the point of it turned over on the side of his
+head.</p>
+
+<p>It looked as though the party intended to board the Salihé, and Louis
+took Felix by the arm, and led him to the rail of the yacht, in order
+to prevent anything of this kind if possible. At the same time he told
+Scott to make another attempt to back the steamer off the bar. The
+pilot returned to the wheel and rang two bells. The screw began to
+revolve, and the boat began to shake, for Felipe had a full head of
+steam, having just replenished the furnace with coal, in preparation
+for the work he was now called upon to perform. For a minute or so the
+yacht was shaking under the pressure applied.</p>
+
+<p>Setting the wheel amidships, Scott came out of the pilot-house, and
+placed himself at the side of Louis. In the adventure on the island of
+Teneriffe, in which his present companions, with the exception of the
+engineer, had been captured to obtain a ransom from the millionaires,
+Scott had been on the wrong side, and was engaged against his present
+friends. On the current occasion he seemed to be desirous of redeeming
+his character, so far as it had not already been done, and to prove his
+loyalty to the owner of the Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>"Board her!" called the Spaniard in the stern in his own language,
+evidently supposing from the answer in English, and from the appearance
+of those on the forecastle of the steamer, that they could not
+understand him. "Board her, Gray!"</p>
+
+<p>"No, no," replied the man called Gray, in Spanish. "We don't want any
+trouble about this business. This is Giles Chickworth's steamer; but he
+is not on board of her, so far as I can see."</p>
+
+<p>"There is not a particle of wind, and we cannot sail the Golondrina
+down the bay," continued the Spaniard impatiently. "You waste time, and
+we shall all be lost, and all the goods with us."</p>
+
+<p>This remark fully enlightened Louis in regard to the character of the
+villanous-looking fellows in the boat. They were <i>contrabandistas</i>, as
+smugglers are called in Spanish. The town of San Roque on the hill has
+the reputation of being largely the abode of this class of people, and
+the surrounding country doubtless is inhabited by great numbers of them.</p>
+
+<p>"Gibraltar is a free port, and a resort in consequence of Spanish
+smugglers, who drive an amazing trade by introducing contraband goods
+into Spain. The British government is not altogether free from a charge
+of a breach of faith, in the toleration it has given to these dishonest
+men; for it is bound by many engagements to use its best exertions
+to prevent any fraud on the Spanish revenues, in consequence of its
+possession of this peninsula." This is an extract from an English book,
+published in London. The writer has not set up a windmill for the
+purpose of giving the knight-errant on board of the Salihé a job to
+knock it down.</p>
+
+<p>It was plain enough to Louis, who had read the account of Gibraltar
+from which we have quoted, that the occupants of the boat alongside had
+a small vessel in the Palmones, loaded for a voyage to some port in
+Spain. The wind had been tolerably fresh during the afternoon, but at
+sunset it had entirely subsided, and at the present time the surface
+of the bay was glassy in the moonlight. The custom-house officials from
+Algeciras or elsewhere might pounce upon them before morning, or the
+next day if the vessel was compelled to remain in the river for the
+want of wind.</p>
+
+<p>"Is Captain Chickworth on board of the steamer?" asked Gray, addressing
+those on the forecastle of the steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"He is not on board," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment the engine, which had been doing its most vigorous work,
+triumphed over the mud, and began to move, to the great satisfaction
+of all the party on board, and perhaps to the discomfiture of those
+in the boat. She went astern very slowly, as though she had not yet
+fully conquered her enemy at the bottom of the bay. Gray, who was still
+holding on at the rail of the steamer, looked about him, as if to
+interpret the motion he could not help feeling. Then he said something
+to the man nearest to him, who passed up to him the painter, though
+those on board could not see what was done.</p>
+
+<p>"All right now!" exclaimed Scott, as he ran into the pilot-house and
+grasped the spokes of the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't crow till you are out of the woods," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"She has got started and she will go it now," said Felix, as he went to
+the bow to see what progress the steamer was making.</p>
+
+<p>The opportunity for which the boatmen had probably been watching
+appeared to have come when Louis turned his attention to the movement
+of the Milesian, for at that moment Gray sprang over the rail of the
+yacht to the deck, with the painter in his hand. There was a movement
+of his companions in the boat to follow him; but the English-speaking
+member of the band interposed, and prevented them from doing so.</p>
+
+<p>"We will try gentle measures first," said he, as Louis interpreted his
+Spanish; and he spoke it very fluently, if not as correctly as Louis
+had been taught by his learned professor.</p>
+
+<p>"If Captain Chickworth is not on board of the steamer, who is in
+command of her?" demanded Gray, as he made fast the painter of the boat
+at the rail.</p>
+
+<p>"I am in command of her," replied Louis; and the situation seemed
+to call upon him to act without any election or appointment to the
+leadership of his party.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you happen to have any name?" inquired Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"My name is Belgrave, at your service."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I suppose you hail from Belgravia in London."</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; I hail from Von Blonk Park."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you speak English very well for a Dutchman. I never heard of the
+place you come from; but it is all the same," continued Gray, evidently
+proceeding to use the gentle measures of which he had spoken. "The
+Dutch are a very thrifty and money-making people."</p>
+
+<p>"They are, like the Scotch, of whom you are one, I should judge,
+though you have but little of the dialect in your speech, and you
+speak English very well indeed, to return your compliment," replied
+Louis, seeing that Felix and Morris were keeping a close watch over the
+Spaniards in the boat.</p>
+
+<p>If Gray wished to use gentle measures, the self-appointed commander of
+the Salihé was willing to meet him half-way, and was not disposed to
+resort to violence as long as it could be avoided, or even to harshness
+of speech.</p>
+
+<p>"I am a Scotchman, and I am proud of my country," added Gray. "You
+are a Dutchman, though you speak English perfectly. I suppose you are
+ready, as Scotchmen and Dutchmen always are, to make a little money."</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot say that I am," replied Louis rather coldly.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you are a very odd Dutchman."</p>
+
+<p>"And you are a very odd Scotchman."</p>
+
+<p>"I dare say I am; but I do not see in what particular I am odd at the
+present moment."</p>
+
+<p>"Why, you propose to give me a chance to make some money instead of
+making it yourself, which is not at all like a Scotchman."</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Quiere V. atropellar?</i>" (Will you hurry up?) shouted the Spaniard in
+the stern of the boat angrily.</p>
+
+<p>"My friend is impatient," added Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"I see he is."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you speak Spanish?" demanded the Scotchman, evidently startled at
+the suggestion of Louis's reply.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not just now; but if your friend is impatient, I will not detain
+him or you a single moment more, and you can return to your boat at
+once."</p>
+
+<p>By this time the Salihé was under full headway, and the boat was
+dragged at a rather uncomfortable speed for those on board of it. At
+this stage of the proceedings the pilot rang one bell to stop the
+steamer.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE BATTLE ON THE DECK OF THE SALIHÉ</p>
+
+
+<p>Scott had heard all the conversation with Gray on the forecastle, and
+fully acknowledged the authority of the self-appointed commander. He
+had rung one bell without any order to that effect. As he explained it
+afterwards, the fact that the steamer had been aground led him to fear
+that she might stick the heel of her false keel, if she had one, into
+another mud-bank, and perhaps cripple her rudder.</p>
+
+<p>The acting captain did not object, for he knew that the pilot was more
+of a sailor than he was himself, and he took the trouble to nod his
+approval of what had been done. Fearing some interference on the part
+of Gray, Louis did not care to make an issue by directing him to go
+ahead. But Scott rang one bell again without any order, and the Salihé
+began to go ahead. The boat was whirled about by this movement, and
+came up alongside of the steamer as she gathered headway. Gray watched
+the craft and the men in it; but the latter made no demonstration,
+though Diego, as he called him, occasionally demanded that the
+Scotchman should "hurry up."</p>
+
+<p>"I have a bit of business with you, Captain Belgrave," said Gray, when
+things had become quiet again on deck. "My friend Diego has a small
+vessel loaded with merchandise."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose he bought it at some of the houses whose light we can see
+half a mile up the Palmones," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"That is neither here nor there. What odds does it make where the goods
+came from?" asked the Scotchman, beginning to manifest some of Diego's
+impatience.</p>
+
+<p>"It does not make the least difference in the world to me; but it might
+to the Spanish custom-house officers," replied Louis lightly.</p>
+
+<p>"You know more than the law allows to a young fellow; and I hope you
+are as prudent as you are wise," replied Gray, in a tone somewhat
+severe. "Captain Chickworth is my friend; and if he had not been
+obliged to go to a society meeting, he would have been here with the
+Salihé to assist me."</p>
+
+<p>"But Captain Chickworth does not happen to be here to assist you; and
+my party have chartered his steamer, and they have the right to use her
+as they please."</p>
+
+<p>"But, my dear Captain Belgrave, I will give you two pounds in good gold
+if you will assist me with your steamer; and we won't disturb your
+party in the least degree," pleaded the Scotchman, in tones that were
+now quite obsequious. "The money I give you will pay for the steamer."</p>
+
+<p>"We are able to pay for her without any such assistance from you, and
+I must respectfully decline your munificent offer," answered Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Make it three pounds, though Chickworth would have charged me only
+two," persisted Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"I must still decline."</p>
+
+<p>"I am willing to say four pounds, though you are rather hard on me."</p>
+
+<p>"Make it twenty pounds, and I shall decline it all the same. I am not
+in want of a job just now," replied Louis very firmly.</p>
+
+<p>"But we must have the steamer, and I hope you will be reasonable,
+Captain Belgrave. If we proposed to turn you and your party out of the
+steamer, and take full possession of her, it would be quite another
+thing," argued Gray. "You can all remain on board of the steamer and
+enjoy the sail just the same. If you wish to retire to the cabin, we
+have some excellent wine on board of our vessel, and we will supply you
+with half a dozen bottles of it, which will help you to pass away the
+evening."</p>
+
+<p>"Not one of our party drinks wine."</p>
+
+<p>"We only ask you to tow the Golondrina down as far as Carnero Point,
+and we shall get a breeze of wind by that time."</p>
+
+<p>"It is no use to talk, Mr. Gray. I will not tow the Golondrina down
+to Carnero Point on any terms you can name," said Louis, so decidedly
+that the Scotchman was evidently satisfied he could not accomplish his
+purpose.</p>
+
+<p>"You are a very obstinate Dutchman!" exclaimed Gray, as he turned away
+from the acting captain, and blew a whistle which it was evident he had
+carried in his hand during the conversation.</p>
+
+<p>When the boat swung around as the steamer went ahead, it was held by
+the painter abreast of the engine-room. Felix heard that whistle,
+and had been an attentive listener to the interview in front of the
+pilot-house. He had stationed himself at the rail near the point where
+the painter of the Spanish boat was made fast. He realized before the
+close of the conference that Gray "meant business," as he expressed
+himself. The instant he heard the whistle, he cast off the painter,
+which he had partly unloosed before. The boat began to slide aft, and
+Gray used some expletives which indicated that he was not in good
+standing in the Scottish Kirk.</p>
+
+<p>Diego was not asleep, for he instantly detected the fact that his craft
+was adrift. He laid hold of the rail of the steamer with desperate
+energy, for he knew that once lost the Salihé could not be overtaken
+with oars, and the custom-house officers would settle their business in
+due time. The Spaniard held on to the rail, and his men did the same.</p>
+
+<p>Gray had hurried aft as soon as he had blown his whistle, which must
+have been agreed upon as the signal to board, before he put his
+foot aboard the planks of the steamer. On the way he seized upon a
+heave-line, which was attached to a fast in the stern, and dropped it
+into the boat. It was caught by one of the men, and passed around the
+fore thwart. With this assistance the Spaniards were able to hold the
+craft, though it fell astern of the steamer when they let go of the
+rail.</p>
+
+<p>Louis, Felix, and Morris now realized that the smugglers intended to
+take forcible possession of the Salihé, and their blood was stirred
+accordingly. All three of them had revolvers in their hip pockets for
+reasons set forth in the preceding volumes; though Morris had purchased
+his in London, for the adventure with the brigands in Teneriffe had
+satisfied his father that it was needed. All three of them followed
+Gray, and saw that the Spanish boat was again attached to the steamer.</p>
+
+<p>Scott looked out for the wheel; but he had gone to the door of the
+pilot-house, where he had seen all that occurred farther aft. He had
+been the owner of two revolvers, but Captain Ringgold had ordered
+them to be taken from him when he was a rebellious character, and
+they had never been restored to him. He was not armed, therefore, as
+his companions were; but if there was to be any fighting he earnestly
+desired to do his share of it, for he was far from being a coward.</p>
+
+<p>Under the binnacle in front of the wheel were several tools, including
+a hammer, two hatchets, and a common hand-saw. From this arsenal of
+available weapons he selected the smaller hatchet, because it was quite
+sharp, and the saw. He had heard an old shipmaster who resided near his
+foster-father give an account of a mutiny which he had suppressed, and
+his only weapon was a saw such as that he found in the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>Thrusting the handle of the hatchet through the back of his belt, and
+with the saw in his hand, he secured the wheel amidships, and hastened
+aft, following closely at the heels of his three companions on board.
+Gray stood by the heave-line he had thrown to those in the boat, and
+which he had made fast at a cleat under the rail. Scott took in the
+situation at a glance, and noted the place where the line was made
+fast. But he did not wish to interfere with any plan Louis had made.</p>
+
+<p>"I have fastened the wheel amidships, Louis, and I can be with you for
+a few minutes," said he to the leader.</p>
+
+<p>"Gray has dropped a line into the boat, and the Spaniards have made it
+fast," replied Louis. "All we have to do is to beat them off if we can.
+I don't like the idea of shooting them;" and he had his hand on his hip
+pocket.</p>
+
+<p>"Here is the line: shall I cut it?" asked Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, if you can."</p>
+
+<p>Drawing the rope up to the rail, he chopped it off with a single blow
+of the hatchet. It dropped on the deck, and was running out when the
+Scotchman unfortunately discovered what had been done, and seized upon
+it just before the end of it was going overboard. He could not have
+done this if Diego and a couple of his companions had not still been
+holding on at the rail.</p>
+
+<p>Gray held fast at the line, passing it around the small iron davit, to
+a pair of which a little tender was hoisted up, and made it fast. Then
+he turned upon the four boys who were in the gangway abreast of the
+cabin, and he was evidently no longer in favor of gentle measures, for
+he swore at them in a manner to make a Christian weep.</p>
+
+<p>"I gave you a chance to be decent and earn some money," said he
+angrily. "You would not listen to me, and now you have lost your chance
+to make three or four pounds, and I have taken possession of the
+steamer, and I intend to keep her as long as I please."</p>
+
+<p>"This is piracy!" exclaimed Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You may call it what you like," replied Gray savagely. "You have had
+your chance, and now you have lost it. Go forward, every mother's son
+of you!" And he rushed at them in a body as they stood, with his two
+fists doubled up as though he intended to annihilate them, and so
+furiously that those who had revolvers had no chance to use them.</p>
+
+<p>He absolutely fell upon Louis and Felix who were ahead of Morris and
+Scott, and except the last they all fell back involuntarily, and in
+a moment more the revolvers were drawn and in readiness for use; but
+Scott did not budge a foot. He had restored the hatchet to the belt
+behind him, and had transferred the hand-saw to his right hand. He
+stood his ground like a brave fellow, for he had a plan in his head
+upon which he meant to act.</p>
+
+<p>The Scotchman struck at him with his fist, directing the blow at his
+head; but Scott had raised the saw in readiness for action, and he
+brought it down upon his assailant's hand with a force which made him
+howl with pain, and caused him to retreat a pace, while he poured
+forth a volley of oaths which must have well-nigh exhausted his
+piratical vocabulary.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">Scott raised the saw in readiness for action.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>"Don't fire, fellows, if you can help it," said Louis to his followers,
+for the worst the smugglers were likely to do was to use the Salihé
+to tow their schooner down to Carnero Point, a distance of about five
+miles, and he could not feel that his party would be justified in
+killing the assailants.</p>
+
+<p>He spoke in a low tone so that Gray could not hear him, for he was
+still disposed to use the revolvers for their moral effect, and he
+did not believe that even the Scotchman would be willing to stand up
+in the face of a dozen and a half of bullets that might be shot into
+his head. Louis was filled with admiration at the pluck which Scott
+exhibited, for he had not expected it of him. Still levelling blows at
+the Scotchman with the saw, the pilot drove him aft, hitting him once
+in the face, for he was not as tender of the enemy as his leader was.</p>
+
+<p>Gray defended himself as well as he could, avoiding most of the
+blows by dodging them, or warding them off with his arm. Near the
+standing-room he found a spare tiller, kept for use in case the wheel
+should be disabled in the pilot-house. As he stooped to take it from
+the brackets, he received the cut in his face, which maddened him
+more than any other he had received. With this weapon he rushed upon
+the pilot, and the efficiency of the saw was somewhat neutralized,
+though Scott continued to wield it vigorously as he retreated upon his
+companions.</p>
+
+<p>In the first of the struggle Gray had called upon the Spaniards to
+board the steamer, which they had done, and now the whole five of
+the smugglers were on the deck of the Salihé. The situation looked
+very discouraging to Louis when he saw that the enemy had obtained a
+foothold, and he realized that he ought to have menaced those in the
+boat with the revolvers of his party. But he could not have reached the
+standing-room directly without passing the Scotchman, who would have
+disputed his passage.</p>
+
+<p>The Spaniards disappeared behind the cabin; but in a minute more they
+fell upon the rear of the party, and made them prisoners.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE BIG FOUR AS PRISONERS IN THE CABIN</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis Belgrave had taken it for granted that the Spaniards would move
+forward to the support of the Scotchman, who was doing better with the
+aid of the tiller in his encounter with Scott. He expected the attack
+would be made in front, and while he was considering whether or not
+his party should use their revolvers, the smugglers fell upon Felix
+and himself in the rear, for he had sent Morris to the wheel, and they
+were tightly hugged, with their arms pinned to their sides by the four
+Spaniards.</p>
+
+<p>While the struggle between Scott and Gray was going on, Louis
+discovered that the steamer was headed towards the shore, and it was
+evident to him that the pilot's fastenings at the wheel had given away.
+The Salihé was therefore liable to stick in the mud at any moment; and
+he had sent Morris to the pilot-house to steer the boat, for he was the
+youngest of the big four, and the least serviceable in the defence of
+the craft.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Louis and Felix were fast in the embrace of two of the
+Spaniards, Diego rushed into the pilot-house, and overthrew Morris
+at the wheel. The plucky little fellow had drawn his revolver; but
+the leader had cautioned them not to fire, and he returned the weapon
+to his pocket. He was no match for the stalwart smuggler, and he was
+thrown on the floor. Diego called to the third of his men on the deck,
+and directed him to tie the hands of all the prisoners behind them,
+which he did as soon as he could find the cords for the purpose.</p>
+
+<p>Diego was the leader of the Spaniards, and probably the captain of
+the small vessel to be towed out of the bay. He kept his foot on the
+prostrate form of poor Morris while he threw over the wheel, and headed
+the steamer for the mouth of the Palmones. When Louis had been bound
+with his hands behind him, he turned his attention to Scott, who was
+still holding his own with the Scotchman. The blows with the tiller and
+the saw were now few and far between, for both of them seemed to be
+tired out by the fury of the struggle.</p>
+
+<p>"No use, Scott," called Louis. "You had better give it up, and we will
+make the best of the situation. All but you are prisoners; you cannot
+beat off the whole of them alone, and you had better surrender."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I will throw up the sponge if you say so, Captain Belgrave,
+though it goes against my grain," replied Scott as he dropped the saw
+into the cabin through one of the open windows.</p>
+
+<p>"That's sensible, Captain," added Gray, with a sort of gasp, for he had
+not yet recovered his breath after the violence of the struggle. "Here,
+Francisco, tie up this fellow as you have the others," he added in
+Spanish.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you mean to tie my hands behind me?" demanded Scott, falling back
+from his assailant.</p>
+
+<p>"You can't help yourself, Scott, and you had better submit," interposed
+Louis, for there was no "blood and thunder" in him; he was not disposed
+to have any shooting done as long as their lives were not in peril, and
+he deemed it advisable to make the best of the situation.</p>
+
+<p>He suspected that Giles Chickworth was a friend of Gray, and assisted
+him in his smuggling operations. Diego and the Scotchman were evidently
+in partnership in such enterprises as the present, and doubtless the
+owner of the steamer had his share of the profits. Gray would send the
+Salihé back to Gibraltar, even if it was only to avert suspicion from
+the steamer and her owner.</p>
+
+<p>"Just as you say, Captain Belgrave, and I will submit to the
+indignity," said Scott in reply to the advice of the leader.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Belgrave is a very sensible fellow," added Gray, as the
+Spaniard proceeded to bring the hands of the pilot behind him. "You
+have hacked me badly with that saw, which is a weapon I have never seen
+used in a fight before."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you have learned something this evening that may be of service
+to you," replied Scott, who appeared to be very well satisfied with
+himself after the battle he had fought.</p>
+
+<p>"You are a plucky fellow; but if I could have got hold of you, your
+pluck would have done no good."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not mean to let you get hold of me," answered Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"But you were playing a fool's game all the same. As soon as Francisco
+had tied up the other fellows, they would have taken you in the rear,
+and then I should have got hold of you. You were not as sensible as
+Captain Belgrave; and I only wonder that he should have been so stupid
+as not to accept my offer in the beginning."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you know that this is piracy, Captain Gray," said Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Not quite so bad as that, Captain Belgrave, for within half a mile of
+the shore, and in this bay, is not exactly on the high seas."</p>
+
+<p>Diego had called Francisco to the wheel as soon as all the prisoners
+were bound, and went out on deck himself. The steamer was again
+approaching the mouth of the river; but the man at the helm evidently
+knew where the deep water was, for he kept the boat close to the point
+at the south of the entrance to the stream.</p>
+
+<p>"We are all right now, Captain Gray," said Diego, as he passed the
+three prisoners standing in the gangway.</p>
+
+<p>"And I am all right at this end of the vessel, Captain Velazquez,"
+replied Gray, using for the first time the surname of the principal
+Spaniard. "Now, what shall we do with the prisoners?"</p>
+
+<p>They both spoke in Spanish, but Louis understood them, and he was
+interested in the answer to the question of the Scotchman.</p>
+
+<p>"Shut them up in the cabin. There is a lock on the door, and they will
+be safe there," replied the captain. "I looked at the door as I went
+forward."</p>
+
+<p>"But we must use them well, Diego, or it will go hard with us if
+we should happen to get caught," suggested Gray, as he tied his
+handkerchief around his left hand, where his worst saw wound was
+located.</p>
+
+<p>"We shall not be caught," protested the captain vigorously, and it was
+plain that he did not like to contemplate such a mishap. "The steamer
+will tow us safely out of the bay, and on the next tide I shall run my
+schooner into Vega River, where no vessel that draws more than nine
+feet of water can follow us. We shall be all right as soon as we get to
+sea. Here we are in the river."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we must lock up the prisoners," added Gray. "But how about the
+engineer? He has not been on deck at all."</p>
+
+<p>"He is a Spaniard; but I sent Pedro into the engine-room to keep watch
+of him. He will not make any trouble," replied the captain of the
+smuggler.</p>
+
+<p>Before the unfortunate ship's company of the Salihé were committed to
+their prison they obtained a view of the situation up the Palmones.
+There appeared to be no persons on the shore. The houses were all on
+the north side of the stream, and a couple of feluccas lay on the south
+side, which had probably been employed in bringing the smuggled goods
+to this locality. In the middle of the river a small schooner was at
+anchor; and Louis concluded that this was the vessel to be towed out of
+the bay.</p>
+
+<p>There was not a breath of wind, and the smuggler was utterly helpless
+without the assistance of the steamer. While they were surveying
+the scene the gong in the engine-room struck, and it was plain that
+Francisco knew how to manage the bells. The head of the Salihé was
+directed toward the schooner, assuring the prisoners that she was the
+craft to be taken in tow. Louis had thought they might appeal to some
+person on the shore for assistance; but no one was to be seen.</p>
+
+<p>"Come, gentlemen, your quarters are ready, and your prison is fit for a
+king," said Gray, who had been making it ready while the prisoners were
+looking up the stream; and he seemed to have had some trouble with the
+lock, for it bothered him for some time.</p>
+
+<p>"All right; I think we can be comfortable here," replied Louis, who led
+the way.</p>
+
+<p>"I should think you might. You can go to sleep if you like; and when
+we have done with the steamer, I will call you, and ask you to return
+her to Captain Chickworth with my compliments," continued the Scotchman
+very pleasantly, for his wounds did not seem to make him ugly.</p>
+
+<p>Louis concluded that he was to make a great deal of money out of his
+share of the present venture, and that the thought of it was the
+solution of his cheerfulness. According to the statement of Diego, the
+want of a breeze was likely to ruin all their prospects, subject the
+cargo of the schooner to confiscation, and her ship's company to proper
+punishment. The capture of the Salihé could hardly fail to make them
+happy.</p>
+
+<p>Gray passed them all into the cabin, and locked the door upon them.
+Then he ordered a Spaniard to bring them a couple of bottles of the
+excellent wine of which he had spoken before; but Louis assured him
+that none of them ever drank wine under any circumstances. Then he
+reminded them that he was treating them as well as though Captain
+Belgrave had accepted his liberal offer, speaking to them through the
+blinds in the door. When he had thus delivered himself, he walked
+forward, for the prisoners could hear his footsteps on the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"Here we are!" exclaimed Louis, as he seated himself on the divan which
+surrounded the apartment.</p>
+
+<p>"Just where we ought not to be," added Felix. "I obeyed the order of
+the captain; but I could hardly help putting a ball from my revolver
+through the head of that gray blackguard of a Scotchman, bad luck to
+him!"</p>
+
+<p>"What better off should we have been, Flix, if you had killed or
+wounded him?" asked Louis quietly.</p>
+
+<p>"We should have had one less to fight, and we might have shot some more
+of them," argued the Milesian.</p>
+
+<p>"Diego had a wicked-looking knife in his belt, and I have no doubt the
+rest of them were similarly armed," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I might have shot Diego when he took the helm from me," added Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad you did not, my boy. If you had failed to disable him with
+the first barrel, he would have stabbed you before you could have fired
+the second. If Flix had fired his revolver at Gray, the other four in
+the boat would have leaped on board, and used their knives freely,"
+continued Louis, who still believed he had adopted the wisest course.</p>
+
+<p>"I guess you are right, Captain Belgrave," added Scott, who was the
+hero of the occasion, for he had done all the fighting. "We are
+comfortable enough here in this cabin, and not one of us has got hurt.
+I had a rap on the arm from the spare tiller in the hands of Gray, and
+it may be black and blue; but that is nothing, and I am glad no other
+fellow is damaged, as some of you would have been if you had used your
+revolvers. I did not have any, so I had to content myself with the saw."</p>
+
+<p>"And you did good work with it, Scott," said Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not hit him as hard as I might, for I did not want to kill him,
+and I was afraid I might overdo the business. As I said, this is a very
+comfortable cabin, and some of us are no strangers here. It is quite
+cool here, and"—</p>
+
+<p>"It ought to be cool, for all the windows are open," suggested Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"So they are," added Scott, rising and examining each one separately,
+for the curtains were drawn over them.</p>
+
+<p>"We might get out," said Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Except for these bonds," replied Scott. "Perhaps we can cast them off.
+It would be a good scheme if we could get loose, recapture the steamer,
+and then deliver her to the custom-house officers at Gib, if there are
+any there."</p>
+
+<p>"It does not look quite practicable," said Louis, shaking his head.</p>
+
+<p>"But it is worth considering," persisted Scott.</p>
+
+<p>And they proceeded to consider it.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">A MORAL CONSPIRACY ON BOARD THE SALIHÉ</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis Belgrave had a constitutional dislike for evil-doers, for he
+inherited an utter condemnation of all wrong as a part of his being;
+and he could no more help this feeling than he could help breathing.
+Like his mother, he was disposed to "love the sinner while he hated the
+sin." He had just passed through an exciting experience, and he was
+grateful to Heaven that he and his friends had come out of the conflict
+unharmed.</p>
+
+<p>Still he was not at all satisfied with the situation. His party had
+been beaten in the conflict with the smugglers, who were lawless
+reprobates, with whom he could not have the remotest sympathy. He had
+not the slightest fellow-feeling for those who believed it was quite
+proper to cheat the government out of the duties levied on goods coming
+into the country.</p>
+
+<p>He was even so old-fashioned as to wonder how men and women who had
+the reputation of being honest and upright members of society, and
+sometimes in good standing in the church, could conceal dutiable goods
+when they had come home from abroad, and give evasive if not lying
+answers to the questions of custom-house officials.</p>
+
+<p>Gray, Diego, Velazquez, and their associates, were violating the laws
+of Spain. If the duties on the merchandise on board of the Golondrina,
+as their schooner was called, amounted to a thousand pounds, Louis
+regarded their operation as precisely the same thing as stealing this
+amount of money from the Spanish government. He viewed the transaction
+in exactly the same light as he would have looked upon the deed of a
+bandit who robbed the passing traveller on the road of the sum named.</p>
+
+<p>Louis expressed his views on this subject as a prelude to the
+consideration of the question which Scott had brought up for
+discussion. It seemed to him, though he had not reasoned himself into
+this belief, that he and his companions were to some extent guilty if
+they permitted these law-breakers, without an attempt to bring them to
+justice, to go their way with their ill-gotten booty, or, as he put it,
+to steal the money from the government of Spain.</p>
+
+<p>It is hardly probable that all his friends took his high-toned moral
+view of the subject; but without exception they were in favor of
+recapturing the steamer, and making prisoners of the smugglers.
+Undoubtedly such an attempt would involve an adventure; but there was
+a flavor of doing one's duty connected with it which satisfied Louis
+that "it was the right thing to do," if it was practicable, for even
+Louis did not believe that his party were called upon to perish by the
+stilettos of the ruffians for the benefit of the Spanish treasury.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold on a minute," said Scott, as the gong in the engine-room sounded
+to stop the boat. "They have come to the Golondrina. We had better find
+out if we can how the pirates arrange their affairs on board when they
+take the schooner in tow."</p>
+
+<p>"That is a good idea," replied Louis, as he went to one of the cabin
+windows, and raised the curtain a little so that he could see out on
+the deck. "The steamer has come about, and her stern is under the
+bowsprit of the schooner."</p>
+
+<p>"Look out, Louis!" called Scott, as he heard voices on the deck. "They
+will see that the window is open if you are not careful."</p>
+
+<p>The cabin had been lighted by Chickworth when he brought the steamer
+to the gangway of the Guardian-Mother. A lamp was suspended from a
+deck-beam overhead; it had three brackets, and the little apartment was
+illuminated like a ballroom. Louis dropped the curtain at this warning,
+but he could still hear all that was said on the deck.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Velazquez ordered Lucio on board of the schooner, directing him
+to pass the tow-line to the steamer; and it had evidently been made
+ready before the smugglers left the vessel to procure the services
+of the Salihé. Louis interpreted the command of the captain to his
+companions in a low tone so that he could not be heard by those on deck.</p>
+
+<p>"That settles one thing," said Scott, who was proving himself to be one
+of the most useful and determined of the party.</p>
+
+<p>"What does it settle?" asked Louis, who had taken no particular notice
+of the meaning of the order.</p>
+
+<p>"It settles that no men were left in the schooner; for that reason
+Lucio had to be sent on board of her to pass the tow-line on board,"
+replied Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"That is important," added Louis. "Possibly it proves another thing:
+that the smugglers intended to take the steamer by force if necessary,
+or they would have sent only two or three after her. They are hauling
+the line on board."</p>
+
+<p>Louis listened again, and Diego's orders indicated that the line was
+made fast at the stern of the Salihé. The only names he heard used were
+those of Gray, the captain, and Francisco, for Pedro appeared to be
+still in charge of the engine, or rather of the engineer. Only four of
+the ruffians remained on board of the steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Todo esta pronto</i>" (All is ready), said Gray, who seemed to be more
+impatient than his companions.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Todavia no</i>" (Not yet), added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"What are we waiting for now?" demanded Gray, vexed at any delay, and
+still speaking Spanish of course.</p>
+
+<p>"I have to place my men," replied Diego petulantly.</p>
+
+<p>At this point of the conversation on the deck Louis was intensely
+interested, for he was as desirous of knowing where each man was placed
+as the captain himself. In the beginning of the discussion he had
+simply hoped that something might be done to recover the steamer; but
+now Scott's proposition began to look more practicable.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought you had placed them," said Gray. "Francisco, who knows more
+about a steamer than any of the rest of your crew, is to be at the
+helm, and Pedro is to look out for the Spanish engineer, who is not
+likely to give us any trouble."</p>
+
+<p>"All right so far," replied the captain. "Lucio will remain on board of
+the Golondrina with me."</p>
+
+<p>"With you?" interrogated the Scotchman.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I shall stay on board of the <i>goleta</i>," returned Diego, as
+though he had been asked a foolish question.</p>
+
+<p>"I supposed you would remain on board of the steamer," added Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"Have you lost your wits?" demanded Captain Velazquez, as nearly as
+Louis could render his remark into English. "Our valuable cargo is on
+board of the Golondrina, and do you expect me to leave it to take care
+of itself?"</p>
+
+<p>"But if you stay on board of the steamer you will not be far away from
+it," suggested Gray, who was clearly dissatisfied with the arrangement.</p>
+
+<p>"Suppose the tow-line should part and set the <i>goleta</i> adrift: what
+would become of her with no one but Lucio on board of her?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have no idea that the tow-line will part."</p>
+
+<p>"But it may. Suppose we are chased by a cutter from Algeciras; she
+might run between the two vessels in order to break the line," argued
+Diego.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you would be taken by the officers, and I should be safe," added
+Gray with a chuckle. "But I happen to know that they have nothing just
+now but a sailing-vessel for a cutter, and there is not a breath of air
+to-night."</p>
+
+<p>"But there will be wind enough as soon as we get out from under the lee
+of these mountains to the north of us," the captain insisted. "I never
+leave my vessel when she is under way."</p>
+
+<p>Louis thought the captain had the best of the argument; and whether
+the Scotchman thought so or not, he made no further objection to the
+plan; and a few minutes later the listener heard the voice of Diego
+from a distance, which assured him that he had gone on board of the
+Golondrina. This word means a swallow, not an unusual name for a fast
+yacht in France and the United States; and Louis concluded that she
+must be a rapid-sailing craft, built for the smuggling business.</p>
+
+<p>The attentive listener next heard the footsteps of Gray, and it
+must have been he, since the captain had left him alone in the
+standing-room. Doubtless he was going to the pilot-house, where
+Francisco had been sent before him, to get the steamer under way as
+soon as Diego gave the command. Louis drew aside the curtain and looked
+out; but no one was to be seen on the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"There is no one near the cabin now," said he as he seated himself on
+the divan, with his hands behind him, a position which circumstances
+compelled all the party to assume.</p>
+
+<p>"But what have you heard, Captain Belgrave?" demanded Scott. "None of
+us but you know any Spanish, and we are as much in the dark as ever."</p>
+
+<p>"Quite right; and I forgot to mention what I have heard;" and he
+proceeded to report the conversation to which he had listened, omitting
+the arguments used by Gray and the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"That makes the situation look a little more jolly," said Scott. "There
+goes the gong, and we are going ahead now. We had better hurry up our
+cakes, or we shall be too late to do anything, for the steamer has only
+five or six miles to make before the smugglers will discharge her, her
+occupation gone, if they only get a breeze."</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Velazquez is confident that the schooner will get a breeze as
+soon as she gets out from under the lee of the hills."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we had better lose no time," said Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, I belayve ye's can't do much wid yo'r arrums toied behoind
+ye's," interposed Felix, as he rose from his seat, and began to strain
+on his bonds. "Where are ye's now, Morris, moi darlint? Sure it was you
+that set us loose in the felucky out from Teneriffe."</p>
+
+<p>"But my hands are tied behind me as well as yours this time," replied
+Morris, as he made an attempt to draw his wrists through the line that
+secured his arms behind him.</p>
+
+<p>"Never mind your arms just yet," interposed Scott. "We shall have
+the use of them when we have business for them. Let us look over the
+situation a little before we try to do anything. I understand from
+what Captain Belgrave has told us that Diego Valequizco, the captain,
+and Lucio are on board of the schooner, which we are dragging very
+slowly after us out of the river."</p>
+
+<p>"Quite correct, Captain Scott," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't call me captain, Louis, for you are the commander in this
+excursion," replied Scott, shaking his head.</p>
+
+<p>"But you are five times the sailor that I am, Scott, and so is Morris;
+and one of you ought to be captain if any one."</p>
+
+<p>"No! no!" protested Felix. "Captain Belgrave is the proper laygind."</p>
+
+<p>"But we cannot stay to haggle over such a question," added Louis
+very decidedly. "You have placed two of the smugglers, Scott—Gray
+is walking about the deck or in the pilot-house; Francisco is at the
+wheel, and Pedro is looking after Felipe."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we know where they all are, and we are ready for business,"
+continued Scott. "What shall we do next, Captain Belgrave?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have a sharp knife in my vest pocket, and we will use that next,"
+replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, we can't do that same very well wid our hahnds toied behoind
+us," interposed Flix.</p>
+
+<p>"Talk English or Spanish, Felix," said Louis rather sharply.</p>
+
+<p>"I can talk English and walk Spanish. What shall I do now?"</p>
+
+<p>"Back up in front of me," continued Louis, resuming his seat on the
+divan. "Now put your hand into my vest pocket and take out my knife."</p>
+
+<p>Felix obeyed the order, and with his fingers, for he could not move his
+wrists, he extracted the knife from the pocket. Then the leader placed
+himself back to back with the Milesian, and instructed him to cut his
+fastenings, but not to cut him. He used great care, and the operation
+required some time; but it was safely accomplished.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">WORKING UP THE DETAILS OF THE SCHEME</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis was the first to be released from his bonds. His hands were
+now free, and he took the knife from Felix. Without any of the
+disadvantages under which the Milesian had performed the operation,
+he severed the bonds of his crony, and then proceeded to repeat the
+ceremony upon Scott and Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"Put your hands behind you!" said Louis, as he heard footsteps on the
+deck. "Take your seats on the divan!"</p>
+
+<p>He spoke quite sharply for him; but fortunately his companions had
+imbibed enough of the spirit of the sailor, whose duty it is to obey
+without asking any questions, to heed the command on the instant.</p>
+
+<p>"How are you getting on, boys?" asked Gray, as he drew aside the
+curtain of one of the windows, all of which opened on the gangway.</p>
+
+<p>"First rate," replied Louis. "We are all very comfortable just now.
+Where do we happen to be at the present moment, Captain Gray?"</p>
+
+<p>"We happen to be off the Almirante tower, headed for the light on Verde
+Island; and everything is working well for us. We are beginning to
+get a little breeze now," replied Gray, who appeared to be in a very
+cheerful mood. "But Captain Velazquez is hailing me from the schooner."</p>
+
+<p>The Scotchman went aft from the window, and Louis hastened to one that
+opened into the standing-room. Gray replied to the hail of the captain
+of the schooner.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>A donde va V?</i>" (Where are you going?) yelled Diego; and his tones
+indicated that he was a very angry man.</p>
+
+<p>"We are headed for the light on Verde Island," replied the Scotchman.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Nécio!</i>" (Fool!) bellowed Captain Velazquez, putting all the vim he
+could into the word. "Do you want to hand us over to the officers at
+Algeciras? Make the course for the red light on the New Mole!"</p>
+
+<p>"All right, Captain!" returned Gray, as he hastened forward to the
+pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"We are safe so far," continued Louis, as he retired from the window.
+"Gray is the most dangerous man with whom we have to deal, for he is a
+heavy fellow; he shares the profits of this smuggling enterprise; and I
+think he will fight as long as there is anything left of him."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we must take him where the hair is short," replied Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"About where on his carcass is the hair short?" asked Louis, amused in
+spite of himself at the manner of the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"About the neck, I should say," answered Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"You speak in enigmas. Will you explain yourself?"</p>
+
+<p>"With the greatest pleasure. I believe you have never been in South
+America, Captain Belgrave?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have never been there," replied Louis; and from Scott's
+half-suppressed laugh, and his manner, he concluded that there must be
+a humorous element in the plan he had suggested.</p>
+
+<p>"But of course you have heard of such an operation as lassoing horses
+and other animals. Certainly you know all about it. Well, Captain
+Belgrave, I propose to lasso Mr. Gray, just as you would lasso a wild
+bull if you were a ranchman in South America or Mexico."</p>
+
+<p>"Lasso him!" exclaimed Louis; and his companions repeated the words.
+"That will be a dangerous operation."</p>
+
+<p>"It will—for Mr. Gray."</p>
+
+<p>"And for us!"</p>
+
+<p>"Not a bit of it! It will be as safe as falling on a haystack," argued
+the pilot with no little enthusiasm. "Give the order to carry out my
+plan, and I will proceed to business at once."</p>
+
+<p>"Go ahead then, as you seem to have an idea," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I have a big idea. Now, Morris, you are the smallest fellow of the
+party, and I am going to put you through one of the windows, and drop
+you down on the deck," continued Scott in the briskest of tones.</p>
+
+<p>"I can get out of the window without any help," replied Morris, who was
+glad to have a part in the proceedings.</p>
+
+<p>"Any way you like, little fellow. I think the heave-line the Scotchman
+used to throw into the smugglers' boat is somewhere about the
+standing-room. I want that rope; and if you can't find that one, look
+up another, and pass it in through the window. Do you understand me?"</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I do; you don't talk Spanish or Chinese," Morris responded
+as he leaped on the divan.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold on a minute! Go around to this door in the standing-room, and
+if you find the key there, unlock it. I'll wager a rusty nail against
+a cold potato that Gray left the key in the door so that we could not
+pick the lock."</p>
+
+<p>Morris sprang lightly into the open window, which was large enough to
+admit the passage of his body without any pinching. He looked forward,
+as the pilot warned him to do, and then lowered himself to the deck.
+The heave-line was lying on the planks beside the bulwark, and he
+passed the end of it to Scott, who was at the window watching his
+movements. It was immediately hauled into the cabin. Two minutes later
+Morris opened the door and walked in.</p>
+
+<p>"You won your wager, Scott, and you can have the cold potato for your
+breakfast to-morrow morning," said Morris as he entered.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, little fellow, just poke your head into that window, like a
+pretty picture in a frame, and keep a sharp lookout forward to see that
+Gray don't come aft to disturb proceedings. Felix, just do the same at
+the opposite window," said Scott, who was doubled up on the floor like
+a Turk, at work on the line he had obtained.</p>
+
+<p>The pilot was a sailor, and he knew how to make all the more common
+knots, though he would not have passed for an able seaman. He worked
+away very industriously till he had made a slip-noose, and assured
+himself that it was in working order by repeated trials. There was no
+interruption to his work, and in a short time the lasso was ready for
+service. As an experiment, he tried it on Felix, and lassoed him at the
+window.</p>
+
+<p>Scott was not a ranchman or a <i>gaucho</i>, but he handled the lasso with
+considerable skill. As a boatman he had had experience in heaving
+lines, and he appeared to have made good use of his opportunities. The
+two sentinels at the windows had nothing to report, for Gray did not
+come aft again. The steamer was now headed for the New Mole light,
+Morris ascertained.</p>
+
+<p>"I should like to know a little more about your plan before we go any
+farther, Scott," said Louis, for the pilot had developed it only as he
+procured the line and adjusted it for use. "Do you mean to lasso the
+Scotchman on the deck?"</p>
+
+<p>"While he is on the deck, but not while I am there," replied Scott.
+"I am going on the hurricane deck, where I shall lie down so that he
+cannot see me. I shall have the line all ready, and when I get Gray in
+the right position, I shall lasso him around the neck."</p>
+
+<p>"But do you think he will let you do so? He is a powerful man, and when
+he gets hold of the rope with his hands, I am afraid he will be more
+than a match for you in a hard pull," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But I don't expect to do this thing all alone. When I get him in the
+trap, it will be time for you three fellows to come in and take a hand
+in the game. We must have some lines so that you can tie his hands
+behind him, as he served us. I don't believe he carries any knife like
+the Spaniards, and you can try the moral effect of your revolvers."</p>
+
+<p>"But I would not shoot him, and no other fellow must do anything of the
+sort," protested Louis. "I should rather let the affair go through to
+the end as arranged by the smugglers than have a drop of blood on my
+conscience."</p>
+
+<p>"We are not exactly doing this thing to save our own life or limbs,
+for I think we are safe enough," added Scott. "Just now we are at work
+for the Spanish government, trying to capture those who are engaged
+in robbing the country of its revenues. I spoke only of using the
+revolvers for their moral effect, and I am not in favor of shooting
+anybody."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, then that is understood; and Morris and Felix will govern
+themselves accordingly," replied the leader.</p>
+
+<p>"But we have to look ahead a little farther than making a prisoner of
+Gray. Francisco at the wheel and Pedro in the engine-room are to be
+served in the same way."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you mean to lasso them?"</p>
+
+<p>"They are hardly in a position to be captured in just that way; but
+four of us can easily dispose of them, one at a time," answered Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Then there are Diego and Lucio on board of the schooner," suggested
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But we shall have no trouble with them as long as we keep the steamer
+moving at eight or nine knots an hour."</p>
+
+<p>"They can pass the tow-line over the windlass, and shorten it up so as
+to bring the vessel close aboard of us."</p>
+
+<p>"If we can't prevent the two men on board of the Golondrina from
+getting on the deck of the Salihé, we ought to put our heads in soak,
+and retire from active business," said Scott confidently.</p>
+
+<p>"Hush up!" called Felix in a loud whisper. "He's coming this way!"</p>
+
+<p>The lasso was put under the divan, and the four boys all seated
+themselves with their hands behind them.</p>
+
+<p>"How are you getting on, boys?" asked Gray at the window from which
+Felix had just retired.</p>
+
+<p>"First rate," replied Scott. "We are going to sleep now, and we want
+you to wake us when you have done with the steamer. Don't set her
+adrift while we are snoozing in the cabin, for she might get aground
+again off Carnero Point."</p>
+
+<p>"Never fear; I will see that you are waked in season to look out
+for the steamer," replied Gray, as he resumed his walk to the
+standing-room.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the steamer!" shouted Captain Velazquez, a moment later, when
+he saw the Scotchman at the stern.</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, ay, Diego!" replied Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"We are half way over to Gib now. Don't go too near the town, but head
+her south south-west," called the captain in Spanish, for he could not
+speak English.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Muy bien!</i>" (Very well!) returned Gray, as he went forward to give
+Francisco the new course.</p>
+
+<p>"What time is it, Captain Belgrave?" asked Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Ten minutes past nine," replied Louis, after looking at his watch.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought it must be ten or eleven," added Scott. "We have been out
+only three hours; and it seems as though we had been a week on this
+cruise."</p>
+
+<p>"We have been well occupied all the time, and it seems longer than it
+is. But it is late enough for us to make a beginning of our affair, or
+we shall have no chance to do anything," said Louis. "As nearly as I
+can make out the position of the steamer, we shall be off Carnero Point
+in half or three-quarters of an hour, and if the smugglers get a breeze
+there, they will part company with us."</p>
+
+<p>"I'm all ready for business, and I am only waiting for your orders,
+Captain Belgrave," replied Scott. "If you will station your men to
+support me, I will proceed at once."</p>
+
+<p>"But you are the principal in this lassoing business, Scott, and I want
+you to put the fellows just where you want them," replied Louis. "We
+will all obey your orders now."</p>
+
+<p>"Just as you say, Captain. I will make my way to the hurricane deck,
+and lie down directly over the cabin door. I will heave the lasso just
+as soon as I find our man in the right position," said Scott, as he
+coiled up the line, and thrust it under his belt. "You three will place
+yourselves at the door, and have it open a crack so that you can see
+out at it. As soon as the music begins, rush out and make the Scotchman
+fast, if he holds still long enough for you to do it."</p>
+
+<p>The pilot passed out at one of the windows, and his step was heard on
+the hurricane deck.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">LASSOING THE SCOTCHMAN</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis opened the cabin door, and looked out; but he closed it
+immediately, for the light in the apartment would enable Captain
+Velazquez to see that it was open, and cause him to suspect that the
+prisoners had made their escape. The lamp hanging from the deck beam
+above was a bracket with three lanterns. Felix climbed upon the table
+which stood beneath it, and took it down. It was then wrapped up in the
+tablecloth, and placed under the divan, where it could shed none of its
+light about the apartment.</p>
+
+<p>The door was then opened again; but it looked as though Diego had seen
+the light before, and he was hailing the Scotchman very vigorously.
+Louis had only time to gather up a handful of lanyards and other lines
+from a box under the seats in the standing-room before he heard the
+footsteps of Gray in the port gangway. He retreated, closing the door
+all but a crack.</p>
+
+<p>"What's the matter on board of the steamer?" yelled Diego.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing is the matter," replied Gray, who had not stopped to look in
+at the cabin windows as he came aft, for the master of the schooner
+was yelling at him all the time.</p>
+
+<p>"The cabin door is open, and"—</p>
+
+<p>And Louis heard no more, for at that moment Scott heaved his lasso, and
+the Scotchman began to dance about the standing-room, swearing like a
+smuggler as he was. Louis threw the door of the cabin wide open, for
+concealment was no longer necessary or practicable. He had hastily
+supplied his companions with the lanyards and lines he had procured.
+He rushed out followed by the others. The slip-noose of the lasso had
+already been drawn tight about his neck, and Gray was roaring like a
+bull, though his voice had become very husky.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">The slip-noose of the lasso had already been drawn tight.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>He was struggling furiously, with his hands free, trying to release his
+neck from the pressure of the rope. Louis hesitated, for he realized
+that a blow from the powerful man would fell any of them to the deck.
+Scott was tugging at the lasso all the time, pulling and jerking it so
+that his victim should not escape. Diego, who could not help seeing
+what had transpired in the stern of the steamer, was still yelling
+with all his might. Fortunately that was all he could do, and he was
+permitted to do all he pleased of it.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't go near him, Louis!" called Scott from the hurricane deck—"not
+yet, for he can strike an awful hard blow."</p>
+
+<p>The pilot was certainly a prudent young man, and he was not always
+so; but Louis had anticipated him, and kept out of Gray's reach. The
+struggle continued, and Scott was vigorously manipulating the lasso so
+that Gray could not obtain an instant's respite from the strain upon
+his neck. The pressure was rapidly doing its work upon him, for he was
+beginning to writhe and struggle for breath. He had ceased to yell and
+to swear, for he lacked the wind to do or say anything. He had soon
+weakened so much that the time for more decided action had come; and
+Scott initiated it.</p>
+
+<p>The lassoer had drawn his victim towards him till he was directly
+in front of the cabin door. Without announcing his intention to his
+associates, the pilot threw down his lasso into the standing-room,
+and then leaped down himself directly upon the head of Gray. In his
+weakened and gasping condition he could not resist the force of this
+onslaught, and he sank down upon the deck beneath his persecutor.</p>
+
+<p>"Take one of his arms, and I will take the other, Flix!" called Louis,
+as he sprang upon the fallen Scotchman, and seized his right arm, while
+Felix did the same with his left. "Have the lanyards all ready, Morris!"</p>
+
+<p>Scott had seized his victim by the throat, and held his head down
+upon the deck. Just at this critical moment Francisco, who had heard
+the yells of Gray, put in an appearance, and, seeing the desperate
+situation of the smuggler, he was rushing forward to his assistance.
+Morris threw the lines upon the deck, wheeled about, drew his revolver,
+and faced the wheelman.</p>
+
+<p>"Back to the pilot-house, or you are a dead man!" said Morris, as he
+pointed his weapon at the head of the helmsman.</p>
+
+<p>Francisco halted, and looked at the shining revolver, which was
+a high-cost one his father had bought for him in London. Louis
+wondered from Morris's words whether or not he had been reading
+"blood-and-thunder" stories; but the boy was resolute enough for
+the occasion, and cool enough to remember what Louis had said about
+shooting in the present affair. The Spaniard could not understand a
+word that he had spoken.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Va a la casa del piloto!</i>" (Go to the pilot-house!) shouted Louis
+with vim enough to show that he was in earnest as well as Morris.</p>
+
+<p>Francisco evidently did not like the situation at all. He had drawn a
+long <i>cuchillo</i>, or knife, and he was certainly a dangerous man.</p>
+
+<p>"Fire, Morris, if he moves on you!" called Louis, as he saw the blade
+gleaming in the moonlight.</p>
+
+<p>Probably Francisco realized that a ball from the revolver could
+travel faster than his knife, and perhaps he had less sympathy for
+the Scotchman than he would have had for one of his other associates,
+for he backed away from the dangerous vicinity to the barrels of the
+weapon, and returned to the pilot-house. The steamer had fallen off her
+course, but she presently came back to it, indicating that the wheelman
+had returned to his duty.</p>
+
+<p>This affair was only a momentary interruption of the more serious
+business in progress in the standing-room. Gray was out of breath,
+and out of strength, and after a vain attempt to release himself from
+the grip of Scott, he gave up the battle, for he had become absolutely
+powerless. He was actually suffering, and his gasps and struggles for
+breath were painful to witness.</p>
+
+<p>"Loosen the line at his throat, Scott! The man is choking to death!"
+called Louis in a very decided tone, as he and Felix rolled the victim
+over on his back.</p>
+
+<p>"Stay where you are, Morris!" shouted Scott, as he complied with the
+humane request of Louis, who could see that the prisoner—as he was by
+this time—had not the strength to make any further resistance. "Shoot
+any one that shows a knife!"</p>
+
+<p>Francisco had gone to the wheel, and there was no one to shoot. Louis
+and Felix were each in full possession of one of the arms of Gray, and
+he could do nothing more to help himself. His hands were securely bound
+behind him, and then he was left to himself. He presently recovered a
+portion of his strength, and tried to rise. He was assisted in doing
+so, and then conducted to the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>He was invited to recline on the divan, and, weak as he was still, he
+was willing to comply with the request. But Louis, satisfied that he
+would soon be as strong as ever, was not content to leave him until he
+had been more effectually secured. Scott took off his belt, and after
+winding it around the prisoner's wrists several times, he buckled it so
+tight that it seemed to be impossible for him to get loose.</p>
+
+<p>Not yet satisfied, they bound his legs together at the ankles, and then
+tied him down to the supports of the divan. Gray said not a word, and
+appeared to be too weak to do so, or to be inclined to do so.</p>
+
+<p>"Francisco has a knife, and he may give us more trouble than the
+Scotchman did," said Scott, when they had all retired from the cabin to
+the standing-room. "If you will take my advice, all three of you will
+stick your pistols in his face while he stands at the wheel. Louis will
+tell him he shall not be harmed if he submits, and then we will tie his
+arms behind him, and make him fast to something in the pilot-house."</p>
+
+<p>"All right," replied Louis; "but remember that no fellow is to fire."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think you will find any occasion to fire," added Scott, as he
+picked up the saw which he had used in his first encounter with the
+Scotchman. "Francisco has already shown that he does not like the looks
+of revolvers."</p>
+
+<p>Scott led the way. The Spaniard was standing by the wheel, intently
+observing the compass, when the pilot, varying his programme a little
+to suit the situation, threw his arms around him, and brought him to
+the floor. Louis and Felix seized his arms, without even threatening
+him with the arsenal of weapons in their pockets. Francisco was made a
+prisoner. He was thrown upon the settee abaft the wheel, and secured to
+the back and legs of it.</p>
+
+<p>His knife was taken from him; but Louis assured him he should not
+be harmed if he made no resistance. The party then proceeded to the
+engine-room. Not one of them had seen or heard a word from Felipe since
+they started on the excursion. He attended to his duty, and heeded the
+bells apparently without knowing or caring who rang them. Pedro, his
+custodian, was fast asleep on the seat back of the machinery, and did
+not appear to have heard the noise or the yells from the standing-room.
+He was an easy victim, and when he had been secured he was conducted
+to the pilot-house, where he was laid out on the floor in front of
+Francisco. He was fastened to the settee.</p>
+
+<p>Felipe wanted to know what had happened. He had tried to ascertain,
+but Pedro showed him his knife, and would not allow him to leave
+the engine-room. The situation was explained to him, and all he was
+required to do was to run the engine. Scott had taken the wheel when
+Francisco was deposed, and his companions joined him when they brought
+in their last prisoner. Diego was still yelling; but they did as they
+do in Spain when it rains—they let him yell.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know where you are, Scott?" asked Louis, as he looked out the
+window in front of the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I do; we were about half-way between Gibraltar and Algeciras
+when I took the wheel, and then I headed her for the red light on the
+New Mole. You have not told me, Captain Belgrave, what you intend to do
+with the prize and the prisoners we have taken."</p>
+
+<p>"We will go alongside the Guardian-Mother, and Captain Ringgold may do
+what he pleases with them," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"That was just my idea of what you would do with them," added the
+pilot. "But there is no one of our number in the standing-room to watch
+the movements of Captain Velazquez. He may get up some mischief that
+will bother us. If you prefer, Captain Belgrave, to take the wheel, I
+will stand guard at the stern."</p>
+
+<p>"You are a better helmsman than I am, Scott; you had better keep the
+wheel, and I will keep watch of Diego," replied Louis. "If anything
+happens, send me word. Morris will be within hail of you to be your
+messenger, though I don't think anything is likely to happen in this
+part of the steamer. If I want you, I will send Morris to take your
+place."</p>
+
+<p>"That blackguard can chop off the tow-line when he takes a notion to do
+so," suggested Felix, as they moved aft.</p>
+
+<p>"That would only be jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire,"
+replied Louis. "We are not more than two miles from the New Mole, and
+we shall be there in twenty minutes."</p>
+
+<p>"Then it is time for him to chop it off now."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know what he will do. If he cuts loose from the Salihé, he can
+be easily overhauled by the custom-house officers, if there are any
+here," answered Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, I think it is Spanish officers, and not English, we want; and
+why don't you run into the town on the other side of the bay?"</p>
+
+<p>"I thought of that; but I am not inclined to bother with them. Captain
+Ringgold will know how to settle the case better than we do."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Velazquez had kept up his yelling as long as he could see any
+one at the stern of the steamer; and as soon as Louis and Felix showed
+themselves, he resumed his cries.</p>
+
+<p>"The skipper of that hooker is in a tight place, and he knows it," said
+Felix. "What's that he says?"</p>
+
+<p>"He says he will cut the tow-line if we don't go down the bay," replied
+Louis, translating his frantic cry.</p>
+
+<p>Louis answered the yell by firing his revolver in the air, directing
+Felix to do the same.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">Louis answered the yell by firing his revolver in the air.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE RETURN OF THE VICTORIOUS KNIGHT-ERRANT</p>
+
+
+<p>Felix was in the habit of doing what Louis asked him to do, and he
+discharged one barrel of his revolver in the air; but he thought that
+doing so was a piece of nonsense on the part of his friend which he
+could not understand.</p>
+
+<p>"What in the world is that for?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Fire it again, and in due time you will see what it is for," replied
+Louis, as he discharged the second barrel of his weapon.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll do that same as long as I have a ball in a barrel, if you say so,
+my darling; but it looks like a waste of powder and lead," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you see the captain of the Golondrina just now, Felix?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see him; but he was there on the bow not five minutes ago,
+yelling as though he had a live lobster in his throat. He isn't doing
+any yelling now."</p>
+
+<p>"He is not, for I saw him go aft about the time we began to fire."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose he got tired of yelling."</p>
+
+<p>"Not precisely that, but he got tired of our firing. I suppose he
+was afraid a stray bullet might hit him in a soft place, either by
+accident or design. I was going to hail him, and invite him to go aft;
+but he has saved me the trouble by going without any invitation," Louis
+explained.</p>
+
+<p>"Then the shooting was not a waste of powder," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"It was not. I doubt if we could have hit the captain if we had fired
+at him for two hours, for the distance is too great for revolvers of
+the calibre of ours, and the noise was just as good as bullets. I don't
+want him to cut the tow-line if we can help it, though I would rather
+he would chop it off than be compelled to shoot him."</p>
+
+<p>"It would not be pleasant to go back to the Guardian-Mother with a dead
+man standing on the forecastle."</p>
+
+<p>"Or even lying on the deck. It might make trouble for us, though I
+don't know why it should. But we are getting close to the New Mole
+light, and I must go forward," added Louis. "You may remain here, Flix,
+and if you see the captain of the Golondrina coming forward again, fire
+out the rest of your barrels, and then load up again."</p>
+
+<p>"I'll do that same. I'll take the fore mast for a mark, and fire at a
+target."</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid you will hit him if you do that," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think all the money you spent on my education as a shootist was
+wasted? I believe I could hit the Rock of Gibraltar every time if I
+was near enough to it," laughed Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"I would trust you to do that."</p>
+
+<p>"And I might hit the fore mast above the captain's head once in a
+while, and it would make the thing seem a bit more real if he could
+hear the noise of the ball as it flew through the air, or struck the
+wood."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps it would; but be sure and not hit the man," added Louis as he
+moved forward.</p>
+
+<p>Before he reached the pilot-house he heard another shot from his
+crony's pistol. He looked into the engine-room on his way, where Felipe
+wished him to explain what had happened on board; but he had no time
+then to inform him. Francisco and Pedro were quiet enough, for their
+fastenings prevented them from being otherwise.</p>
+
+<p>"How goes it, Scott?" he asked when he came to the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"It goes first rate forward; but what is the matter aft, for I heard
+you firing your revolvers?" inquired the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing is the matter; but I thought it best to let Captain Velazquez
+know that we had fire-arms on board, and he was sensible enough to move
+aft as soon as he heard the report of our pistols. For some time he had
+been threatening to cut the tow-line, and I thought I would move him to
+some other place on the checker-board if I could. He has saved me the
+trouble of doing anything," Louis replied as he looked the prisoners
+over.</p>
+
+<p>"We have about finished the job, for we shall be alongside the
+Guardian-Mother in a few minutes more," continued the pilot. "I have
+sent Morris forward to get a heave-line ready."</p>
+
+<p>"I will get one ready astern," added Louis, as he went aft again.</p>
+
+<p>The lasso which had played so important a part in the capture of Gray
+was in the cabin, where the noose had been removed from the neck of the
+prisoner. Louis soon made a heave-line again of it, and attached it to
+a fast he found at the stern.</p>
+
+<p>"How do you find yourself, Captain Gray?" he asked of the prisoner on
+the divan.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't find myself in a very cheerful mood to go into port," replied
+the Scotchman. "You have knocked me out at my own game, and I feel like
+a whipped school-boy."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you Scotchmen read the Scriptures diligently, and you have
+found out that 'The way of the transgressor is hard.'"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, very hard," replied the prisoner with a profane expletive.</p>
+
+<p>"Does your throat trouble you?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not much, though it is still sore, and I have a bad cut on the hand."</p>
+
+<p>"You ought to have considered these things before you committed an act
+of piracy," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I have told you before that there is no piracy in it," added Gray, who
+evidently did not like the sound of the word, and he interpolated some
+very unnecessary expletives in his speech. "What are you going to do
+with the schooner and those you have made prisoners?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know; I intend to leave that matter to the commander of the
+Guardian-Mother; but you will learn all about it in due time."</p>
+
+<p>"I have no doubt of that. But you are the smartest lot of young
+Dutchmen that I ever happened to come across. Are you all Dutchmen?"
+asked Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"Not one of us is a Dutchman."</p>
+
+<p>"But you told me you were."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not."</p>
+
+<p>"I will swear that you did!" protested the Scotchman.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not. When I told you my name was Belgrave, you said I must have
+come from Belgravia; and I added that I came from Von Blonk Park, which
+is quite true now as it was then."</p>
+
+<p>"But where can Von Blonk be except in Holland?"</p>
+
+<p>"It can be, and is, in the State of New Jersey, quite near to the city
+of New York, in the United States of America," replied Louis, stating
+the details very slowly so that the prisoner could understand them.</p>
+
+<p>"That accounts for it!" exclaimed Gray. "You are Yankees, and you would
+climb a greased rainbow, or the North Pole with the ice a foot thick
+on it. If I had known you were Yankees, I should have put you on shore
+in the Palmones River, for I should have known you would play off some
+trick on us," said Gray, disgusted to the last degree with his present
+situation.</p>
+
+<p>"You played off a scabby trick upon our party, and I can assure you
+that I am very happy to get even with you at your own game," replied
+Louis, as he heard the speed bell jingle, indicating that the Salihé
+was very near the New Mole.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose the commander of the Guardian-Mother, as you call her, is
+also a Yankee," continued Gray.</p>
+
+<p>"He is; and also from Von Blonk Park."</p>
+
+<p>"Then his teeth are sharp enough to bite off a tenpenny nail. What do
+you suppose he will do with us?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have not the remotest idea; but he is a law-and-order man in the
+highest meaning of the phrase; and he is not inclined to let the guilty
+escape unpunished. You committed a piratical act upon us, and you may
+be sure he will not wink at it. I had the idea at first of taking you
+into the port of Algeciras and of handing you over to the police or
+custom-house officers; but it was too much bother, and I was afraid
+they would keep us there all night."</p>
+
+<p>"I am very glad you did not."</p>
+
+<p>The sound of the gong terminated the conversation, and Louis hastened
+to the standing-room to be in readiness to heave the line on board
+of the ship. But he found that the Guardian-Mother was still at some
+distance from the little steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"You can heave this line, Flix, when we get alongside," said he. "I
+have had a talk with Gray, and he don't feel good at all."</p>
+
+<p>"He has no right to feel good, the blackguard! He is not a bit
+better than a pirate," replied Felix. "I have kept watch of Captain
+Velazquizzer, and whenever he showed his head, I put a ball into the
+foremast. He hasn't cut the tow-line yet."</p>
+
+<p>"I see he has not; but stand by to heave the line," said Louis as he
+went forward.</p>
+
+<p>He found Morris stationed in the gangway within easy hail of the
+pilot-house, and Scott stated that he had placed him there to notify
+him if the Golondrina came too near the steamer as he slowed down.</p>
+
+<p>"I am trying to get the headway out of the tow so that she shall not
+foul our stern," said the pilot when Louis showed himself at the door.
+"But you had better stay in the standing-room, Captain Belgrave, for
+the captain may try to leap on board of us. If he chooses to use his
+<i>cuchillo</i>, he can make a lot of mischief in a very short time. If
+necessary, I will go aft and lasso him; for I don't think he can stand
+that sort of thing any better than Gray did."</p>
+
+<p>"He has kept out of sight since we began to fire revolvers in the air,
+and as he knows that we have fire-arms, I don't believe he will give us
+any trouble," answered Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But keep watch of him, though he seems to be afraid of powder and
+ball," added Scott; and the leader went aft.</p>
+
+<p>Diego was not to be seen as the steamer approached the stern of the
+Guardian-Mother; and Louis could see that the taffrail was covered with
+heads, and all the party on board, as well as the officers and seamen,
+were watching the approach of the Salihé, for her appearance with a
+vessel in tow had doubtless given them all a fit of wonderment.</p>
+
+<p>"We have made an adventure out of this excursion, Flix, after all, as
+Captain Ringgold insisted that we should, though he could not possibly
+indicate what it might be," said Louis. "If you can keep Captain
+Velazquez at a respectful distance, I will go on the hurricane deck and
+hail the ship."</p>
+
+<p>"He will not run his nose into any of the barrels of my revolver, you
+may be sure of that."</p>
+
+<p>By this time Scott had neutralized the headway of the schooner so that
+the tow-line was taut, and the Salihé was moving at a snail's pace.
+Louis ascended to the upper deck, which was nothing more than the roof
+of the cabin, and hailed the Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the Salihé!" responded Captain Ringgold; and his tones
+indicated that he could hardly speak on account of a tendency he had to
+indulge in a hearty laugh. "Have you captured a Spanish man-of-war?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; but we have taken in a gang of smugglers with their schooner;
+and I will thank you to send half a dozen men on board to help us take
+care of them," returned Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"All right; I will do so," answered the commander, as the gong rang to
+stop the little steamer.</p>
+
+<p>Scott ran her very skilfully alongside the gangway, and by the time
+she touched the platform Morris threw the heave-line attached to the
+forward fast to the deck of the ship, and it was hauled on board. At
+about the same moment the first officer, followed by ten seamen, leaped
+over the rail of the Salihé.</p>
+
+<p>"Go aft, Mr. Boulong, and look out for the captain of the schooner, who
+is still on board of her. Flix is there, and he will tell you all about
+it," called Louis, as the party from the ship came on board.</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, ay, Mr. Belgrave!" replied Mr. Boulong, as he rushed forward
+followed by all the sailors.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold followed the seamen, and when he heard the voice of
+Louis on the upper deck, he hastened to join him.</p>
+
+<p>"What under the canopy have you been about this time, Louis?" asked the
+commander, as he seized both the hands of the young knight-errant, as
+he still insisted upon calling him. "But I am glad to see you safely
+back, and I hope no one has got hurt."</p>
+
+<p>Louis assured him that all were uninjured.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE SMUGGLERS MAKE A TRIP TO ALGECIRAS</p>
+
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold, when he realized that the owner of the
+Guardian-Mother had been engaged in another adventure, was absolutely
+delighted to see the young knight-errant return in safety, and he
+continued to press his two hands for a considerable time. He was
+certainly the young man's devoted friend, as much for his own sake as
+for that of his mother, to whom also he was so devoted that others had
+begun to talk a little in whispers.</p>
+
+<p>"I was sure that you would tumble into an adventure of some sort, Sir
+Louis," said the commander; "and you have made me a true prophet."</p>
+
+<p>"We have certainly had an adventure, Captain; but I am no more a
+knight-errant than my companions. We did not plunge into this affair as
+Don Quixote did into the windmill and the wine sacks; but the affair
+plunged into us, and we got entangled in it in spite of ourselves,"
+protested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But I will venture to say that you were the leading spirit in the
+enterprise, whatever it was," persisted the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"I must deny even that soft impeachment. Sir George Scott Fencelowe
+did vastly more than I, or any other of the fellows, did to bring the
+adventure to a happy conclusion, like the last chapter of the novel.
+He is the hero of the occasion, though he always called me 'Captain
+Belgrave'; and if any fellow is to be lathered with praise, Sir Scott
+is the one."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall be my own judge of the merits of the actors in the comedy, for
+it does not yet appear to be a tragedy, after I have learned more about
+it," added Captain Ringgold.</p>
+
+<p>"I may add that Sir Felix McGavonty and Sir Morris Woolridge did
+their full and fair share of the acting in the comedy, as you call
+it, though I think the three smugglers who are prisoners in the cabin
+and pilot-house will be disposed to regard it as more like a tragedy.
+Probably the captain of the schooner in tow will be inclined to take
+that view of the occasion."</p>
+
+<p>"Three prisoners?" queried the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the number on board of the little steamer; and the captain of
+the vessel astern may be included in the same category."</p>
+
+<p>"Are they men or boys?"</p>
+
+<p>"Men, of course, for small boys don't go out smuggling, as a rule."</p>
+
+<p>"Are they English?"</p>
+
+<p>"Four of them are Spaniards who don't speak a word of English, and
+one who seems to be a partner with the captain in the enterprise is a
+Scotchman by the name of Gray."</p>
+
+<p>"Is there anything to be done immediately, Sir Louis?"</p>
+
+<p>"I think Sir Felix has put Mr. Boulong in the way of securing the
+captain of the schooner, who is on board of her, and Lucio, one of his
+men. The others are all made fast to the steamer, with their hands
+tied behind them. But, Captain Ringgold, I want you to settle up this
+business by deciding what shall be done with the Golondrina and the
+prisoners, for you know all about such things, and I know nothing,"
+said Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You know nothing, Sir Louis!" exclaimed the commander. "Will you be so
+kind as to tell me what you would have done if the Guardian-Mother and
+her captain had not been here?"</p>
+
+<p>"I thought of running into Algeciras, instead of coming over here,
+where the gates are all locked after sunset, and giving up the vessel
+and the prisoners to the police and the custom-house officers over
+there," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Very likely that is just what I shall do after I have learned more
+about the affair. Where did you fall in with these smugglers?"</p>
+
+<p>"They fell in with us at the mouth of the Palmones River."</p>
+
+<p>"That is in Spanish territory, and the offence is doubtless against the
+Spanish government. Probably the English authorities would take the
+matter in hand, but I don't know where to find the officers at this
+time of night, for it is after ten o'clock. Now we will go below and
+see what is to be done."</p>
+
+<p>There was a ladder forward, and they descended to the forecastle. The
+commander looked in at the pilot-house, and saw that Francisco and
+Pedro were not in condition to make any trouble, and the pilot still
+kept watch of them.</p>
+
+<p>"Sir Scott Fencelowe, I learn that you have been the hero of the
+present adventure, and I commend you, though I know very little about
+it," said Captain Ringgold, as he took the hand of the pilot.</p>
+
+<p>"I obeyed the orders of Captain Belgrave; that's all, sir," replied
+Scott, with more modesty than he had always been in the habit of
+displaying, as he politely touched his cap to the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"We will consider the matter another time," added the captain, as he
+led the way aft; and they entered the cabin together.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold glanced at Gray, tied down to the legs of the divan,
+and he wondered that the "big four" had been able to overcome a man
+of his weight and apparent strength. Gray immediately appealed to the
+commander when Louis called him by name, declared that he was a British
+subject, and was the victim of a Yankee trick.</p>
+
+<p>"I can't attend to your case just now, my man," replied the captain.</p>
+
+<p>But Gray persisted in being heard before anything was done, and three
+seamen were called into the cabin. The Scotchman was released from the
+divan, and the sailors were ordered to take him to the forecastle, and
+be sure that he did not escape.</p>
+
+<p>"Now I can give you a quiet hearing, Sir Louis, and you may tell me the
+whole story of your cruise on the bay," said the commander, as he and
+Louis seated themselves on the divan.</p>
+
+<p>The young knight-errant proceeded to give the narrative in all its
+details. While he was doing so, Mr. Boulong required his men to haul
+the Golondrina alongside the steamer by the tow-line; and by this time
+they had nearly succeeded in doing so. The officer was on the point of
+going on board of her when Felix interposed.</p>
+
+<p>"These men are all armed with knives, and they will stick you with no
+more conscience than an alligator would bite your head off," said he.</p>
+
+<p>"I will take my chances, Felix," replied Mr. Boulong.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll go along wid ye's to protict ye's, for I have a bit of a
+revolver," added the Milesian.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't meddle with the matter, my lad, till I ask you do so, if you
+please," said the first officer, laughing. "I don't want you to kill a
+man, and then charge it to me. I have been among this sort of fellows,
+and I am not particularly alarmed about his toothpick."</p>
+
+<p>He was attended by a couple of seamen, who were sent aft to take charge
+of Lucio. Felix kept near Mr. Boulong, but he found no occasion to
+use his revolver. Mr. Gaskette, the second officer, who spoke Spanish
+fluently, had been sent for, and he had been talking with the prisoners
+in the pilot-house. Captain Velazquez, somewhat to the astonishment of
+Felix, did not show fight as the first officer approached him. He was
+not a fool, and he could see that in the face of a dozen men resistance
+was useless.</p>
+
+<p>The captain submitted to have his hands tied behind him, and then his
+knife, which was a wicked-looking implement, was taken from him. Lucio
+was served in the same manner, and both of them marched on board of
+the Salihé, where the whole five of them were placed under a guard of
+seamen on the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>Louis and the commander had a very quiet time in the cabin, and the
+former detailed everything that had occurred since the little steamer
+left the ship, occasionally answering the questions put to him.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose I am a knight-errant, but I cannot for the life of me see
+in what manner I brought this adventure to pass, or that the rest of
+the knights-errant did any more than I did," protested Louis, as he
+finished his narrative.</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid you are making too much of the pleasantries of your
+fellow-voyagers, my boy, for every one of them knows that you are not a
+Don Quixote. Your adventures all come without seeking them."</p>
+
+<p>"I am entirely satisfied with that statement, Captain Ringgold,"
+replied Louis. "As long as you don't really believe that I am not all
+the time studying up a chance to get into an adventure, I shall be
+perfectly happy."</p>
+
+<p>"We understand each other perfectly, Sir Louis; and, by the way, it
+was Uncle Moses, and not I, who gave you that title. But it is getting
+late; and if we are to take the schooner over to Algeciras to-night,
+it is time we were about it," added the commander, as he looked at his
+watch. "But the knights-errant had better go on board of the ship and
+turn in, for, after the hard-fought battle of the evening, they must be
+fatigued."</p>
+
+<p>"The biggest job we had on our hands was to overcome the Scotchman,
+for, as you have seen, he is a powerful man; and it was Sir Scott's
+ingenuity as well as his skill in the use of the lasso which carried us
+safely through it. He has behaved excellently well; he remembered the
+names of most of the places on the bay; and I beg leave to report very
+favorably of him. He is ten times the fellow I ever before supposed he
+was," added Louis with a gape, indicating that he was in condition to
+take the advice of the commander and retire for the night.</p>
+
+<p>"Scott has behaved exceedingly well since he reformed his manners and
+his life, and your report of him shall be duly considered, Captain
+Belgrave," replied Captain Ringgold, as they left the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Belgrave!" exclaimed Louis. "'<i>Et tu, Brute</i>,'" as Cæsar said
+when the other fellow asked him how many buckwheat cakes he had eaten
+for breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>"I only follow Sir Scott's lead. But you can all go on board, and I
+will attend to the affairs of the smugglers," added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>The big four all went on board of the Guardian-Mother. The second
+engineer of the ship was sent to the engine-room of the steamer, and
+Felipe was relieved from further duty. Mr. Gaskette with six seamen was
+sent over to Algeciras in charge of the party, and the Salihé departed
+with the Golondrina in tow. The occupants of the cabin of the ship had
+all retired; and Louis did not find his mother waiting to receive him,
+which proved that she had not been suffering from any anxiety.</p>
+
+<p>In fact, she knew nothing at all about the affair, which had only come
+to light when the little steamer arrived. At the breakfast table the
+next morning the cabin party learned for the first time that the big
+four had tumbled into an adventure, which was then related to them in
+full. Louis's mother did not make any scene this time, as usual; for
+Dr. Hawkes had practically cured her of her nervousness, at least in
+his presence. But Louis had been on deck, and happened to be there when
+Chickworth and his engineer came for the Salihé.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Gaskette reports to me this morning that he found some policemen
+on the shore at Algeciras when he arrived, and that they called the
+chief of the customs from his bed," Captain Ringgold explained. "He
+put his officers in charge of the Golondrina, and the police committed
+the smugglers to the jail. The capture of the little steamer was a
+felony, and they will be prosecuted for it. You are all wanted as
+witnesses over there at three o'clock this afternoon. The officers of
+the customs believe that the Salihé was implicated, and they wanted to
+detain her; but Mr. Gaskette managed his case so well that he brought
+her back with him. Here is the owner of the little steamer," added the
+commander, as Chickworth stepped down from the gangway steps.</p>
+
+<p>"Which I 'ave a little bill of two pun ten against you, sir, for the
+steam-yacht," said Chickworth, touching his cap to Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know about that," interposed the commander. "The Salihé is
+mixed up with smugglers over on the other side of the bay, and the
+customs officers may want her."</p>
+
+<p>"Which it is with smugglers, sir!" exclaimed the owner of the Salihé.</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so; and your friend Gray, and your other friend Captain
+Diego Velazquez, of the Schooner Golondrina, are in prison over there,
+and their vessel will be forfeited for smuggling, with her valuable
+cargo," added the captain; and he related what had happened to the big
+four on their cruise. "But I don't believe your boat can be held. We
+shall know more about it this afternoon."</p>
+
+<p>He held the steamer till the matter was decided.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">WHAT IS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT GIBRALTAR</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis was willing to pay for the use of the Salihé; but the customs
+officers on the other side of the bay had some suspicions in regard to
+her, and the commander would not permit him to pay anything; besides,
+the little steamer was wanted to convey the witnesses to Algeciras.
+Chickworth received the report that Gray and his associates had
+actually captured the boat with consternation. He was invited to go
+over with the witnesses in the afternoon; but he declined to do so. The
+captain thought it more than probable that he had been concerned in
+contraband operation with Gray.</p>
+
+<p>Chickworth departed with something worse than a flea in his ear, and
+the commander and Louis went down to breakfast. The moonlight excursion
+and the conflict with the outlaws were the subjects of conversation
+at the table. Louis took a great deal of pains to set forth that
+Sir Scott, as he called him in retaliation for the application of
+the title to himself, was the hero of the occasion. The process of
+lassoing the stout smuggler excited a great deal of interest, and was
+unanimously regarded as a brilliant operation, both in its conception
+and execution.</p>
+
+<p>"I am confident that we should have been utterly defeated if Sir Scott
+had not solved the difficult problem of how to overcome Gray," said
+Louis with enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>"His achievement with the hand-saw was not altogether lacking in
+brilliancy," added Dr. Hawkes.</p>
+
+<p>"That was not original, like the lasso," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"It was original in its application to this particular case, and he is
+entitled to none the less credit," suggested Uncle Moses.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish to do something for Sir Scott in response to the high
+commendation of Captain Belgrave," said the commander.</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Moses threw himself back in his chair, and shook his two hundred
+and twenty-six and a half of avoirdupois with laughter when he heard
+his ward dubbed as a captain. His mother laughed too, and so did most
+of the party.</p>
+
+<p>"Has my son become the commander of the Guardian-Mother?" asked Mrs.
+Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"He has not formally taken the command of her; but as the owner of the
+steamer, he has an undoubted right to do so when he pleases," replied
+Captain Ringgold. "I wish to do something for Sir Scott: what shall it
+be, Louis?"</p>
+
+<p>"Call him Captain Scott, and never again call me Captain Belgrave,"
+replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You were in command of the Salihé, Sir Scott says, and I have no
+command to give him, so it is hardly proper to call him captain. What
+can I do for him?"</p>
+
+<p>"He is now a diligent student, and behaves himself like a gentleman
+on all occasions; and I think he can be promoted to the cabin very
+properly, so that the big four may be all together here," suggested
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I must put that to vote, for all may not approve of this addition to
+the cabin party," replied Captain Ringgold, asking those in favor to
+manifest it by raising the right hand.</p>
+
+<p>All the hands came up very promptly, and Scott was formally admitted to
+the family circle. Sparks was sent to procure his attendance; and when
+he appeared, the commander made a speech at him, commending him for his
+gallantry in the action of the previous evening, and informing him that
+henceforth he was to occupy stateroom No. 14, and the corresponding
+place opposite Morris Woolridge at the table.</p>
+
+<p>Scott blushed, as he had recently learned to do, and made a little
+speech in reply, expressive of his thanks for the "distinguished honor"
+conferred upon him. It was discovered then that he could manage his
+tongue as well as his hands with the lasso, and he was vigorously
+applauded when he took his place at the table. After the party rose,
+Sparks showed him to his stateroom, and he was delighted with the
+elegant apartment.</p>
+
+<p>Louis gave him a seat with the cabin party under the awning of the
+promenade deck aft, where they assembled at the request of the
+commander. Scott now felt that he was the equal of the other fellows,
+and this had been the only thing which touched his pride, of which he
+had his full share. He was relieved from duty as a quartermaster, for
+he had had little or nothing to do in this capacity, unless Bangs or
+Twist happened to be sick, which was a very rare thing.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold soon joined the party with a paper in his hand; and
+Dr. Hawkes initiated a round of applause as he seated himself, for the
+paper indicated that he was about to give what the surgeon called a
+lecture, but which the captain insisted was only a talk.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you know all about Gibraltar, or Gib as many English people
+abbreviate it, ladies and gentlemen," the commander began.</p>
+
+<p>"I know next to nothing about it, Captain Ringgold," added Mrs.
+Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>Half a dozen others said substantially the same thing.</p>
+
+<p>"You can see this rocky promontory for yourselves," continued the
+captain. "It is about three miles long by three-quarters of a mile wide
+on the average; but it does not form the southern extremity of Spain,
+as some of the books have it, for Tarifa holds that position. As you
+noticed yesterday when we came into the bay, it looks like a detached
+rock; but it is connected with the mainland by a low isthmus, the
+portion of which nearest to the town is called 'The Neutral Ground,'
+and is, as its name implies, common to both Spanish and English.</p>
+
+<p>"The rock is honeycombed with tunnels and casemates, and the galleries
+contain no end of guns of all calibre. You will see as many of these as
+you desire, for a permit can be obtained for the purpose, and I shall
+not attempt to describe it. The fortress has the reputation of being
+the strongest in the world; but of late years no nation has meddled
+with it, and its strength has not been tested with modern implements of
+war. Not a few Englishmen doubt whether it is as important a possession
+to their country as it is commonly represented to be.</p>
+
+<p>"It can hardly be said to command the strait, which is about eight
+miles wide in the narrowest place, and Farragut or Porter would have
+made nothing of passing through. But the fortress may be reasonably
+regarded as impregnable, though it costs about a million and a half of
+dollars a year to pay its expenses.</p>
+
+<p>"The highest point on the rock is fourteen hundred and thirty-nine feet
+above the water. It is a little odd that this is the only place in
+Europe where the monkey in his wild state exists. They may occasionally
+be seen in the vicinity of the Signal Tower. Some people, who must be
+rather credulous, believe that there is a tunnel under the strait, and
+that the monkeys come over from Africa through it. These animals are
+something of an institution here, and efforts have been made to protect
+them from gunners who sometimes stroll about here. At one time they
+were reduced to a very small number; but the last I ever heard about
+them, they had increased to about thirty.</p>
+
+<p>"The town of Gibraltar is said to contain about twenty thousand
+inhabitants, besides about five thousand troops, which is the usual
+garrison of the Rock. They are a mixed set of people, consisting of
+English, Spanish, Jews, and Moors. It is not much of a city. The Club
+House Hotel used to be the principal one, but I believe there is a more
+modern one, called the Royal; but as we shall have no use for any of
+them, we need not look into the matter.</p>
+
+<p>"Waterport Street is the chief thoroughfare, and is nearest to the
+water. There are only two other streets of any consequence, and all of
+those in the place are narrow and crooked. It is a walled town, and the
+regulations are very strict, and are carefully enforced. No foreigner
+can reside here unless the consul of his country, or a householder in
+the city, becomes his surety. A police-magistrate can issue a permit
+for ten, fifteen, or twenty days' residence in the city; and a military
+man can introduce a friend for thirty days. The gates are opened at
+sunrise in the morning, and closed at sunset in the evening; and there
+is no getting in or out after they are closed for the night. Two guns
+are fired, the first of warning, so that it is not necessary to get
+caught on the wrong side if one is reasonably careful.</p>
+
+<p>"The ancients believed the Rock was the end of the world, as they did
+in regard to a number of other places. The Pillars of Hercules marked
+this western extremity of creation—the Rock was one of them and Apes
+Hill, on the opposite side of the strait, was the other.</p>
+
+<p>"The Rock appears in history at a very early date. The navigators from
+Phœnicia called it Aluba, which the Greeks twisted into Calpa, which
+the professor will tell you is the classic name for it. Hannibal and
+other Carthaginian generals must have known about the Rock, for they
+made expeditions into Spain. It does not appear that it was ever used
+as a fortress until the year of our Lord 711, which is longer ago than
+any of us can remember, when Tarik Ibn-zeyad (don't forget the name)
+fortified it. He was a Saracenic general on his way to conquer some of
+the nations of Europe, and this seemed to be a convenient place for a
+base of operations, as it was easy of access from Africa.</p>
+
+<p>"After this chief the Rock was named Gebel-Tarik, or the hill of Tarik,
+and this compound word was corrupted into Gibraltar. They say that one
+of the towers of the castle he built can still be seen; but I never saw
+it, and I will not say anything more about it. For six hundred years it
+remained in possession of the Moors, who had obtained a stronghold in
+Spain; but it was captured in 1309 by Don Antonio de Guzman.</p>
+
+<p>"Additional works and a dockyard were then constructed, and the Old
+Mole, which may still be seen at the north end of the city, was built
+at the same time. The Spaniards and Moors continued to hold and lose
+it for the next hundred and fifty years. In 1462 the Spaniards captured
+it through the treachery of a renegade Moor. Even in the seventeenth
+century the holders of the fortress had so strengthened it that it was
+regarded as impregnable.</p>
+
+<p>"A united English and Dutch force, in 1704, proved that the fortress
+was not as strong as the Spaniards claimed. The fleet first bombarded
+it, then a heavy force was landed and an assault made upon the works,
+and its capitulation followed; but it was manned by only one hundred
+and fifty men, and the fact that this puny force 'knocked out' nearly
+double their own number shows that the place was very strong, and that
+it was bravely defended.</p>
+
+<p>"From that time to the present Gibraltar has remained in possession of
+the English, though Spain and France have made desperate efforts to
+dislodge them. It has sustained not less than four sieges, the last of
+which was the most tremendous, in 1779, while the American Revolution
+was still in progress, and it was continued for four years. The
+narrative of it is extremely interesting; but it may be read by those
+so disposed in several books in our library, and I will not attempt to
+relate it.</p>
+
+<p>"I intended to invite the party to go on shore this afternoon; but
+the Sir Knights of the Salihé have to go over to Algeciras to serve
+as witnesses against the smugglers they captured last night, and I
+desire to go with them. The party can go with us if they desire, for we
+shall make use of the Salihé for the purpose, and, as the weather is
+pleasant, it will be a nice sail."</p>
+
+<p>Led off by Dr. Hawkes, as usual, the company applauded the commander,
+and thanked him for the interesting lecture he had given them.</p>
+
+<p>"I should like to go to Algeciras for one," said Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"So should I," added Mrs. Woolridge; in fact, all of them wished to go.</p>
+
+<p>"I want to see the steamer in which all the wonderful things were done
+last evening," said Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch the party prepared for the excursion. Felipe was again
+directed to take charge of the engine, and Scott was to be the pilot.
+The latter studied the chart during all the time he could find before
+the departure, and wrote down some points he had forgotten to mention
+the evening before. There were no wharves or piers at the town to which
+they were going, and the first cutter with her crew was sent over in
+tow.</p>
+
+<p>At the appointed hour the steamer started, and landed her passengers on
+the other side of the bay. They were very pleasantly received by the
+Spanish officials. All the party insisted upon going to the court, for
+they desired to see the smugglers.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">AMERICAN WITNESSES IN A SPANISH COURT</p>
+
+
+<p>The party found the forms of justice in Spain, those who knew anything
+about them, quite different from what they were in New York and New
+Jersey. The court-room was an oddity to Uncle Moses, and he had the
+idea that the <i>provincia</i> must be building a new court-house, and that
+the apartment was a temporary one, not adapted to the use for which it
+was required.</p>
+
+<p>The five smugglers were brought in, each of them with his wrists
+handcuffed behind him by the officers. Gray's looks plainly indicated
+that he was a foreigner; but he could speak the language as fluently
+as any other person in the room, though perhaps not as correctly. He
+glanced at the four Sir Knights who had overcome him in the conflict on
+the deck of the Salihé, and especially at Scott, who had lassoed him.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Velazquez appeared to be entirely subdued by his misfortunes,
+as doubtless he regarded the loss of the Golondrina and his arrest.
+He was not as savage as he had appeared to be the evening before. The
+other three men had obeyed orders in the affairs on the steamer, and
+had submitted quietly when they were overcome, and were of little
+account.</p>
+
+<p>It was not a very intricate case, for the capture of the schooner with
+her contraband cargo made everything very plain sailing. The officers
+of the customs and the police, to whom the vessel and the prisoners had
+been delivered the night before by Captain Ringgold's agents, stated
+what they knew about the affair, which was very little. Then Gray
+was called upon to explain. He gave his evidence in Spanish; but Mr.
+Gaskette, who had been brought over as an interpreter, and Louis could
+understand him.</p>
+
+<p>The Scotchman, who seemed to be more troubled about the capture of the
+little steamer than about the smuggling, without committing himself in
+regard to the latter, stated squarely that he had engaged the Salihé of
+Captain Chickworth, and he thought he had the right to use her when he
+found her in the bay, near the Palmones River. He concluded that she
+had been sent there for him.</p>
+
+<p>He found on board of her a party of young men, who appeared to be
+Dutchmen, and who had been drinking too much wine. Mr. Gaskette and
+Louis laughed when they heard this statement, and even the commander
+understood enough of it to be amused. To the surprise of Gray the party
+had refused to allow him the use of the little steamer. He had tried to
+compromise the matter, and he had offered to pay them money, and not to
+interfere with their excursion.</p>
+
+<p>The Dutchmen were obstinate, and would not listen to him. He had
+been compelled to take possession of the steamer, but had made her
+passengers comfortable in the cabin. Then they had risen against
+his party, only three of them being then on board the Salihé, and,
+resorting to the most barbarous methods, using their revolvers, with
+which all of them seemed to be supplied, had recovered possession of
+the boat, making them prisoners, and treating them like criminals, when
+everybody knew that they were honest and law-abiding men.</p>
+
+<p>Those from the Guardian-Mother who understood the testimony could not
+refrain from laughing heartily at the number of lies Gray had crowded
+into his evidence. Captain Velazquez and the seamen backed up the
+statement of Gray, and it was plain enough that the Scotchman had
+dictated the story they were to tell. Louis asked an officer of the
+court if the prisoners had been confined in the same cell, and learned
+that such was the case. Of course they had talked over the situation,
+and had agreed upon what they were to say.</p>
+
+<p>The question was then asked if the Dutch witnesses spoke Spanish. Only
+one of those who had been on board of the little steamer could do so,
+and Louis was called upon to give his testimony. He had some doubts
+in regard to the sufficiency of his linguistic ability for such an
+occasion; but he promptly took his place in front of the judge. The
+dignitary of the bench was an old man, who looked as though he might
+have seen eighty Spanish winters, judging by the innumerable wrinkles
+on his face and the paucity of the white hairs on his head.</p>
+
+<p>"What is your name?" asked the venerable dispenser of justice.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus4.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">'What's your name?' asked the venerable dispenser of justice.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>"Louis Belgrave, <i>su merced</i>" (your honor), replied the owner of the
+Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>"You are a Dutchman; from what part of Holland do you come?"</p>
+
+<p>"From no part of Holland; I am an American, your honor," replied Louis,
+who had entirely recovered the self-possession he had lost for the
+moment.</p>
+
+<p>He proceeded to explain that he resided in Von Blonk Park, which was a
+town in the State of New Jersey, and quite near the city of New York.
+The name of the town had led Señor Gray to suppose he was a Dutchman,
+though he had fully explained to him that he was an American, and that
+neither he nor any of his companions were Dutch.</p>
+
+<p>"What is your business?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have no business," replied the witness with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you come to Gibraltar?" asked the judge, evidently puzzled by
+the answer and the manner of the young gentleman.</p>
+
+<p>"I am going all over the world in my steam-yacht, the Guardian-Mother,
+which lies at the New Mole in Gibraltar; and we put in there to see
+the place," replied Louis, blushing in spite of himself, for he felt
+compelled to speak the exact truth.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Muy ricos!</i>" (Very rich!) exclaimed the judge.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Si, su merced.</i>"</p>
+
+<p>"You are only a boy!"</p>
+
+<p>"No, <i>su merced</i>. My mother is with me;" whereupon Captain Ringgold and
+Mr. Gaskette laughed, and there was a smile on the face of the judge.</p>
+
+<p>Louis did not like to "blow his own horn," even so far as to state the
+facts in regard to himself as the owner of the steam-yacht, and he took
+the liberty to explain that his mother was his guardian, and that the
+trustee of his property was present, and would inform him fully as to
+his affairs.</p>
+
+<p>He was then called upon to give his evidence in respect of the capture
+of the Salihé by the smugglers. He gave the details of the excursion as
+well as he could in Spanish, and he talked with considerable fluency,
+though doubtless he made some mistakes. He appeared to be perfectly
+understood by all in the court-room, and only twice did the judge ask
+him to repeat anything he had said. Everybody seemed to be deeply
+interested in him and in his narrative, perhaps because he was "<i>muy
+ricos</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"You were intoxicated, were you not?" asked his honor.</p>
+
+<p>"I was not intoxicated: I never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer
+in my life," replied Louis very gently.</p>
+
+<p>This reply made a decided sensation among the Spaniards in the
+court-room, and probably none of them ever saw or heard of a rich young
+man who had never tasted any intoxicating fluid, for in France and
+Spain even the boys drink wine.</p>
+
+<p>"Were your companions intoxicated?" inquired the judge.</p>
+
+<p>"Not one of them had tasted a drop of anything for months, if ever in
+their lives."</p>
+
+<p>The judge glanced at Gray, who had asserted that the party on board of
+the Salihé had been drinking too freely, and there was a frown on his
+honor's wrinkled face, which indicated that he believed the present
+rather than the former witness. Louis proceeded to give his narrative
+of the proceedings on board of the little steam-yacht, including the
+capture and the recapture of the craft. The lassoing of the Scotchman
+greatly amused the Spanish portion of the audience, and all eyes were
+fixed about half the time on the burly victim of the operation.</p>
+
+<p>The judge requested him to call up the one who had handled the lasso,
+and Louis asked Scott to stand where he was. The hero of the occasion
+complied with the request. He saw that the audience were amused and
+excited; but he could not understand a word that had been said, and
+did not know what it was all about. He was regarded with astonishment,
+for the listeners could not comprehend how a mere boy, though a rather
+stout one, had been able to overcome a man of Gray's size and weight.</p>
+
+<p>The Scotchman seemed to be very much surprised to hear Louis talk
+Spanish, for the latter had concealed his knowledge of the language
+from him; and doubtless he could understand now how the "Dutchman"
+had made some of his points against him in the affair. But Louis was
+permitted to "stand down," as he had told all he knew of the case. The
+judge called for Scott next, and evidently felt some interest in him.
+A sworn interpreter was called, and Scott told his story through him,
+though Louis and Mr. Gaskette watched him very closely; but there was
+no important variation in his translation of the witnesses' statements.</p>
+
+<p>Two or three times the judge tripped him up, and it appeared that
+his honor was quite proficient in his English. The narrative of the
+"hero" agreed very closely with that of Louis. Morris and Felix fully
+confirmed them, and then Captain Ringgold was called to the stand.
+After he had given his name and residence, he was asked a question in
+regard to his business in Gibraltar.</p>
+
+<p>"I am a shipmaster, in command of the steamship Guardian-Mother, which
+is the yacht of Mr. Louis Belgrave," he replied, putting his hand on
+the head of his owner, who sat next to him.</p>
+
+<p>"Does your owner drink too much wine?" asked his honor.</p>
+
+<p>"He drinks none at all; never a drop under any circumstances."</p>
+
+<p>While the interpreter was rendering this answer, the judge gazed at
+Louis, and evidently regarded him as a very wonderful young man,
+besides being "<i>muy ricos</i>." The temperance question seemed to be
+mixed in with the issue, for Gray had evidently intended to convey the
+impression that the party on board of the little steamer were "young
+bloods," so tipsy that they hardly knew what they were about, and that
+it was a kindness for him to take charge of them, even if he did use
+the yacht to tow out the Golondrina and the "honest men" in charge of
+her.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold stated that the Salihé had come alongside his ship
+with the schooner in tow, and he decided to deliver her to the Spanish
+authorities, for it was plain to him that she was engaged in an illegal
+voyage, intending to rob the government of Spain of its just revenues.
+The judge bowed as though he approved this decision.</p>
+
+<p>His honor then wished to hear from Mrs. Belgrave, who was quite
+startled when the commander asked her to take the stand. Dr. Hawkes
+conducted her to the box on which she was to stand. The judge looked
+at her; and his ancient eyes seemed to twinkle as he observed that she
+was still a very pretty woman, though the mother of a boy of seventeen,
+"<i>muy ricos</i>" besides.</p>
+
+<p>"I congratulate you, señora, on being the mother of such a young man as
+Mr. Belgrave, and one so very rich," said the judge in good English.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank your honor," replied Mrs. Belgrave, whose blushes made
+her look all the more interesting; and Captain Ringgold shared the
+admiration of his honor.</p>
+
+<p>"Does Mr. Belgrave, your son, ever drink too much wine, or other
+intoxicating fluids?" asked the judge in Spanish, which was duly
+translated to the lady.</p>
+
+<p>"Never! He never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer in his life!"
+exclaimed the witness indignantly.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Bastante!</i>" (Enough!) added his honor; and la señora was permitted to
+retire.</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Moses gave some information in regard to the wealth of the
+young gentleman and to his temperate habits. The judge was evidently
+satisfied so far as the capture and recapture of the Salihé were
+concerned, and then proceeded to consider the custom-house question.
+The officers testified in regard to the merchandise found on board
+of the Golondrina. No bill of lading, consular certificate, or other
+document was found on board or in possession of the captain.</p>
+
+<p>It was proved that the goods were smuggled into Spain from Gibraltar.
+The principals were Gray and Captain Velazquez, and they were heavily
+fined, and sentenced to imprisonment for one year for smuggling, and
+one for the assault upon the party on board the little steamer. The
+others received a much milder sentence. The court adjourned, and his
+honor hastened to pay his respects to Mrs. Belgrave, and insisted upon
+sending her and the other ladies to the landing in his carriage. Then
+he had quite a talk about the Guardian-Mother with the captain, and was
+invited to visit her with his family.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">EXPLORING THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR</p>
+
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold had been formally presented to the judge by an officer
+who seemed to be the chief of police, or something of that sort.
+"<i>El Juez</i> Salazar" was what he called him. If any reader wishes to
+pronounce as he reads, he will say <i>el hwaith Sah-lah-thar</i>; and if he
+utters it like that, the chief of police would understand him.</p>
+
+<p>Judge Salazar smiled when the commander invited him and his family to
+visit the Guardian-Mother, declaring that he had no wife or children,
+being still a bachelor.</p>
+
+<p>"But if I had met the Señora Belgrave when I was fifty years younger,
+it might have been otherwise," added the judge. "That is to say, if she
+had not frowned upon me."</p>
+
+<p>"Just my case!" exclaimed the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"But you are still a young man, while I am seventy-five. 'It might
+have been,' as your poet Whittier said, in my case; and it may be, in
+yours," added his honor very jocosely.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know," laughed the captain. "But I hope you will visit my
+ship, Judge Salazar. Will you not dine with us at six to-day? I will
+have a boat at the landing for you at five."</p>
+
+<p>"The temptation is very great, and I cannot decline the invitation,"
+replied the venerable dignitary.</p>
+
+<p>The carriage of the judge returned, and then he insisted upon taking
+the commander and Louis to the shore, where they parted with him for
+the time. All the party were delighted with the old gentleman and his
+courteous Spanish manners, and Mrs. Belgrave declared that he was a
+"dear old man." The cutter conveyed the party to the steamer, and in
+about half an hour they were on board of the ship.</p>
+
+<p>"The judge is a bachelor, Mrs. Belgrave, and he fell in love with you."</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed! But he is old enough to be my grandfather!" exclaimed the
+lady, laughing heartily.</p>
+
+<p>"In order to give him an opportunity to conduct his suit before your
+court, I have invited him to dinner to-day, and he has accepted," added
+the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall be very glad to meet him socially, in spite of all your
+nonsense, Captain Ringgold," said the lady. "I think he is a fair and
+just judge; and certainly he is a very agreeable gentleman, though he
+is not as good-looking as you are."</p>
+
+<p>The lady blushed when she had said this, for she really meant nothing
+by it; and the commander felt himself lifted up with something like an
+ecstasy.</p>
+
+<p>"I need not flatter myself till I know the breadth of the comparison,"
+replied he. "But we must do our best to make the judge happy when he
+comes on board; and I have no doubt he will spend the evening with us.
+Sparks, call Mr. Sage."</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Melancthon Sage, the chief steward, presented himself very
+promptly, and the commander directed him to get up the choicest dinner
+possible for six o'clock, for a very distinguished guest.</p>
+
+<p>When Captain Ringgold went on deck, he found the owner of the Salihé
+waiting for him there, his engineer having gone on board of her
+alongside. He had spoken to Louis, who refused to say anything to him
+except in the presence of the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Which I am very glad to see you, Captain Ringgold," the owner of the
+little steamer began.</p>
+
+<p>"I dare say you are, for you want to know whether or not your boat is
+implicated in the smuggling that was done last night," replied the
+commander jocosely.</p>
+
+<p>"Which hit is very true, your honor; I do wish to know."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, your worship, your friend Gray swore point-blank before the
+court that he had engaged your little steamer to tow the Golondrina to
+sea," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Which he lies like a himp of darkness!" protested Chickworth
+earnestly. "'E came to me yesterday to 'ire 'er, but I told 'im she
+was hengaged to the young gentlemen on board this steamer, and 'e
+couldn't 'ave 'er on no account. Which this is as true a thing as Giles
+Chickworth hever spoke in 'is life. I would swear to hit before the
+judge hover there."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps you could do it here, for the judge will dine with us to-day,"
+suggested the commander, watching the expression of the man.</p>
+
+<p>"Which I am ready to do!" protested Chickworth, using his first
+grammatical "which" apparently by mistake.</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid you have had some dealings with these smugglers, Captain
+Chickworth; but I do not believe you will come to grief on account of
+anything that happened last night, for Gray told such a stack of lies
+that the judge did not believe a word he said, and the testimony of
+the boys contradicted about everything to which he swore. I think you
+are all right, my man; but I advise you to have nothing to do with
+smugglers."</p>
+
+<p>"Which I don't, your honor!" exclaimed the owner of the boat.</p>
+
+<p>"But Gray seemed to know all about your steamer, and he must have had
+the use of her at five shillings an hour."</p>
+
+<p>"Which 'e 'as; but not to smuggle in 'er."</p>
+
+<p>"That is enough about the smugglers. Take warning, my man, and keep out
+of trouble, or you will lose the steamer," added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I owe you thirty shillings, Captain Chickworth," said Louis, tendering
+the money, for he had listened to all that had been said.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't mind that; you 'ave saved my steamer; for I know what a liar
+Gray is, and I was afeard that they would want to confisticate 'er."</p>
+
+<p>"I insist on paying for her," added Louis, thrusting the gold into the
+vest pocket of the owner.</p>
+
+<p>"I will pay for her to-day, but I want to make a trade with you for
+to-day and to-morrow," continued the captain; and he engaged her for
+the two days for two pounds. "You will keep her alongside when we are
+not using her."</p>
+
+<p>"Which I will do and hall night too."</p>
+
+<p>"We are going ashore this afternoon, and at five o'clock you will go
+over for Judge Salazar."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold had already attended to the formalities necessary
+to obtain admission to the town and to visit the batteries and
+fortifications, and the American consul had rendered all the assistance
+required. After an early lunch the party embarked in the Salihé, now
+in charge of Captain Chickworth and his engineer. The little steamer
+proceeded directly to the Ragged Staff stairs, where the landing was
+made.</p>
+
+<p>Macias, one of the guides of the place, was waiting for them. The party
+walked till they were tired, and then a wagonette was obtained, and
+they rode through the streets for an hour, looking at the buildings,
+especially the barracks, for everything was military about the town.</p>
+
+<p>Ever since the possession of the Rock was obtained, about one hundred
+and eighty years ago, the English have been at work improving the
+defences of the place, and the territory is covered with batteries
+in addition to the principal fortifications in the Rock itself. The
+visitors gave only a glance at these, and observed with more interest
+the soldiers and their officers, as seen about the streets, especially
+a regiment of Highlanders, whose bare legs were more comfortable in
+this climate than in England.</p>
+
+<p>On the east side, facing the open Mediterranean, the ascent of the
+hill is almost perpendicular, while on the other side it is much more
+gradual. A number of non-commissioned officers were sent with the
+strangers as guides, and they explained everything of interest that was
+passed. After a rather hard walk, they reached the highest point of the
+Rock, which is called El Hacho, or the Signal. From it a view of two
+oceans was obtained, if we count the Mediterranean as one, and two of
+the grand divisions of the earth, Europe and Africa. The mountains of
+Spain and those of Africa were in sight.</p>
+
+<p>Macias pointed out Apes Hill and other objects of interest, and it was
+unanimously voted that the view was magnificent. The visitors continued
+their wanderings amid pyramids of cannon-balls, and the region was
+covered with receptacles for ammunition. They entered the galleries,
+which extend for thousands of yards, and the first sight of them
+conveys an idea of the vast amount of labor which has been performed in
+constructing them, for they have been hewn out of the rock.</p>
+
+<p>There are casemates and even halls, one of the latter of which is fifty
+feet long by thirty-five wide, and is called St. George's Hall. About
+every thirty feet in the eastern side are embrasures through which
+project the muzzles of great cannons, which are hardly noticed from the
+outside as one sails along the sea. A view of the Rock at the distance
+of a couple of miles on the strait conveys no idea of the strength of
+the fortifications.</p>
+
+<p>In addition to the immense strength of the principal fortress, there
+are forts and batteries in every available place along the shore, and
+on the line which separates the place from The Neutral Ground, so
+that an attack by sea or land could be promptly repelled. Everything
+has been done to render the works invincible, and the supplies kept
+in store preclude the possibility of starving out the garrison in
+any reasonable period of time. But the fortress will never again be
+besieged or attacked, for many believe "the game is not worth the
+candle;" and Mr. Bright thought it ought to be ceded back to Spain, for
+its possession by a foreign power has never ceased to be a thorn in the
+flesh of the proud and haughty dons of the peninsula.</p>
+
+<p>Aside from its military importance, Gibraltar is of the greatest value
+to England as a stopping-place, where coal and other necessaries can be
+obtained by her commercial marine. All the steamers which pass through
+the Suez Canal on their way to India and Australia stop here. If
+England were at war with any other nation, the place would be of vast
+importance as a coaling station, where her ships could lie in safety in
+spite of any force that might assail them.</p>
+
+<p>"There are no springs of fresh water on the Rock," said Captain
+Ringgold to his party. "You remember how the people of the Bermudas are
+supplied with water; and the residents here, both civil and military,
+have to depend upon the rainfall. All the water that falls upon the
+roofs of the houses is economized and gathered up into reservoirs; and
+that which flows down the sides of the rock is also carefully saved,
+for a water famine would be as bad as a dearth of food. The navy tank,
+from which ships are supplied, holds eleven thousand tons of water,
+as the books put it; but to the common mind that is a very indefinite
+method of measuring water, and how big that tank is I can form no idea,
+only that it is a big one.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you have noticed that plants grow in the apertures and
+crevices of the Rock, though nothing of the sort can be seen from
+the water. Asparagus, capers, aloes, and cacti thrive here, and even
+grassy and wooded glens are found in places. Now we will go down to the
+Almeda, which is the Spanish name for a park, as you learned when you
+were in Cuba."</p>
+
+<p>This beautiful garden is located near Europa Point, the southern
+extremity of the peninsula of Gibraltar. It is on the very border of
+the sea, and is very tastefully laid out in English style, with winding
+walks, and with a great variety of plants and shrubs which thrive in
+this climate, including cacti and some trees of considerable size. From
+shady arbors fine views were obtained of the surroundings, including
+the mountains in Africa.</p>
+
+<p>The party had made the ascent of the rock and the return on mules and
+donkeys, and the big four had lots of fun with the latter. That of
+Scott was so small that he picked him up in his arms and carried him
+some distance, to the great amusement of the lookers-on. When they
+reached the Ragged Stairs, the company embarked in the little steamer,
+and, as it was not yet four o'clock, they made an excursion in her
+around the Rock. The American consul had been invited to dine on board,
+and he was a member of the party.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as her passengers had disembarked, Louis and Scott were sent
+over in the Salihé to Algeciras for Judge Salazar, and returned with
+him before dinner-time. He was received on board with the "most
+distinguished consideration."</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">AN ADDITION FOR THE FUN OF THE BIG FOUR</p>
+
+
+<p>The position of honor at the table on the right of the commander was
+given to Judge Salazar, and Mrs. Belgrave was placed next to him. The
+consul was on his left, with Mrs. Woolridge beside him. Louis was
+assigned to the opposite end of the table, with the boys next to him.
+Mr. Sage and Monsieur Odervie had done their best, and the dinner was
+praised with great enthusiasm by all the guests.</p>
+
+<p>The judge made himself exceedingly agreeable to Mrs. Belgrave, and gave
+her a great deal of information in regard to Spain; but the principal
+subject of conversation was her son, who was "<i>muy ricos</i>," and his
+mother gave him an epitome of the life of the young millionaire,
+including the recovery of the missing million which had made him so
+rich.</p>
+
+<p>The commander asked him if any suspicions were attached to the Salihé
+as concerned in any smuggling ventures. He could only learn that the
+officers of the customs kept a close watch upon her. Gray said he had
+engaged her to tow out the Golondrina; but he proved that he was such
+a liar he could not be believed, or the little steamer would have been
+seized.</p>
+
+<p>At eleven o'clock in the evening, after the ladies and others had given
+the distinguished judicial dignitary a specimen of the songs they sang
+in the churches and evening meetings in America, the judge was sent
+home in the little steamer, attended by the consul and the commander.
+He was profuse in his acknowledgments of the pleasure he had derived
+from his visit, and especially from his dinner, declaring that no hotel
+in Spain could elaborate such a banquet. The consul had been locked out
+from his residence in the town at gun-fire, and the invitation to dine
+had included the tender of a stateroom for his use.</p>
+
+<p>The consul was sent in the Salihé to the Ragged Stairs after breakfast.
+On her return Louis and Scott found the commander very busy measuring
+the length and breadth of the little steamer. He was looking her over
+with the utmost care, and it was evident to the boys that he had
+some scheme in his head. When he had finished his examination and
+measurements on board of the boat, he ascended to the deck of the ship,
+and renewed his employment.</p>
+
+<p>"The Salihé is forty feet long, Captain Ringgold," interposed Louis,
+with a merry laugh, though he was wondering with all his might what the
+commander's calculations indicated. "Her standing-room is cushioned
+with crimson plush, and will seat eight persons comfortably, or twelve
+with the addition of the tabourets in the cabin."</p>
+
+<p>"Go on, Mr. Belgrave," said the captain, when he was closing the diary
+from which he had read the description so far, and which he carried
+in one of his pockets, having written it out while on the trip from
+Madeira to Tarifa in the little steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"Her cabin is twelve feet long, with four windows on a side, each
+having a single pane of plate glass, with a table in the middle, and
+several tabourets. The sides are occupied by broad divans, on which
+beds may be made, with a full supply of bed-clothes in the lockers
+under them. She has a miniature pilot-house and a cook-room forward of
+the engine."</p>
+
+<p>"Excellent, Sir Louis!" exclaimed the commander. "You have written out
+a very complete description of the craft. Now have you inscribed in
+your diary whether or not it is practicable to hoist the Salihé upon
+the promenade deck of the Guardian-Mother?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't find any opinion expressed on the pages of my diary on that
+subject, sir," replied Louis, as he put the book in his pocket. "But I
+should say that it was quite practicable, Captain Ringgold, for I have
+read that many American men-of-war carry steam-launches."</p>
+
+<p>"But ships of six hundred tons don't carry steam-launches forty feet
+long; or they did not when I was in the navy," added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Boulong and Mr. Shafter, the chief engineer, were sent for, and
+they appeared at once. The question was put to them. They had their
+doubts about carrying a steam-launch of the size of the one alongside
+on the promenade deck; but they considered it possible. She might be
+blocked up in the middle of the space abaft the smoke-stack, and well
+secured. The steamer could carry her well enough, though she was a
+rather large pattern.</p>
+
+<p>While they were talking about the matter, Captain Chickworth came on
+deck, but he did not join the party, and seated himself out of hearing
+of what they said. The commander thanked his two officers, bowed
+to them, and they retired, touching their caps to the captain, for
+everything on board was done as politely as in a man-of-war, and more
+so than is sometimes the case.</p>
+
+<p>The commander seated himself in an arm-chair, of which a supply was
+kept under the awning in pleasant weather, and invited Louis to do the
+same. Scott walked over and entered into conversation with the owner.
+It was evident that Captain Ringgold had had some conversation with
+Chickworth in regard to the subject he appeared to be considering, as
+indicated by what he had said.</p>
+
+<p>"Sir Louis, you can always see through a millstone when there is a hole
+through it, and sometimes you can see and read things which are not
+visible to the naked eye," the commander began. "You can see what I
+have in my mind."</p>
+
+<p>"With the naked eye, I can," replied Louis. "And the idea is
+an excellent one, as are all the ideas of the captain of the
+Guardian-Mother."</p>
+
+<p>"Blarney! But we will be serious now. I have been talking with
+Chickworth; and I told him, what Judge Salazar informed me, that the
+customs officers are keeping watch of his steamer. He was startled,
+and unbosomed himself to me when he found I was not inclined to injure
+him; but I roundly condemned his permitting smugglers to have the use
+of the Salihé. He replied that he could not make a living with the boat
+unless he did so."</p>
+
+<p>"I should think there would be honest visitors enough at the Rock to
+keep the craft well employed," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But Chickworth says that is not the case. A steamer runs regularly to
+Algeciras, and another to Tangier, several times a week, and visitors
+will not many of them pay him fifty shillings a day for the steamer.
+Gray was his principal employer; he has gone to prison for the next two
+years, and he has lost his best customer."</p>
+
+<p>"He made his own nest."</p>
+
+<p>"He has saved his steamer, for he would certainly have lost her if
+he had kept on serving the smugglers. He was quite down-hearted this
+morning, and wished he could sell the Salihé for what she cost him, and
+he would return to his trade as a machinist."</p>
+
+<p>"He bought her for less than half her value," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I am inclined to buy her out of my own pocket."</p>
+
+<p>"If you can carry her, buy her, but not out of your own pocket."</p>
+
+<p>"I am willing to do so. I have no use for my wages as master of the
+ship, for I am not a poor man."</p>
+
+<p>"I know you are not, for you have lived on your income for years."</p>
+
+<p>"My whole business is to make this voyage pleasant to my employers and
+passengers, and I don't care to make a dollar out of it."</p>
+
+<p>"It would not be fair or just for you to buy her for our use."</p>
+
+<p>"But Uncle Moses is a strict financier, and he might object to the
+investment of five hundred dollars in this manner," said the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"He will not object to anything that is just and fair, for he is far
+from being a mean man," protested Louis; and he was thinking that the
+possession of the elegant little steamer would at least double the
+pleasure, or the "fun" as they called it, of their daily life on the
+voyage. "Besides, Captain, you know that he did not object to the
+expenses of the voyage the first six months, and then he had to pay out
+double the present rate. Mr. Woolridge pays half the expense now of
+everything, including repairs and alterations. I will speak to Uncle
+Moses about the matter. There he is on the promenade with the rest of
+the party;" and Louis rose from his seat.</p>
+
+<p>"No, Sir Knight; we don't want any special pleading, and Mr. Woolridge
+is as much interested in this matter as he is. Ask both of them to come
+aft, and we will talk over the matter and settle it very quickly,"
+added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>The two gentlemen received the summons, and immediately presented
+themselves before the captain, who rose and placed chairs for them.
+What had been said before about the new project was repeated to the
+trustee of Louis and the magnate of the Fifth Avenue.</p>
+
+<p>"Mrs. Belgrave was saying to me yesterday, while we were sailing round
+the Rock, that she wished we had a steam-yacht like the Salihé, only
+one with a Christian name," said Uncle Moses, shaking his fat sides at
+the coincidence.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad that somebody besides myself has seen the advantage of
+having a steam-launch on board," added the commander. "I think they
+will all see it when the matter is suggested to them."</p>
+
+<p>"But what is the cost of her?" asked Uncle Moses, chuckling at
+something he had in his mind till his fat form quivered like a barrel
+of soft soap when shaken. "Since I have been relieved of half the cost
+of this pleasure trip, I have had some of my old troubles come back to
+me, for I don't see how Sir Louis will possibly be able to spend even
+a reasonable portion of his income, and the subject begins to worry me
+again. I had an easy time of it the first six months, for the expenses
+made a considerable hole in the amount."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I suppose you charge your present misery upon me for paying
+half of the expenses, fair and just as that is," added Mr. Woolridge,
+laughing a good deal more vigorously than he was in the habit of doing.
+"By all means buy the little steamer, and relieve Uncle Moses of some
+of his woe!"</p>
+
+<p>"Well, how much will she cost?" demanded the lawyer. "If we can get rid
+of five or ten thousand dollars in this manner, it will relieve me of a
+part of the burden I have to bear."</p>
+
+<p>"But I must pay half of the cost of the steamer," added the magnate.</p>
+
+<p>"Then my load will be so much the heavier," puffed Uncle Moses.</p>
+
+<p>"But five or ten thousand dollars, gentlemen!" exclaimed the commander.
+"Why, I was proposing to buy her out of my own pocket, and not call
+upon you at all."</p>
+
+<p>"Not a red cent!" protested the trustee. "I believe you want to make my
+burden more than I can bear, Captain."</p>
+
+<p>"But the price of the boat is only one hundred pounds, or about five
+hundred dollars; and that sum would not have ruined me," almost shouted
+the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"That will hardly take a feather's weight from my load," groaned Uncle
+Moses.</p>
+
+<p>"Say no more about it! I should be glad to buy the boat alone, and
+present her to the ship in token of the high appreciation I have of the
+boundless kindness with which my family and myself have been treated on
+board of the Guardian-Mother," interposed the magnate.</p>
+
+<p>"It is only a bagatelle, but it must be equitably divided," persisted
+Uncle Moses; and the question was settled on this basis.</p>
+
+<p>"The only doubt I had about the matter was the hoisting of her on deck
+and carrying here there," added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"You needn't hoist her at all, Captain Ringgold," interposed Louis.
+"The big four will organize a ship's company, and sail her from port to
+port."</p>
+
+<p>"O ho, Sir Knight!" exclaimed Uncle Moses, shaking his fat sides again.
+"You want to be all ready for a fresh adventure night and day! If we
+change the name of the craft, as Mrs. Belgrave will insist, we had
+better call her the Don Quixote."</p>
+
+<p>The question was definitely settled, though not till Mrs. Belgrave had
+been consulted; but the name was referred to Louis. The Salihé was
+purchased at once, and paid for on the spot. Chickworth went away a
+happy man. Later in the day a meeting of the big four was called to
+organize the ship's company.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE SHIP'S COMPANY OF THE STEAMER MAUD</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis Belgrave did not take kindly to the suggestion of Uncle Moses
+to call the little steamer, which had now come into the possession of
+the party, the Don Quixote. He had read Don Quichotte, as the book is
+called in French, twice with Professor Seveignien, his instructor at
+Von Blonk Park, in that language. He was therefore quite familiar with
+the career of the knight of La Mancha, which Cervantes wrote as a sort
+of burlesque on knight-errantry.</p>
+
+<p>The young millionaire's alleged fondness for adventure had been the
+reason why Uncle Moses had playfully given him the name of "Sir Louis;"
+but of the four young Americans afloat on the present cruise, he was no
+more inclined to erratic enterprises than the others. The average boy
+delights in adventure, at least in the contemplation and narration; and
+he was no exception to the rule, though he had always been devoted to
+his studies.</p>
+
+<p>But the average boy had not the ingenuity, pluck, and enterprise of
+Louis; and perhaps he made his adventures more exciting than another
+might have done. The nearest approach to him in the big four appeared
+to be Scott, who had fully developed himself in the recapture of the
+Salihé, though his intended cruise in the Seahound in the West Indies
+stamped the metal of which he was made.</p>
+
+<p>Louis did not like the name of Don Quixote, a crack-brained and absurd
+adventurer, whose career Cervantes had written and made as ridiculous
+as possible for the purpose of bringing knight-errantry into disrepute;
+and he succeeded admirably. In dubbing his ward a knight, Uncle Moses
+simply intended to ridicule adventures in general.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't like the name of Don Quixote, which my trustee suggests, and
+that is the only name that has been mentioned," said Louis, when the
+big four had assembled to talk over the organization of the ship's
+company, after he had informed them of the purchase of the little
+steamer.</p>
+
+<p>The young millionaire had explained to them the use to which it was
+intended to apply her, with some enlargement of the idea to suit his
+own fancy, and had reported some of the conversation between the
+captain, Uncle Moses, and the magnate of the Fifth Avenue.</p>
+
+<p>"Don Quixote isn't a bad name for a boat," added Scott. "I don't know
+much about the fellow who bore it, and I am not competent to give an
+opinion as to its fitness."</p>
+
+<p>It then appeared that Louis was the only one of the four who had read
+the book; and he gave some description of the Spanish knight-errant,
+and related some of his adventures with windmills, wine sacks, and
+galley slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"The Don is not the fellow for our craft," added Scott. "But I suppose
+you own the steam-yacht, Louis, as you do the Guardian-Mother, and you
+ought to name her to suit yourself."</p>
+
+<p>"Morris's father is as much an owner of her as I am, for he pays half
+her cost. The name was referred to me; but I think Morris ought to have
+as much to say about that as I have," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't care what her name is," said Morris, laughing. "There will
+be just as much fun in her under one name as any other. If you have
+thought of anything, Louis, I will agree to it."</p>
+
+<p>"What shall her name be, Louis?" demanded Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought of calling her the Maud," answered Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"The only objiction in loife I have to that name is that it was what
+they called the shtaymer of John Schoble," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"But that was not her name, and it was only stuck on over 'Viking.'"</p>
+
+<p>"Maud is a tip-top name!" exclaimed Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"I like it; and it is your mother's name, Louis, which makes me like it
+all the more," said Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"Maud it is, then; and no fellow must say Salihé after this," added
+Scott.</p>
+
+<p>As a matter of form the question was put to vote, and Maud was
+unanimously adopted as the name of the steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"The next thing is to make out a list of officers and crew," suggested
+Louis. "But we can't have a great many officers, for we have not
+fellows enough to fill the places. First we want a captain, and we will
+vote for him by ballot."</p>
+
+<p>Morris was appointed to collect the votes, and three of them were for
+Louis, and one for Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"This is very complimentary, and I thank you," Louis proceeded, after
+Scott had declared the result of the ballot. "But I must respectfully
+and resolutely decline the honor. I do not think I am fitted for the
+position, and therefore I must refuse to accept it. Please to bring in
+your votes for captain."</p>
+
+<p>Felix caught a sight of Louis's ballot, and the vote stood two for the
+owner of the Guardian-Mother and two for Scott. The Milesian, knowing
+very well what his crony desired, and how he had voted both times
+before, did a little electioneering in a whisper with Morris, and the
+next ballot gave the hero of the battle with the smugglers a majority
+of the votes.</p>
+
+<p>Scott returned his thanks; but he had voted every time for Louis, and
+thought he ought to have the position.</p>
+
+<p>"We don't want any compliments about this business, fellows," replied
+Louis. "If I wanted to be simply complimentary, I should vote for
+Morris, and he is better qualified for the position than I am; but I
+believe Scott has had more experience than any other fellow in the
+crowd, for he navigated the Seahound from New York to Florida, and
+through the Bahama Islands. I think we have done the right thing, and
+Captain Scott it is."</p>
+
+<p>"So say we all of us," repeated Felix and Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"The next place is that of pilot, who shall be at the same time the
+mate," continued Louis. "Flix will collect the votes."</p>
+
+<p>Three of them were for Morris; for Louis had unconsciously done a
+little electioneering when he spoke of the successful candidate, who
+had modestly voted for the usual leader of the party.</p>
+
+<p>"Morris is elected first officer and pilot by your votes," said Louis.
+"I don't see but what we have got to the end of the rope, for we can't
+all be officers, and Flix and I will be seamen or deck-hands."</p>
+
+<p>"That don't seem to be just right," protested Captain Scott. "The idea
+of Louis being a deck-hand is simply absurd."</p>
+
+<p>"But it is just the position I like best," the subject of the remark
+insisted.</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, Oi'm in good company as the oder deck-hand," added Felix, with
+a merry laugh. "Sorra one bit of ambition have Oi to be an officer.
+They're the fellers that will do the worruck while we gintlemanly
+deck-hands will luk on and see 'em do it."</p>
+
+<p>"What about the engineer?" asked Captain Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course Felipe Garcias will be the engineer," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But he is wanted as an oiler on board the ship," suggested the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Ringgold can easily ship another here."</p>
+
+<p>"But I thought we were to use the Maud only when we were in port to run
+about the harbors," said Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we shall do something more than that," replied Louis
+significantly. "At any rate, we shall want our own engineer; and I will
+see that he is better paid than as an oiler, a 'greaser' as they are
+sometimes called. Felipe is a good fellow, and I take an interest in
+him."</p>
+
+<p>"Bekase he can shpake Shpanish!" mildly taunted Felix. "Faix I could
+shpake it mesel' if me modther had only larned it me whin I was a
+babby, loike Philip's modther did him. But, boy the powers of mud, I
+belayve you fellers mane to make an indepindint cruise in the Orient,
+and go Columbusing all over the ocean boy the way ye's talk!"</p>
+
+<p>"I hinted to Captain Ringgold that there was no need of hoisting the
+Maud on the deck of the ship, for we could go in her from one port to
+another. I suppose Captain Scott understands navigation."</p>
+
+<p>"I think I know something about it; for that is the one thing I have
+studied more than anything else, not only in school, but ever since,"
+replied the new captain. "Professor Giroud is instructing me in the
+theory of it now, and I take the sun every day, and work up the
+observation. I know how to handle a sextant, and I can work out a lunar
+on a pinch."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps we shall get cast away on a desolate island in the Indian
+Ocean, and have a chance to do some Robinson Crusoeing," suggested
+Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"That is treason to Captain Scott," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe I can do my Bowditching well enough not to bring that upon
+my ship's company," said the captain.</p>
+
+<p>This meeting was held in the cabin of the Maud, as they had all
+begun to call her. The next thing they did was to take down the sign
+upon which the former name of the yacht appeared in front of the
+pilot-house, and another to the same effect on the stern. While they
+were thus engaged, Captain Chickworth, who had been collecting his
+money and talking with the captain in his cabin, came on board.</p>
+
+<p>"You don't like the name," said he when he discovered what they were
+doing.</p>
+
+<p>"We have changed it already," answered Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Which I was going to do myself," added the late owner. "The old one
+was not a Christian name, and I was going to call 'er the 'Transit.' I
+'ad the two signs halmost ready to put on. Which there is a carver near
+the Ragged Stairs gate which 'e 'as the letters hall ready to put on
+the board."</p>
+
+<p>"Has he the four letters M-A-U-D on hand?"</p>
+
+<p>Chickworth was sure he had. Louis was delighted, and immediately
+offered to land the late owner at the Stairs, and have him go with
+him to the carver's. Felipe was in the engine-room, for he had just
+returned from landing the consul. Captain Ringgold was informed that
+they were going to put Chickworth on shore, and the Maud departed to
+obtain her new name.</p>
+
+<p>The carver had the letters of the right size, all gilded and ready
+to put on the signs. He was obliging enough to do the work while
+Louis waited, and in a short time he returned to the steamer with
+the signs under his arm. They were put in their places at once, and
+the ship's company bestowed a great deal of admiration upon them.
+The Maud got under way, and in a few minutes she was approaching the
+Guardian-Mother. The regularly elected pilot was at the wheel, and the
+others were on the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott called for three cheers when he discovered the cabin
+party seated under the awning. This called the company to the side;
+for they suspected that the big four were up to some mischief, the
+commander having informed them of the purchase of the little steamer,
+and that her future ship's company had been engaged in organizing to
+handle her.</p>
+
+<p>The gentlemen returned the cheers without knowing what they meant, and
+the ladies waved their handkerchiefs very vigorously. As the steamer
+came a little nearer, Uncle Moses was the first to notice the new name
+which had been put up over the windows of the pilot-house. He spelled
+out the word and pointed to the name.</p>
+
+<p>"My name!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave. "Well, I am more delighted to see
+it there than I was when I saw it on that steamer which lies near us."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a capital name for the craft, and it means something now—that
+your son is always thinking of you, madam."</p>
+
+<p>"What is the next conspiracy of the big four?" asked the commander as
+the crew of the Maud came on board.</p>
+
+<p>"We want to go over to Tangier this afternoon," replied Louis, as soon
+as the new name had been discussed and approved.</p>
+
+<p>The application was duly considered, and, no objection being made,
+permission for the excursion was granted.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">AN AFTERNOON EXCURSION TO TANGIER</p>
+
+
+<p>Louis had applied for permission to make the excursion to Tangier on
+his own account, though he knew it would be exceedingly agreeable
+to the other members of the ship's company, for it would give them
+practice in their duties. He had spoken to the commander about the
+engineer; and he had promptly consented to ship another oiler, for it
+was enough for Felipe to run the engine of the Maud and take proper
+care of it, as it was a very nice piece of machinery. At the same time
+he added fifty per cent to the wages of this officer.</p>
+
+<p>He had ordered Mr. Sage to provide a suitable lunch for the steamer;
+for it was thirty miles to Tangier, and it would require at least seven
+hours for the Maud to go there and return, and the excursionists would
+get hungry before they came back.</p>
+
+<p>"But why can't we go with them, Captain Ringgold?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
+"It will certainly be a very pleasant trip, and there must be something
+there to see."</p>
+
+<p>"I thought of going to Tangier in the Guardian-Mother," replied the
+commander; "but you have seen a specimen of Mohammedan places at
+Mogadore, and I have reserved most of that species of sights for
+Constantinople, where you will see them in their full glory and on a
+large scale. Then the boys are going over there simply to experiment
+with their new organization and see how it works, and I think they
+would prefer to be alone. Besides, Tangier is in Morocco; and it is
+remotely possible that Ali-Noury Pacha may be there, for it is over
+three weeks since the Fatimé went out to sea through the Strait."</p>
+
+<p>"I am quite satisfied to remain," replied the lady.</p>
+
+<p>"Very likely the boys will not land at all at Tangier, for they have no
+time to do so."</p>
+
+<p>"I certainly don't want to go there if there is the least danger of
+meeting the Pacha," added Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>The rich, powerful, and distinguished Pacha had taken a fancy to
+Blanche, the beautiful daughter of Mr. Woolridge, and had followed
+the party to Gibraltar in the Fatimé, his large steam-yacht; but the
+Guardian-Mother had avoided her, and had actually run away from her.</p>
+
+<p>"I have a little business in the city this afternoon, and we will go
+ashore in the barge if you wish to visit the place again."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think much of the place itself, but it is interesting to look
+at the people of various nations that one meets in the street there;
+and I want to do a little shopping," added the lady.</p>
+
+<p>Lunch was served at noon that day. The bunkers of the Maud had been
+filled with coal, and she was all ready to get under way. The big four
+were very much excited, and they disposed of their mid-day meal very
+hastily. They would not have thought to take their overcoats if the
+anxious mothers of two of them had not insisted that they should do so.
+Felipe had been at work on the engine, with which he was more familiar
+than with any other, for he had served as engineer when she was in the
+service of the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"The Mah-ood," he began when Louis went on board, pronouncing the name
+of the steamer as he read it on the sign.</p>
+
+<p>"No, no!" exclaimed Louis, laughing heartily. "You have translated the
+word into Spanish or Turkish;" and he proceeded to drill the engineer
+in the pronunciation of the new name of the craft.</p>
+
+<p>"The Maud," he repeated for the twentieth time.</p>
+
+<p>"That will do very well, Felipe."</p>
+
+<p>"The Maud used to make ten knots an hour when I worked for the Pacha,"
+he continued. "I shall make her do so now."</p>
+
+<p>"All right; but always be on the safe side."</p>
+
+<p>"What you call the safe side?" asked Felipe, whose English was still
+very much at fault, especially in its idioms, though he did very well
+in simple conversation.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't burst the boiler," laughed Louis.</p>
+
+<p>He promised not to do so. Morris, the pilot, was in the pilot-house,
+where he had been at work a considerable part of his time in putting
+everything there in order and according to his own fancy, for he felt
+that this was his domain. Captain Scott was on the promenade deck, and
+he had prepared himself for his present duties.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold had an abundance of charts, and among them one of four
+sheets of the Mediterranean Sea. This one had thirty plans of harbors
+and ports upon it, and among them one of the Strait of Gibraltar. The
+latter was about a foot long and eight inches wide, which the commander
+had cut out of the sheet and given to Captain Scott, who, for this
+reason, felt entirely confident in regard to his navigation. The only
+thing he needed was a parallel ruler, so that he could lay off the
+course from the compass designs given on every chart.</p>
+
+<p>"Make the course south south-west, Mr. Woolridge!" he called to the
+pilot.</p>
+
+<p>Morris was a little startled to hear himself "mistered;" but the fasts
+had been cast off by the accomplished deck-hands, and he rang the gong
+to go ahead. He had learned the bells as they were used on board of
+the Guardian-Mother; and he felt quite at home at the wheel, and not
+a little exhilarated to find himself steering such a beautiful little
+steamer as his regular duty.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know where you are, Captain Scott?" asked Louis playfully.</p>
+
+<p>"Just as well as though I had been here all my life," replied he.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you know your way out of this bay."</p>
+
+<p>"As well as I know my way into bed when I am tired."</p>
+
+<p>"But the course you gave out was south south-west."</p>
+
+<p>"Which is precisely the course I wish to make."</p>
+
+<p>"But I should think that would take you over upon Carnero Point."</p>
+
+<p>"There is about eighteen and a half degrees of variation in the compass
+here, and the course I gave out will take us about south."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not think of the variation," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"If you look on the chart of these waters, you will find the diagram
+of the compass with the magnetic north indicated, and the other points
+adjusted to it," replied Captain Scott, as he produced the plan of the
+Strait of Gibraltar. "Using this you could not forget the variation,
+which is here given at 18° 50.′"</p>
+
+<p>"I see that you are quite up on your navigation, Captain Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"When I was sailing the Seahound I was sometimes out of sight of land,
+and if I hadn't known what I was about I should not have been able to
+get there."</p>
+
+<p>"I think you are all right," added Louis, as he went aft.</p>
+
+<p>He went into the engine-room, where he found Felipe as enthusiastic as
+the captain of the steamer. He was delighted to have a more responsible
+position than on board of the Guardian-Mother, and especially with
+the increase of his wages. He was an exceedingly steady young man, and
+Mr. Shafter and Mr. Sentrick had been very much pleased with him. They
+declared that he understood a marine engine perfectly; in fact, he had
+a genius for mechanics and machinery.</p>
+
+<p>"Have you that thing to tell you how fast you go in the ship, Mr.
+Belgrave?" asked the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"You mean the log," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; I mean the log; but I don't know what you call him. <i>La
+barquilla</i> in Spanish."</p>
+
+<p>"I thought that was a little boat; but you can't learn everything from
+the dictionary. But you must not call the <i>barquilla</i> either 'him'
+or 'her' in English, but 'it,' for we have only natural genders; and
+things that don't have life are neuter," said Louis, who was still
+assisting the young engineer to improve his English.</p>
+
+<p>"No!" exclaimed Felipe. "What for you call the moon a 'she'? She don't
+have no life. My book he say"—</p>
+
+<p>"<i>It</i> says," interposed the instructor.</p>
+
+<p>"It says 'the ship she sails well.' The ship don't have no life."</p>
+
+<p>"By a figure of speech called personification, or prosopopœia, we
+attribute life and action to inanimate objects," replied Louis,
+laughing, as he quoted from the grammar. "Now you understand it."</p>
+
+<p>"No!" exclaimed Felipe; and his teacher did not suppose he could
+take in such a sentence; but he proceeded to render it into simpler
+language, with a long explanation; and possibly at the end of it the
+pupil had some faint idea of the figure of speech.</p>
+
+<p>"You have not the <i>barquilla</i>?" he asked, glad to drop the grammar and
+rhetoric.</p>
+
+<p>"We have no log-line on board," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"But I wish to know how fast the Maud is going."</p>
+
+<p>"We can easily ascertain that from the chart."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't understand," added Felipe, shaking his head.</p>
+
+<p>"When we are off Tarifa I will tell you just how many miles we have
+run," said Louis, as he consulted his watch. "We are two miles off
+Europa Point, and it is just half-past one. Put that down on your
+slate."</p>
+
+<p>On board of the Guardian-Mother the engineer on duty made a record of
+the working of the engine, just as the officer in charge of the ship
+commits everything to the log-slate, to be copied into the log-book;
+but the engineer of the Maud had not yet opened a record book. Louis
+wandered about the deck with nothing to do, and almost wished he had
+been made captain or pilot so that he might have some regular work.</p>
+
+<p>But Captain Scott had already ordered that the deck-hands should
+relieve the pilot, and he was to have two hours' work in every eight.
+But he seated himself with Felix in the standing-room. There was enough
+to see, for the shores of Europe and Africa were both in sight, and the
+Strait was full of vessels passing in and out. The captain joined them
+for a time; but his talk was mainly of tides and currents, showing
+that he had studied the subject very carefully.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't understand you, Captain Scott, much better than Felipe did me
+when I talked to him about personification as a figure of speech," said
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Sorra one word I can mahke uv ut," added Felix; and as has been
+occasionally stated before, the Milesian varied his dialect to suit all
+the four quarters of the Emerald Isle.</p>
+
+<p>"I borrowed the North Atlantic Directory of Captain Ringgold when I saw
+him looking it over. It treats mainly of prevailing winds, of tides and
+currents," replied the captain. "I had read in some other book that a
+current from the Atlantic always sets into the Mediterranean through
+the Strait."</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, Oi'd think the big say'd git full, loike an Oirishman at
+Donnybrook Fair," interposed Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"The Directory don't take that view, and says it has sometimes been
+known to flow outward," added Scott. "But there are currents near the
+shores which set out on the tide."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we seem to be mixed up in a lot of currents," said Louis. "Felipe
+is very anxious to know what speed the Maud is making; for he says her
+usual rate used to be ten knots an hour, though she averaged only about
+nine during our voyage from Madeira to Tarifa. He has been at work on
+the engine, and he thinks he can make even more than that out of her."</p>
+
+<p>"Begorra, she is makin' ut loively this afternoon," suggested Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"It is easy enough to come at it," replied Captain Scott. "I gave out
+west south-west for the course when we were just two miles off Europa
+Point, from which we take our departure. When the lighthouse at Tarifa
+bears north by the compass, we shall have run fifteen knots."</p>
+
+<p>"That's it to a hair!" exclaimed Louis. "I knew it was to be done in
+about that manner."</p>
+
+<p>The steamer continued on her course for over an hour along the north
+shore, and as the distance from the land increased the captain looked
+out for the bearings of Tarifa lighthouse.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">ENTER ALI-NOURY PACHA AND THE FATIMÉ</p>
+
+
+<p>There were two compasses on board of the Maud, and Captain Scott had
+one of them on the forecastle. Using his ingenuity, he had arranged a
+couple of sights so that he could accurately obtain the bearing of the
+Tarifa lighthouse.</p>
+
+<p>"Now we have it!" exclaimed he at the right moment.</p>
+
+<p>"Two: forty-five!" shouted Louis, as he looked at his watch.</p>
+
+<p>"We took our departure at one: thirty, and we have made this distance
+in one: fifteen, fifteen miles," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"But that is incredible!" protested Louis; "for that gives her twelve
+knots an hour, and, according to your statement, we have been going
+against the current that always sets out of the Strait."</p>
+
+<p>"The Directory does not admit that it always sets that way, though it
+does so nearly always," said Scott. "Besides, the statement is that the
+tide sets out near the shores on both sides. It is in the middle of the
+Strait that the great current runs into the Mediterranean, and only
+the last five miles of our course was anywhere near the middle. It is
+plain enough to me that we have been helped by the outward current near
+the land, and retarded the last fifteen or twenty minutes."</p>
+
+<p>"Swing six and cast out noine, and ye's will come to ut," laughed
+Felix, who did not take so much interest in the discussion as his
+companions.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott took a piece of paper from his pocket and began to figure
+on it, though it was quite impossible to make the correct allowances
+for the current inward in the middle of the Strait and the ebb-tide
+near the shore of Spain.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we can hit it pretty near," said he at last. "The tide helped
+us about a knot an hour, and the middle current kept us back about half
+a knot in twenty minutes. This is rather rough estimating, but I put it
+down that the Maud has made the equivalent of ten and a half knots an
+hour."</p>
+
+<p>"Bully for the Maud!" shouted Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"What you have done?" demanded Felipe, coming forward as far as the
+pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"You have made ten and a half knots an hour, Mr. Engineer," replied
+Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Diez y medio nudos la hora</i>," added Louis, saying the same thing in
+Spanish.</p>
+
+<p>"Very good! I do more than that now," replied Felipe, delighted with
+the result.</p>
+
+<p>"The eastern point of Tangier Bay is Point Malabata. Our course will
+take the steamer close to it, allowing a little for the current; and
+when it bears east half a mile distant, that will give us ten knots,"
+said Captain Scott, looking at the chart all the time.</p>
+
+<p>It was very evident to all on deck that the engineer was driving the
+engine to its utmost, and Louis thought it best to make a call upon
+him and caution him not to overdo the matter. Felipe pointed to the
+gage, and assured him that he was on the safe side, and that the boiler
+was very strong, for the Pacha had told him that he had required it
+to be built of double the ordinary strength. The steam-gage certainly
+indicated no danger; and, as Felipe would be the first one to be sent
+up into the air in case of an explosion, Louis concluded that he would
+not be willing to sacrifice himself as the first victim.</p>
+
+<p>"What time is it now, Louis?" demanded the captain, when the steamer
+was off Point Malabata and half a mile beyond it.</p>
+
+<p>"Three: thirty-five," replied Louis, who had drawn his watch before.</p>
+
+<p>Scott began to figure again, repeating aloud his calculation as he
+proceeded.</p>
+
+<p>"We have been through different currents since we began the last run,"
+said he, with the plan in his hand. "Half the way we ran against the
+middle current, and the last half with the ebb-tide."</p>
+
+<p>"How fast does the middle current run?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"From twelve to twenty miles in twenty-four hours, the Directory says.
+I call it a knot an hour, and the ebb-tide the same," replied the
+captain. "This is not accurate, I know, but it is near enough for our
+present purpose."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, what is the result when you have stirred the whole thing
+together?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"We made the ten miles on the plan in fifty minutes. That is two-tenths
+of a knot a minute, which gives us just twelve knots an hour," answered
+the captain. "I had an idea that we were doing something of that sort."</p>
+
+<p>"It seems incredible, for when we made our long voyage in the Maud, we
+timed her at nine knots an hour; and I went over the figures with the
+chart before me, when I got back to the Guardian-Mother."</p>
+
+<p>"Sure, we were saving the coal thin, for we hadn't the layst bit of an
+oidea where we'd git any more," Felix interposed.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Doce nudos la hora!</i>" (Twelve knots an hour!) shouted Louis, when he
+saw Felipe come out of the engine-room.</p>
+
+<p>"I am very happy," replied the engineer. "I know she could steamer
+that. She do it off Mogadore."</p>
+
+<p>"She could steam that, not steamer," corrected Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I find something wrong which I don't see till to-day," added Felipe,
+who did not care much about his grammar and dictionary in his present
+delight.</p>
+
+<p>"But where are we now, Captain Scott?" asked Louis, looking about him.</p>
+
+<p>"You see Tangier ahead of you, don't you, Sir Knight?"</p>
+
+<p>"I see it, Captain Sir Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"You beat me on titles, Louis. There is Tangier; and it is only three
+miles distant," replied the captain. "You can see the big castle on the
+hill, the fort with three lofty arches lower down, and the minaret of
+a mosque in the distance. I don't know anything about the place; but I
+have heard the Pacha speak of it, and I think some of his property is
+there, for he said he had to go there often."</p>
+
+<p>"Are we going ashore there?" asked Felix in good English.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we had better not," said Scott, who was more pleased to sail
+the Maud than he was to see the sights on shore. "It is nothing but a
+one-horse Mohammedan city."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you afraid of meeting the Pacha there?" asked Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe he is there; but I don't think he has any claim upon
+me now."</p>
+
+<p>"You engaged in his service, and he provided you with a suit of Moorish
+garments," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"He can have the suit now, if he wants it," replied Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"But wouldn't you like to go back into his service, Captain?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, I would not, for I am not the same fellow I was then, I hope."</p>
+
+<p>"You certainly are not, Captain Scott," added Louis very decidedly.</p>
+
+<p>"There are some camels on the shore!" exclaimed Felix, pointing to the
+animals.</p>
+
+<p>"We saw enough of them in Mogadore," added Scott indifferently. "But
+if we are not going ashore, we will take a turn along the front of the
+city, and then head her for Gibraltar."</p>
+
+<p>It was decided not to visit the city; and Morris was instructed to
+take the steamer along the shore, for the water was deep enough within
+a quarter of a mile of it. The Maud passed quite near to a great many
+feluccas with lateen sails, but there were no large vessels in sight.</p>
+
+<p>Felipe had reduced the speed of the Maud so that she appeared to be
+making about ten knots an hour, which the captain said was fast enough
+for ordinary purposes; but the boat, it was now known, could make
+twelve, whenever occasion should require. The ship's company were soon
+satisfied with the view they obtained of the castle, the arches, the
+domed mosques, and the minarets, and the steamer stood out towards the
+broad entrance to the Strait.</p>
+
+<p>Though Morris declared that he did not wish to be relieved at the
+wheel, the captain ordered Louis to take his place. The pilot insisted
+that it was nothing but fun to steer the boat, and he enjoyed every
+moment of the time he was so employed.</p>
+
+<p>"But if it is fun, Morris, don't you think you ought to give the other
+fellows their share of it?" asked Captain Scott, with a cheerful smile
+on his face, as though he realized that he was addressing the pet son
+of a millionaire.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not take that view of it, Captain, and was looking upon it as
+work, of which I was willing to do the lion's share," replied Morris.
+"I will cheerfully resign my place to Louis, and give him his share of
+the fun."</p>
+
+<p>Louis took the wheel. The situation was not a novel one to him; for he
+had done his full part of the steering when it was regarded as work,
+especially from midnight till morning. But all the crew looked upon it
+as play under present circumstances. The Maud was now off the three
+tall arches, which seemed to be the support of a lofty battery at the
+seaward corner of the continuous wall which surrounded the city. The
+exterior view of the place had been obtained, and the captain was about
+to lay his course for Gibraltar.</p>
+
+<p>"Sail, ho!" shouted Felix, who had been stationed at the bow to do duty
+as lookout; and the report came just at the moment when the change of
+helmsman was made.</p>
+
+<p>"Where away?" demanded the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Dead ahead, sir," replied the lookout. "It is a steamer, and she is
+just coming around the point in front of us. Mind your eye, or she will
+run into us!" he shouted with a good deal of energy.</p>
+
+<p>"Port the helm!" said Captain Scott sharply, as he went forward to the
+bow to obtain a better view of the approaching vessel.</p>
+
+<p>The steamer was an elegant craft as she presented herself to the vision
+of the big four who were on the forecastle and in the pilot-house.
+She had just put her helm to starboard, and was rounding in so as to
+obtain a position in front of the city. As she turned a view of her
+ensign was obtained, and it was the red flag of Morocco, with what
+looked like a pair of curious shears in the middle of it, something
+like a pair of cimeters crossed.</p>
+
+<p>"Just as sure as ye's live and braythe, it's the Fatty!" exclaimed
+Felix, beginning to be quite excited.</p>
+
+<p>"It certainly looks like her," added Louis from the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"I can go a point farther than either of you, for I know she is the
+Fatimé," added Captain Scott. "Keep her off more, Louis!"</p>
+
+<p>The Fatimé was the steam-yacht of Ali-Noury Pacha, a very wealthy and
+distinguished Moor, who had visited the Guardian-Mother when she was
+at Mogadore, and who had been so fascinated by the beauty and grace of
+Blanche that he became very disagreeable to the whole party. The ship
+had left that port at a very early hour in the morning to avoid meeting
+him again; but he had followed her to Madeira, where she had again run
+away from him.</p>
+
+<p>The Pacha seemed to be desperately in earnest; for he pursued the party
+to Gibraltar, though the Guardian-Mother dodged him, and made a long
+trip in the waters of Europe. But the distinguished Moor had evidently
+made his usual yacht trip in the Mediterranean, and Captain Ringgold
+apprehended no further interference from him.</p>
+
+<p>"There's the Pacha standing on the quarter-deck in full stage costume,"
+continued Felix. "Bad luck to him!"</p>
+
+<p>The Fatimé was now very near the Maud, and if the latter had not
+changed her course she would have collided with her. She was now
+abreast of her.</p>
+
+<p>"Salihé, ahoy!" shouted the Pacha, who spoke good English.</p>
+
+<p>"This is the Maud!" shouted Captain Scott, at the top of his lungs.</p>
+
+<p>The Moorish steamer began to come about, and Felipe was ordered to put
+on all the steam he could raise.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">AN UNEXPECTED PERIL IN VIEW</p>
+
+
+<p>The Fatimé was not more than fifty feet distant from the Maud, and
+the voice of the Pacha could be very distinctly heard when he hailed
+the little steamer by her old name. The reply of Scott must have been
+equally audible on board of the other steamer, but no attention was
+given to it. The distinguished Moor could not have helped seeing the
+name "Maud" on the pilot-house, for he had lived in England, and he
+could speak and write the language.</p>
+
+<p>Scott had been in his employ at least a week, and he knew something
+about him. The one thing in particular he had learned about the Pacha
+was that he was obstinately persevering in whatever he undertook. If he
+took a fancy to obtain anything, or to accomplish anything, he stuck
+to it till he succeeded. The engineer and the captain of the Fatimé
+were Englishmen, though both of them spoke the language of Morocco well
+enough to enable them to discharge their duties.</p>
+
+<p>Scott had been on board of the Fatimé, and had met and talked with
+these officers. They were paid much better wages than they could obtain
+at home, and were satisfied with the positions they held. They told
+him that, if he learned the language and did his duty, he would make
+his fortune. The Pacha had a respect for Englishmen; and doubtless he
+had learned that they would not "stand any nonsense," and that it was
+not prudent to offend them.</p>
+
+<p>It had been far otherwise with Felipe Garcias, who had been the
+engineer of the Salihé in the Pacha's employ, for he was a Spaniard,
+and only eighteen years old. He was very religious; and, like the
+Mohammedans, he was very strict in the observance of his Catholic
+duties, and had a high moral sense. The distinguished Moor conducted
+some very questionable enterprises on board of the little steamer,
+and when the young man objected to obeying some of his orders, he
+was abused and maltreated. For this reason he had run away from his
+Mohammedan employer. It was largely a religious matter with him, while
+the Englishmen on board of the Fatimé did not trouble themselves or the
+Pacha about such questions.</p>
+
+<p>"That steamer belongs to me!" shouted the mighty Mohammedan.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus5.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">That steamer belongs to me.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>"We bought her and paid for her," returned the captain of the Maud; but
+the remark of the owner of the Fatimé seemed to open a new question.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was startled at the claim of ownership made by the Pacha. Captain
+Chickworth had told a plausible story of the manner in which he had
+come into possession of the little steamer, and not a doubt had been
+raised or suggested in regard to his title in the craft. The young
+millionaire had not seen Chickworth's bill of sale from the Pacha;
+but he concluded that he had one, and probably Captain Ringgold had
+required it to be produced when he paid for her.</p>
+
+<p>"Does he own the craft we are sailing in?" asked Felix, taking in the
+force of the Pacha's claim.</p>
+
+<p>"Decidedly not," replied Louis. "I have not looked into Chickworth's
+rights in the steamer, and I never thought of the matter before.
+Captain Ringgold must have seen the Moor's bill of sale to him, and
+perhaps has it among his papers now."</p>
+
+<p>"I filed the Gibraltar bills and papers early this morning, and I saw
+no such paper among them," added Felix, who was the captain's clerk.</p>
+
+<p>"But the trade was not closed till the middle of the forenoon, and
+you did not see the bill of sale Chickworth must have given to the
+commander."</p>
+
+<p>"That's so; I didn't think of that."</p>
+
+<p>"I see you, Scott!" shouted the Pacha. "You ran away with Felipe, and
+stole the steam-launch!"</p>
+
+<p>"That is bringing it home to Felipe and me," said the captain, with an
+attempt to laugh off the charge; but it was not altogether a success.
+"That's a lie, which you know as well as I do, Louis."</p>
+
+<p>"Assuredly it is not the truth, and I know that you did not run away
+with Felipe, for we captured you at Funchal in your Moorish uniform."</p>
+
+<p>"Though Felipe worked for the Pacha at the same time I did, I never
+even saw him till we met on board of this boat on the voyage from
+Madeira to Tarifa," protested Scott, who was evidently not a little
+disturbed by the accusation of the distinguished Moor.</p>
+
+<p>"So I have heard you say before."</p>
+
+<p>"And so Felipe will say. At the same time it is an awkward charge to be
+accused of stealing the steamer," protested the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"That is true; and if you should be arrested and taken to Tangier,
+the Pacha would have it all his own way, and you would certainly be
+convicted. I doubt if they would even give you the form of a trial.
+But there is an American consul here, and he could make a good deal of
+trouble for the Moroccan."</p>
+
+<p>"But I have no idea of being taken to Tangier or any other port in
+Morocco," Scott affirmed in the most resolute manner, shaking his head
+like a boy who is getting decidedly "mad."</p>
+
+<p>"You are not going there voluntarily, you mean," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Neither voluntarily nor involuntarily!" protested the captain very
+warmly.</p>
+
+<p>"But if you couldn't help yourself, you wouldn't go there voluntarily,"
+said Felix, who was an attentive listener and a close observer of all
+that transpired.</p>
+
+<p>"You had better translate that into ancient Greek so that we can't
+understand it, Flix," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Oi kin translate it into modern Kilkenny Greek; but Oi have forgotten
+all the ancient Greek Oi iver knew, and that's sorra one bit," returned
+Felix. "If ye's can't help yersel', ye's can't prayvint the anti-pork
+ayters from taking ye's to Tangier. But Oi'll foight for ye's, Scotty
+darlint, wid me fishts and me revolver."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Felix; but I don't believe this is to be a matter of
+fighting so much as it will be of running away," replied Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you expect to run away from the Fatimé, Captain Scott?"</p>
+
+<p>"That's the only way out of the scrape as I understand the situation,"
+answered Scott, as he picked up the chart of the Strait, which lay
+on the miniature capstan upon the forecastle, and began to study it
+attentively.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you expect to beat the Pacha's steamer on a straight run to
+Gibraltar, Captain Scott?" asked Louis incredulously.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know how fast the Fatimé is; but she was slow enough on the
+run from Mogadore to Funchal, though perhaps they did not hurry her. I
+don't believe I shall make a straight course of it to Gib," answered
+the captain, still studying the chart.</p>
+
+<p>Louis had been directed to head the Maud for Point Malabata, and Scott
+stood by the open window of the pilot-house during the conversation.
+The little steamer had certainly gained upon the bigger one, which
+was said to be of about four hundred tons, for she had passed out of
+a convenient speaking distance of her. When first seen the Fatimé's
+smoke-stack seemed to be a useless appendage, for nothing issued from
+it; but as soon as she came about a volume of black smoke had begun to
+pour out of it, which was continuously increasing.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you see the black smoke the Fatimé is sending out of her funnel?"
+asked Louis of the captain, who still retained his place at the window.</p>
+
+<p>"I see it; and perhaps that explains why we have run away from her,"
+replied Scott. "When we first discovered her she was just going into
+port, and, as the engineer had ordered his men to let the fires down
+in the furnaces, she was going very slowly. She had not steam enough
+to enable her to keep up with us. But as soon as the Pacha told his
+captain to chase the Maud, they began to shovel in the coal."</p>
+
+<p>"That explains it all right," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I would give ten cents out of my own pocket to know how much water
+that steamer draws," continued Captain Scott, who was still gazing
+intently at the chart.</p>
+
+<p>"I have not the least idea. She is two hundred tons less in burden than
+the Guardian-Mother, if that will give you any idea," replied Louis.
+"Perhaps Felipe knows something about it. Flix, stand by the engine and
+ask the engineer to come to the pilot-house."</p>
+
+<p>"I'll do that same. I'll stand by the engine while Felipe comes here,
+and see that no one runs away with it while he is gone; but that is all
+I can do," replied the Milesian, as he went aft.</p>
+
+<p>The Spaniard was shovelling in more coal at the furnaces when Felix
+went into the engine-room. He had been ordered to get up all the speed
+he could on the boat, but he had not been informed in regard to the
+occasion of this hurry. He promptly obeyed the summons of the captain.
+When he came to the door of the pilot-house he turned to enter, and
+then, for the first time, he discovered the Pacha's yacht astern of the
+Maud.</p>
+
+<p>"La Fatimé!" he exclaimed, aghast at the sight of her, as he retreated
+in absolute terror.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Verdaderamente</i>" (Truly), added Louis. "But don't you be alarmed."</p>
+
+<p>"The Pacha will put me in the prison!" gasped poor Felipe.</p>
+
+<p>"Not a bit of it!" protested Captain Scott. "You belong to the
+Guardian-Mother, and Captain Ringgold will protect you."</p>
+
+<p>It required some minutes to overcome the tribulation of the Spanish
+engineer. He had obtained an interior view of Mohammedan institutions,
+and he had a mortal terror of being restored to the service of his
+former master.</p>
+
+<p>"We must run away from him, Felipe," said the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know," added the engineer, shaking his head to intensify his
+doubt.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know how much water the Fatimé draws, Felipe?" asked Scott,
+as he looked through the back windows of the pilot-house over the
+promenade deck at the Pacha's steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"Draws?" queried Felipe, who did not comprehend the meaning of the
+question, as he looked to his instructor for further light. "<i>Ella no
+es caballo</i>" (She is not a horse).</p>
+
+<p>"How deep in the water does she set?" Louis interpreted the expression,
+and resorted to other paraphrases of the question till he made him
+understand it.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Quince piés</i>" (Fifteen feet), he answered, directing his reply to his
+teacher.</p>
+
+<p>"Fifteen feet," repeated Louis to the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Good!" exclaimed Scott, to whom the answer appeared to be extremely
+satisfactory, and to stimulate very strongly his hopefulness, though he
+had not yet developed to his companions his plan for escaping from the
+Fatimé, if her speed proved to be greater than that of the Maud, as it
+would naturally be expected to be. "Go back to the engine, Felipe, and
+run it for all it is worth."</p>
+
+<p>"All it is worth?" repeated the Spaniard, interrogatively.</p>
+
+<p>"Make the steamer go as fast as you can," added Louis, taking Felipe by
+the arm and leading him back to the engine-room.</p>
+
+<p>"All it is worth means very fast, <i>doce nudos la hora</i>", said Felipe,
+as he entered his apartment.</p>
+
+<p>"Not always," replied Louis, laughing; "but that will do for the
+present."</p>
+
+<p>"I think I have got the hang of the thing now," said Captain Scott,
+as Louis and Felix returned to the forecastle. "If we don't wax that
+fellow, I will quit guessing and go to New England to learn how."</p>
+
+<p>"On board of the Guardian-Mother inferiors are not allowed to ask
+questions in the line of duty. I don't know how you are going to
+manage this business, Captain Scott, and I am unable to guess whether
+you will wax him or not."</p>
+
+<p>"I will tell you all about it in due time; but I am busy just now, and
+you must excuse me," replied Scott, who had before taken the wheel
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was satisfied, and kept a sharp lookout for the steamer astern.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">EUCHRING THE GRAND MOGUL</p>
+
+
+<p>Felipe Garcia, as the engineer of the Maud, had now a tremendous
+stimulant in the discharge of his duty, and Louis was only afraid
+he would overdo it. When the boat seemed to be in danger of shaking
+herself to pieces under the pressure applied to her, he went to the
+engine-room to inspect the steam-gage.</p>
+
+<p>"No danger," said Felipe confidently; and the visitor could find none
+in the gage.</p>
+
+<p>He cautioned the engineer to be very careful, assuring him that it
+would be worse to be scalded to death with the steam than to be
+captured by the Pacha. Felipe shook his head, and seemed to have some
+doubts about the truth of the proposition. Louis went back to the
+pilot-house. He informed the captain that the engineer was driving the
+engine "for all it was worth."</p>
+
+<p>"I have been running for that tower on Point Malabata," said the
+captain, as Louis placed himself at the window.</p>
+
+<p>"You are going very close to the shore, and you can see for yourself
+that the tide is getting low," said Louis, after he had taken an
+observation ahead.</p>
+
+<p>"So much the better," added Scott. "I suppose the soundings on this
+chart are given at mean low water, as on all the others I have used."</p>
+
+<p>"Low water would be very mean if we should get aground here," suggested
+Louis, who could not help being a little nervous about the boiler and
+about the close proximity of the shore.</p>
+
+<p>"We shall not get aground, for I have my eyes wide open, Louis, and I
+know what I am about as well as I do when I take my grub on an empty
+stomach. Don't you be alarmed, my boy, and that non-eater of pork will
+go back to Tangier beaten out of his boots, or rather his Morocco
+slippers, for he don't wear boots."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope you will be a true prophet in this instance, Captain Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"A truer one than Mohammed ever was in spite of his reputation in
+Tangier and Mogadore as such."</p>
+
+<p>"But you are really running her on the shore, Scott!" exclaimed Louis;
+and it looked to him as though the Maud was actually going over the
+point ahead.</p>
+
+<p>"Not a bit of it, my hearty," replied the captain, who appeared to be
+in most excellent spirits in spite of the peril that menaced the little
+Maud.</p>
+
+<p>He was in some such a mood as a gambler in an exciting game, or a
+number at base-ball, who are working for victory. Scott was the
+principal player in the present stirring game; and he was not only
+playing for victory, but to save himself and the engineer from the
+clutches of the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"It looks as though we should be high and dry on the shore in five
+minutes more," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You are looking at the point around a corner, Louis. The flag-pole on
+the stem is your range. Just oblige me by stepping over to the other
+window, and take an observation from that position," said the captain,
+as confident as ever.</p>
+
+<p>"That makes it look different," added Louis, after he had complied with
+the captain's request. "But you are running exceedingly close to the
+shore, any way."</p>
+
+<p>"That is just what I mean to do," protested the captain warmly. "Now
+will you just keep watch of the Fatimé, if you please, for we have come
+to an exciting point in the game."</p>
+
+<p>"A very exciting point, I should say; but with me the point is whether
+or not you are going to run the Maud on shore," replied Louis, as he
+changed his position for one at the rail, where he could obtain a full
+view of the chaser. "I beg to remind you, Captain Scott, that if we get
+aground, as I am afraid we shall, the Pacha can send off his boats with
+an overwhelming force, and make prisoners of the whole of the Maud's
+ship's company."</p>
+
+<p>"I am well aware of it without any prompting," added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"You will excuse me, Captain Scott, for saying as much as I have, for
+I know that it isn't regular or proper to criticise the commanding
+officer; but I am really nervous about this business," Louis explained.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't mention it, my dear fellow!" exclaimed Scott heartily. "We are
+only playing ship's company and navigation, and we are not strained up
+as they are on board a man-of-war. In fact, I have rather enjoyed your
+uneasiness, and I am not the least bit hurt or offended at anything you
+have said."</p>
+
+<p>"I will try to do better."</p>
+
+<p>"No need of it."</p>
+
+<p>The young millionaire was watching the Pacha's steamer with all his
+eyes, and though he had only two of them, he was working them very
+hard. Felix and Morris had gone aft to the standing-room, where they
+had seated themselves on the plush cushions, and were observing the
+approach of the Fatimé, though she did not appear to have gained a
+foot on the chase. They did not see Malabata Point ahead, and had not
+worried over the matter which had exercised the patience and the nerves
+of Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"The steamer astern is changing her course!" almost shouted the lookout
+on the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>"All right!" exclaimed Captain Scott. "That is just what I expected her
+to do, and it means victory for the Maud. This is a part of my little
+game."</p>
+
+<p>"She is headed almost to the north now," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so," returned the captain at the wheel, who seemed to be as
+cool now as a frozen cucumber. "Now come up to the window where I can
+hear you think, and I will explain my plan from the beginning."</p>
+
+<p>At this moment Morris and Felix rushed forward to announce the change
+in the course of the Fatimé; but they were too late, and the captain
+sent them back.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott proceeded to explain his plan. Near the shore the water
+was shallow on the coast of Africa, as it is on most others when not
+more than a cable's length distant from the dry land. The Almirante
+Rocks are off the point; and though there was depth enough for the
+Maud, yet the pilot of the Fatimé would not risk his vessel on them.
+Three miles beyond the rocks was the Cana Coja Reef, extending about
+two miles, and reaching about the same distance out from the land.</p>
+
+<p>"How deep is the water off here?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"In some places it is only from three to twelve feet deep," replied
+Scott, who had kept his eyes fixed on the chart half the time.</p>
+
+<p>"Three feet!" exclaimed the deck-hand. "The Maud would certainly stick
+her keel into that bottom."</p>
+
+<p>"But I don't intend to put her through any such water as that,"
+protested the captain. "Just where we are the depth is not more than a
+fathom and a half a cable's length from the shore; but we shall keep
+outside of that place."</p>
+
+<p>"A cable's length seems to me to be a rather indefinite measure,"
+suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all; it is as definite as a two-foot rule. It is just the tenth
+of a mile, for it takes ten of them to make a mile."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not know that it had a particular extent, but supposed it was
+used in a sort of general way, like a great many other expressions of
+sailors."</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all; but I think it would be well for Morris to heave the lead
+in this locality, though I am confident we shall go through all right,"
+added Captain Scott. "You may pass the word for him to do so."</p>
+
+<p>Louis delivered the order to the pilot in the standing-room, and he
+went forward to attend to the duty assigned to him, and this time they
+had a hand-lead for such occasions as the present. On his way back the
+messenger stopped at the engine-room, and had some talk with Felipe,
+who was still driving the machine at its best. Louis had a purpose in
+doing so, for he desired to obtain some information from the engineer
+in regard to the speed of the Fatimé.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know <i>precisamente</i>," replied the engineer, mixing his English
+and Spanish. "I was at Mogadore when come the Fatimé from England. I
+hear the Pacha; he say the <i>vapor</i> was not quick enough; he must go
+more than twelve miles in one hour. He say this to Señor Tomlin: he
+was the engineer; he come from England. He say he was best for <i>once y
+medio nudos la hora</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"She was good for eleven and a half knots an hour," repeated Louis,
+translating the substance of the reply.</p>
+
+<p>"He made twelve <i>nudos</i> some time," added Felipe.</p>
+
+<p>"All right; that will do," said Louis, encouraged by this information,
+as he hastened forward to communicate it to the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"She is not making more than eleven knots now, if she is doing as much
+as that," replied Scott when he had heard what the deck-hand had to
+say. "But she has not got a full head of steam yet. We shall come out
+off Point Al Boassa more than a mile ahead of her."</p>
+
+<p>The Maud was making a nearly straight course of three miles while the
+Fatimé was going a mile and a half outside of the rocks and reefs. The
+former was making the best speed possible for her, and Scott was sure
+it was not less than twelve knots; but she was forced to her utmost to
+accomplish this result.</p>
+
+<p>The run from one point to the other was three and a half miles; and it
+has taken longer to tell about it than it did to do it. The Maud was
+approaching the second headland, where the race must terminate, unless
+the captain decided to follow the coast to the south-east, in order to
+keep in shoal water where the chaser could not follow her.</p>
+
+<p>"Mark under water two!" shouted Morris with energy, for he was still
+heaving the lead on the starboard side.</p>
+
+<p>"All right; that is just as it should be," said the captain, as he put
+the helm a little to starboard. "That is the shoalest place within half
+a mile of the shore."</p>
+
+<p>"We are all right in two fathoms," replied Louis. "The report was 'mark
+under water,' which gives more than that."</p>
+
+<p>"I want some leeway under the keel, for whatever you may think of me,
+I am a prudent fellow," laughed Scott. "Now we have to decide on our
+future course. If I follow the shore and keep in shallow water, it
+will take us a long way out of our course, for it trends to the south,
+forming the arc of a considerable circle."</p>
+
+<p>"We don't want to go out of our way if we can help it," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"This is Point Al Boassa broad on the starboard bow, about a mile
+distant," continued Scott, pointing to it.</p>
+
+<p>"That sounds like a Moorish name."</p>
+
+<p>"It is the name on the chart; and that is all I know or care about it.
+Now, it is just ten miles across the Strait to Tarifa."</p>
+
+<p>"Not more than that?"</p>
+
+<p>"Exactly that; but it is fifteen miles more to the New Mole in
+Gibraltar. The question to be decided within the next five minutes is
+whether we shall follow the shore to the south-east, or stick it across
+to Tarifa."</p>
+
+<p>"How much the lead of the Fatimé have we?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"We shall come out a mile and a half ahead of her; but she is going to
+develop more speed very soon."</p>
+
+<p>"I am decidedly in favor of making the course for Tarifa," replied
+Louis. "I don't believe she can overhaul us before we get across, if
+ever."</p>
+
+<p>"Just my idea; across it is," responded Scott. "But we are not quite
+up with the point yet. If the Pacha's steamer comes too close to us,
+we can run into the shoal water on the other side. We shall euchre the
+Grand Mogul yet."</p>
+
+<p>Louis did not feel as nervous as before.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">CONSTERNATION ON BOARD THE SHIP</p>
+
+
+<p>The Maud had certainly developed a rather remarkable speed for a boat
+of her size; but she had been built on the Clyde for the Pacha, and
+twelve knots had been stipulated as the speed she was required to
+make in the contract. Felipe had explained as well as he could that
+something had been the matter with the machinery even before he left
+the service of the distinguished Moor.</p>
+
+<p>Neither he nor the engineer of the Fatimé could ascertain what it was;
+but that morning, when he made a thorough overhauling of the machine,
+after his appointment as her engineer, he had discovered a bolt which
+had dropped into a place where it impeded the movement of the piston.
+He had removed it, and the result had been seen during the afternoon.
+But for this discovery the Grand Mogul, as all of them were in the
+habit of calling him in a sort of mild derision, might have bagged his
+game.</p>
+
+<p>"Here we are, exactly off the point, Louis. What time is it now?"</p>
+
+<p>"Thirty-seven minutes past four," answered the deck-hand. "We were off
+Point Malabata at precisely four: twenty."</p>
+
+<p>"And the distance is three and a half miles," added Scott. "You may
+take the wheel now, Louis, and I will figure up the speed of the Maud."</p>
+
+<p>"Give me the course, if you please, Captain," said Louis, as he took
+the spokes.</p>
+
+<p>"North-east and a quarter north," replied Scott, who had evidently
+taken it from the chart before; and for the want of a parallel rule he
+was compelled to resort to expedients in order to find it.</p>
+
+<p>"North-east and a quarter north," repeated Louis; and he watched the
+compass till he had the steamer on the course indicated.</p>
+
+<p>Possibly some non-nautical readers would like to know how the skilful
+commander of the Maud had taken from the chart the course he had given
+out. A parallel rule is used in obtaining it. This is two rules, each
+an inch or less in width, with a brass piece connecting them, with pins
+at each end of it having play enough to permit the two wooden parts
+to be spread out. When the parallel rules are together, the brass bar
+joining them lies at a sharp angle with their length, so that one of
+the parts may be moved out from the other till the brass bar is at
+right angles with the length.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott laid the outer edge of the right-hand rule on the course
+he had marked on the chart with a pencil, from Point Al Boassa to
+Tarifa. On the chart before him was a diagram of the compass. It was
+divided into four quarters by two heavy black lines. The one within two
+points of perpendicular had an arrow at the upper end, which pointed
+to the magnetic north, though on some American charts the true north
+is indicated. On this diagram the thirty-two points of the compass are
+marked; the heavy black line across the figure showed the east and the
+west.</p>
+
+<p>Putting one or more fingers on the right-hand rule, the navigator of
+the Maud held it fast in the position in which he had placed it. With
+the left hand he moved the other rule out as far as he could, which
+left an opening two and a half inches wide, more or less, between the
+two parts of the implement. Holding the left-hand rule fast to the
+paper, he moved the right up to it. Then the whole rule had been moved
+over two inches. He repeated these movements till he had brought the
+edge of the ruler on the centre of the compass diagram. If this edge
+had rested on the north-east and south-west marks, the course would
+be either one or the other of these two. The navigator knows that his
+general course is to the northward, and he has accurately obtained the
+direction in which he is to sail.</p>
+
+<p>But Scott found that the edge of his rule came a little to the left of
+the heavy mark for north-east, and the same to the right of south-west.
+He had to estimate that it was a quarter of a point beyond the line.
+The points on some compasses are divided into halves and quarters, so
+that the helmsman has no difficulty in keeping the point he is to steer
+on the notch.</p>
+
+<p>Louis moved the wheel till he brought the line of north-east a quarter
+north on the notch, which is made in the immovable part of the
+compass. The pilot-house of the Maud was small, but it was large enough
+to contain a sofa, or divan, across the back; and here the captain
+seated himself to figure up the present speed of the steamer. Three and
+one-half miles in seventeen minutes was an easy problem to solve.</p>
+
+<p>"Twelve and two-tenths knots an hour!" he shouted in his delight at the
+result, which he had obtained in three repetitions of the calculations;
+and this time he was sure there was no mistake, for it was dead low
+tide, and there were no allowances to be made.</p>
+
+<p>"Then we are certainly all right, and we shall not fall into the
+clutches of the Grand Mogul," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I would not give two cents to the Bank of England to guarantee that he
+will not overhaul us. But he may follow us to Gib," suggested Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"If he does, Captain Ringgold will have the settling of the matter."</p>
+
+<p>Both of them proceeded to wonder what the commander of the
+Guardian-Mother would do; but while they were so engaged, Felipe was
+driving the engine "for all it was worth." The captain kept a sort
+of log on his paper, and he had noted the time of the departure from
+the last point on the African coast, which was four: thirty-seven. It
+was five: twenty-seven when the Maud was within hail of the Tarifa
+lighthouse.</p>
+
+<p>"Ten miles in fifty minutes!" exclaimed Captain Scott, still working
+his mathematics. "That's twelve knots an hour, but the two-tenths are
+missing, though the inward current ought to have been in our favor;
+but two-tenths of a knot is only two cable lengths, and that is near
+enough."</p>
+
+<p>"I should say that it was," answered Louis. "She has been driven to
+make that; and I suppose her ordinary speed when not forced is about
+ten, which is good enough. But where is the Grand Mogul?"</p>
+
+<p>"There she is, about a mile and a half astern of us," replied Scott, as
+he went to the door. "She has not gained an inch on us, and I have come
+to the deliberate conclusion that the Fatimé's speed is about twelve
+knots an hour when she is doing her best. But neither the Pacha nor his
+pilot has been smart."</p>
+
+<p>"As smart as the speed of his craft will permit," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"No, he is not; but if I had been in command of that hooker, I should
+have been nearer the Maud than she is now."</p>
+
+<p>"You evidently have a pretty good opinion of Captain Scott, and when
+you tell the coon up the tree to come down, you expect him to do so,"
+laughed Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Brag is a good dog, but that is not my name. Of course that Mohammedan
+reprobate knows that we are bound to Gib; but he has followed us just
+as though he expected us to fetch up at Tarifa. He has not even changed
+his course yet."</p>
+
+<p>"He will be smart enough to do it very soon. What would you have done,
+Captain Scott, if you had been the commander of the Fatimé?" asked
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Instead of doing as he has done, I should have headed her directly for
+Europa Point, and gained all the distance we are ahead of her."</p>
+
+<p>"But you would have done the same thing as soon as she changed her
+course."</p>
+
+<p>"That is true; but it is none of his bread and butter. We have no
+occasion to run into shoaler water now, and you may make the course
+east. Here, Flix, it is time for you to take your trick at the wheel,"
+called Captain Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll be moighty glad to do ut!" exclaimed the Milesian. "But Oi'm
+willin' to aise up on my share of the foon for the benefut of the
+poilot and the odther dechk-hahnd."</p>
+
+<p>"Take your turn, Flix, and head her east till you come to the Moro
+Rock," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Is ut the Moro Rochk? Faix, I don't know ut be soight; Oi've niver
+been introjuiced," said Felix, as he took the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"It is the first point you come to, about eight miles ahead."</p>
+
+<p>Felix knew it when he came to it, and the course was then a point
+more to the north. The Fatimé did not change her direction till she
+was within a mile of the Tarifa lighthouse, and the ship's company of
+the Maud had imbibed a certain contempt for her, handsome as she was.
+Carnero Point was passed, and Felix was directed to run directly for
+the light on the New Mole, which was illuminated though it was not yet
+dark.</p>
+
+<p>Louis had his watch in hand when the Maud ran alongside of the
+Guardian-Mother, and it was quarter of seven.</p>
+
+<p>"You have made good time!" called Captain Ringgold. "What steamer is
+that coming over from Carnero Point?"</p>
+
+<p>"Rush on board of the ship, and tell the captain all about it, Louis!"
+cried Scott, as soon as the Maud was abreast of the gangway.</p>
+
+<p>Louis leaped upon the steps, and hastened up to the deck, confronting
+the commander on the rail.</p>
+
+<p>"Is it possible that you have come back without an adventure?" demanded
+Captain Ringgold, as he grasped the hand of his owner.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; it is not possible," replied Louis, as they stepped down
+upon the deck. "You asked what steamer that was coming in from Carnero
+Point?"</p>
+
+<p>"I did; do you know her?" And Louis could see that the commander wore
+an anxious look on his face.</p>
+
+<p>"I do know her, for she has been chasing us for the last three hours.
+She is the Grand Mogul's steam-yacht, the Fatimé," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Chasing you? Then how in the world did you get away from her?"
+demanded the captain, with a heavy frown upon his brow.</p>
+
+<p>"We ran into shoal water and gained a mile and a half on her; but
+Captain Scott can tell you all about that better than I can. He managed
+exceedingly well, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Did I understand you to say, Louis, that the steamer approaching was
+the Fatimé?" asked Mr. Woolridge, putting his hand on the young man's
+shoulder, for he had been seated near the gangway smoking his cigar,
+and had overheard the report made to the captain.</p>
+
+<p>Louis looked at the commander, but made no reply.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry to say that it is the Fatimé," added Captain Ringgold. "But
+you need not be concerned in the least about the Pacha, for he shall
+not put his Morocco shoes on the deck of this ship, Mr. Woolridge;"
+and he spoke in such a decided tone that the father of the beautiful
+Blanche was immediately reassured.</p>
+
+<p>In a few minutes, and before the Grand Mogul's steamer had reached her
+anchorage, it was known that Ali-Noury Pacha had arrived; for some of
+them recognized the vessel, and Mr. Woolridge and the captain could not
+deny her identity when the question was put to them. Mrs. Woolridge was
+much disturbed, and Dr. Hawkes took charge of her. With the commander's
+assurance that the Pacha should not come on board of the ship, he
+succeeded in quieting her.</p>
+
+<p>"Come on board, all of you," called Captain Ringgold to those still on
+board of the Maud; and they promptly obeyed, Scott declaring that there
+was to be "music" very soon.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Boulong," continued the commander a little later.</p>
+
+<p>"On deck, Captain," reported that officer, touching his cap.</p>
+
+<p>"That Mohammedan humbug will probably attempt to get on board of the
+Guardian-Mother; and he is to be prevented from doing so even if you
+have to fling him overboard," said Captain Ringgold in his firmest
+and most severe tones, and with his two fists clinched. "The Maud is
+abreast of the gangway, and he will doubtless board her first. Don't
+let him or any of his people on board of her. Take eight men with you,
+and station them along the port rail.</p>
+
+<p>"He shall not board her, sir," replied the first officer, as decidedly
+as his superior had spoken; and in five minutes more he and his men
+were on the deck of the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Gaskette, the second officer, was directed to patrol the starboard
+side of the ship, and permit no one to come on board from that side.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">A FUGITIVE FROM THE ENEMY</p>
+
+
+<p>The Fatimé came to anchor just inside of the New Mole, not more than
+three cable lengths distant from the Guardian-Mother. When Louis first
+saw her off the castle at Tangier, he concluded that the Pacha had
+business at that port. When seen three months before, he declared that
+he held no official position under the government; but this might have
+been, even while he was one of the most influential men of his country.</p>
+
+<p>If His Highness had business on the Mediterranean, especially at
+Tangier, which was a Moroccan port, it could not have been very
+pressing, or he would not have been at liberty to follow the Maud. Now
+he seemed to have a roving commission to go where and when he pleased.
+As the voyagers had learned at Funchal, he was a lawless character; and
+this information had been fully confirmed by Felipe, who had observed
+his outgoings and his incomings as engineer of the little steamer.</p>
+
+<p>After Mr. Boulong had taken possession of the Maud and his men had
+been stationed on board of her, Felipe, who had been obliged to remain
+in charge of the engine when the rest of the ship's company left,
+was in a very disturbed state of mind. From the starboard door of his
+apartment he had seen the Fatimé when she rounded the end of the New
+Mole and came to anchor. He was absolutely terrified at the sight of
+her, for he knew that the Pacha was on board. But he had not been told
+that the distinguished Moor claimed to own the Maud, and had recognized
+Scott on board of her, for Louis thought this information would
+needlessly alarm him.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold descended the gangway steps and went into the cabin
+of the Maud, in order that he might be close at hand to direct any
+movement that might become necessary. The commander had hardly seated
+himself before Felipe, who had seen him when he came on board,
+presented himself before him.</p>
+
+<p>"He take me!" exclaimed the young Spaniard, pointing in the direction
+of the anchorage of the Pacha's steamer; and his limbs actually shook
+with terror.</p>
+
+<p>"No, he will not take you, Felipe; he will not take anybody," replied
+the captain in a mild tone.</p>
+
+<p>"I run away with the Salihé, and he have the law," added the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"He may cause you to be arrested; but if he does, I will see that you
+are properly defended," replied the commander, who realized that the
+young man was technically guilty of stealing the little steamer, though
+she had been returned to the owner.</p>
+
+<p>"No matter if you did run away with the Salihé; the Pacha abused you,
+and you were justified in leaving him in any way you could. My feet
+would not keep still if my body was abused," said Captain Ringgold,
+though he realized that the case presented some difficulties.</p>
+
+<p>Felipe did not understand the speaker, for his language was above the
+comprehension of the Spaniard. The first sentence he had uttered, that
+the engineer should not be taken, was plain enough to him, and that
+was really all he had been able to make out; but he was satisfied with
+this, and thanked the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Have you drawn the fires, Felipe?" asked the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Not yet," replied the engineer, who was better posted on the
+technicalities of the machinery than in ordinary matters. "I was to
+draw the fires when I see you come down."</p>
+
+<p>"Bank them, and keep the steam up."</p>
+
+<p>This was also understood, and the engineer hastened back to the
+machine, willing to leave his case with the commander, who, he thought,
+was a bigger man than Ali-Noury Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"Shore boat alongside, sir, containing a half-drowned Turk," reported
+Mr. Boulong at the cabin door.</p>
+
+<p>"A Turk!" exclaimed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps I should have said a Moor; but he looks more like a
+turkey-buzzard just now," the first officer explained. "I rather think
+he comes from the Pacha's steamer. He wants to come on board."</p>
+
+<p>"I will go out and look at him," replied the captain, as he followed
+Mr. Boulong out of the cabin and to the gangway of the Maud, which was
+on the quarter. "We have no interpreter if the fellow is a Moor."</p>
+
+<p>"None is needed, for the man speaks English as well as I do," replied
+the officer. "He wears the uniform of a Moor; but I don't believe he is
+one."</p>
+
+<p>The man in the shore boat stood up in the stern-sheets. He wore the
+Moorish costume; but his garments were soaked with water, and hung
+to him like a Monday morning wash on the clothes-line. His clothes
+certainly needed washing, for they were be-grimed with oil and coal
+dust. He was not regarded as dangerous, and he was permitted to come on
+deck.</p>
+
+<p>"I run away from the Fatimé," said he without waiting to be questioned
+and in good enough English.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you a Moor?" inquired the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; I am an Englishman. I shipped as an oiler when that steamer
+was there; but I was abused, kicked, and beaten by the engineer, who is
+an Englishman like myself, because I criticised some of the proceedings
+of the Pacha, who is the worst heathen I ever met."</p>
+
+<p>"We know something about him," added Captain Ringgold encouragingly.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Tomlin told me I did not mind my own business when he kicked me
+and blacked one of my eyes with his fist," added the fugitive. "I will
+drown myself before I will go back to the Fatimé. If I go on shore the
+Pacha will have me arrested, for he spends a great deal of money here,
+and the people will do anything he wants done."</p>
+
+<p>The commander evidently pitied the poor fellow, whose "feet could not
+keep still when his body was abused," and he had used them in swimming
+away from the Pacha's steamer. The boatman said he had picked him up
+some distance from the Fatimé, and he wanted his fee. The fugitive drew
+a purse from his pocket, and gave the boatman half a sovereign on his
+promise not to tell any one that he had picked him up.</p>
+
+<p>"That is a big fee, when a shilling would have paid you well,"
+interposed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"But I gave him ten shilling to hold his tongue," said the runaway
+oiler.</p>
+
+<p>"All right, if the boatman keeps his promise; and if he don't keep it,
+I will have him keel-hauled," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>The boatman protested that he would not whisper a sound to any one,
+and he was permitted to depart. Captain Ringgold seemed to be somewhat
+perplexed, for he bit his lip, and his forehead wrinkled as though he
+was doing some heavy thinking. Doubtless he was considering whether or
+not he was doing right in harboring the fugitive from the Mohammedan
+craft; but the man had been abused, and had not been able to procure
+his discharge from the vessel, or he would not have jumped overboard
+and swam away from her.</p>
+
+<p>The commander believed the man was honest, and his narrative was
+consistent in itself. He was an expert in the reading of character.
+He asked some further questions, and learned that his name was John
+Donald. He had been fourth engineer of the Spanish steamer Guadiana,
+which had been wrecked in the West Indies. He was tempted to take a
+position as oiler in the Fatimé by the high wages offered him; but he
+had been cheated out of half that was due him by the engineer, whom he
+called a brute and a villain, though he was his own countryman.</p>
+
+<p>"Pass the word for Mr. Belgrave; invite him to come on board of the
+Maud, Mr. Boulong," said the commander when he had decided what to do.</p>
+
+<p>One of the men was sent on board the ship for him, and while he was
+absent the captain went to the engine-room. Louis presently came on
+board and found the captain trying to understand what the engineer was
+saying to him.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't get ahead much in talking with Felipe," said he with a laugh.
+"His English and my Spanish are about on a par. I want to know what
+there is under the forecastle of the Maud, for I have never looked the
+boat over very closely."</p>
+
+<p>"I can tell you that, sir, without any help from Felipe," replied
+Louis. "It has a forecastle below deck as well as above. It is a very
+cunning little apartment, in which there are two berths."</p>
+
+<p>"I live in there when I was in Mogadore," interposed the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"Take off the hatch-cover, Felipe;" and the captain and owner followed
+him to the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>The scuttle was removed, and a sort of step-ladder appeared leading
+down to the little room. It was dimly lighted by bulls' eyes of glass
+in the deck; but with the scuttle taken off one could see to read
+there.</p>
+
+<p>"Send Donald, the turkey-buzzard, down here, Mr. Boulong," called the
+captain; and in a few moments the fugitive descended the steps.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think you could manage to live in such a place as this,
+Donald?" asked the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well indeed, sir; I ask for nothing better than this," replied
+Donald.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you may remain here for the present; but if anybody comes on
+board from the Fatimé, I shall have the hatch put on, and you can hook
+it down from below. I think the place is ventilated on either side
+through the bulkhead."</p>
+
+<p>"There is a door on the port side which leads aft to the fire-room,"
+added Louis, who had fully explored the interior of the vessel.</p>
+
+<p>The commander led the way to the deck, where he ordered a bucket of
+water, soap, and towels to be sent to the fugitive. Donald was a young
+man, not more than twenty-five years old, but about the size of Louis
+and Scott, both of whom had "got their growth." When Captain Ringgold
+spoke of clothes for the new man, Louis went on board the ship, and
+brought back the suit he had worn when he was first taken on board the
+Guardian-Mother from the sand-spit on the shore of New Jersey. It was
+a comfortable every-day suit, and he presented it to Donald, with a
+shirt, collar, and tie.</p>
+
+<p>The oiler was deeply grateful to him for the gift, and he was left
+alone to make his toilet. He had hardly returned to the deck before Mr.
+Boulong announced that a boat was putting off from the Pacha's steamer.
+The commander had retired to the cabin, and Louis joined him there.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you want me out of the way, do you not, Captain Ringgold?"
+asked he, as he presented himself.</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all, Sir Louis," promptly replied the commander. "I may want
+some orders from you; for, as you can see for yourself, the situation
+has been wholly changed by the appearance of the steamer of that
+Mohammedan humbug. I don't care a rap for his religion if he were only
+a decent fellow; but his record at Funchal is very bad indeed, and I
+will have nothing to do with him."</p>
+
+<p>"Mrs. Woolridge is worrying herself half to death since the Fatimé let
+go her anchor over there," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"She will be more disturbed than ever when she sees that boat
+approaching," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"The Pacha himself is in the boat," reported Mr. Boulong at the open
+door.</p>
+
+<p>"All right; only observe the orders I gave you. Tell his Serene
+Highness that I decline to receive him," replied the commander. "You
+may go on the promenade deck, where you can see all that passes and
+hear what is said, Louis; but don't interfere. And see that the hatch
+over the forecastle is put on."</p>
+
+<p>Louis was glad enough to avail himself of this permission, and
+hastened forward, taking a lantern from the engine-room as he did so.
+He found the fore scuttle still open, and he carried the lantern down.
+He lighted the lamp, and then told Donald to hook down the hatch, for
+the Pacha's boat was coming. From the deck he proceeded up the ladder
+near the pilot-house to the upper deck, and seated himself where he
+could see the gangway.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">A STORMY INTERVIEW WITH ALI-NOURY PACHA</p>
+
+
+<p>The boat of the Pacha was an elegant barge pulled by eight oarsmen,
+all dressed in Oriental costume. His Highness sat in the stern-sheets
+on velvet cushions. As the Maud lay alongside the Guardian-Mother's
+gangway, the coxswain, whose place was abaft the back-board, steered
+directly for the little steamer. Her gangway was nothing but half a
+dozen steps, hooked upon the rail, and could be shifted to any part of
+the vessel. The barge ran alongside, and the bowman fastened to it with
+a boat-hook.</p>
+
+<p>"No one allowed on board," said Mr. Boulong, who had stationed himself
+at the gangway with four stout seamen near him.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish to go on board of the steamer at your side, the
+Guardian-Mother," said the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"No one is allowed on board of her, sir," answered the first officer.</p>
+
+<p>"But I wish to see her commander," persisted Ali-Noury.</p>
+
+<p>"He declines to receive you, sir," added Mr. Boulong.</p>
+
+<p>"Declines to receive me!" exclaimed the Pacha. "This is an insult!"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know what it is; but I obey my orders, sir," returned the
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"But I must see him!" protested the owner of the Fatimé, as he laid his
+hand upon the steps, as though he intended to ascend them to the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"Knott and Williams," called Mr. Boulong; and the two men presented
+themselves on the instant.</p>
+
+<p>"Haul in the gangway!" said the officer sharply.</p>
+
+<p>The Pacha held on at the steps; but the men, who were good seamen,
+obeyed their orders to the letter, and in a moment more His Highness
+was hanging to them over the deep water.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus6.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">The Pacha held on at the steps.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>"Shake him off!" said Mr. Boulong in a low tone.</p>
+
+<p>The seamen continued to haul in the gangway, shaking it vigorously as
+they did so. Knott had an idea of his own; and when they had drawn the
+steps nearly up, he let them slide back with a jerk, Pacha and all,
+till the Moor was wrenched from his hold, and thrown back into the
+barge, all in a heap, in the stern-sheets.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well done, Knott!" exclaimed the first officer.</p>
+
+<p>The coxswain of the boat hastened to pick up his master, and place him
+on the cushioned seat. Of course he was as wrathy as a respectable
+Mohammedan could be, to say nothing of such a one as Noury was.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you mean, you rascal?" demanded His Highness, glowering at the
+first officer as though he would subject him to the bowstring if he
+could get hold of him. "Do you intend to drown me?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not, sir; but if you attempt to come on board of this steamer,
+you, and not I, will be responsible for the consequences," replied Mr.
+Boulong.</p>
+
+<p>"But I told you I wished to see the commander of the Guardian-Mother,"
+stormed the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"And I told you that he declined to receive you."</p>
+
+<p>"May I ask why he declines to receive me?" demanded Noury.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the commander's business, and not mine."</p>
+
+<p>"But I must and will see him!" His Highness persisted.</p>
+
+<p>"I can only say, sir, that if you succeed in getting on the deck of
+this steamer, it will be my duty to have you thrown overboard, or into
+your barge, as the case may be," answered Mr. Boulong.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold had placed himself on his knees on the divan, with his
+head at the after window of the cabin. He realized that Noury was in
+earnest, and he considered it rather mean to require the first officer
+to fight his battle for him. He came out of the cabin, and placed
+himself at the side of Mr. Boulong.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-evening, Captain Ringgold," said the Pacha as soon as he saw him.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-evening, sir," replied the commander coldly. "If you have any
+business with me, I will hear it from where you are."</p>
+
+<p>"I desire to go on board of the Guardian-Mother;" and Noury seemed to
+have an excellent memory, for he remembered all the names.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot permit you to do so. I decline to receive you on board of my
+ship, or anywhere else," replied the captain firmly.</p>
+
+<p>"That is an insult, sir!" protested the Moor.</p>
+
+<p>"It is not intended as such, but is simply the plain statement of my
+position in regard to you."</p>
+
+<p>"What is your position?" demanded the Pacha furiously.</p>
+
+<p>"Simply that I decline to associate with you, and the ladies and
+gentlemen on board of the Guardian-Mother occupy the same position. In
+other words, they refuse to associate with you, or to receive you."</p>
+
+<p>"This is very extraordinary!" gasped the Moor.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not so regard it."</p>
+
+<p>"Does the young lady, Miss Blanche, refuse to see me?" asked the Pacha
+in a more moderate tone.</p>
+
+<p>"Most decidedly; and her mother declines to permit her to see you."</p>
+
+<p>"It is very strange," said Noury with a savage frown on his handsome
+face. "I thought the young lady was pleased with me."</p>
+
+<p>"You were never more mistaken in your life."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you inform me why you refuse to receive me, Captain Ringgold?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not wish to offend Your Highness; but I must speak the truth if I
+speak at all."</p>
+
+<p>"Speak out, by all means, Captain."</p>
+
+<p>"As you insist, I will do so. Your reputation among the respectable
+people of Funchal, where you go occasionally in your steamer, is so
+bad, so black, that I should not be justified in introducing you to any
+true lady," replied the commander boldly and resolutely, hoping this
+plain statement would put an end to the attempts of the Moor to force
+himself into the presence of his cabin party.</p>
+
+<p>"This is an unmitigated insult, and I hold you responsible for it,
+Captain Ringgold!" roared the Pacha, loud enough to be heard on board
+of the Guardian-Mother. "A friend of mine will wait upon you to-morrow,
+sir!"</p>
+
+<p>"In advance I decline to receive either you or any friend of yours. I
+think it is time to terminate this interview."</p>
+
+<p>"You are a coward, sir!"</p>
+
+<p>"I have nothing more to say."</p>
+
+<p>"But I have. You have interfered with my affairs. You have on board of
+your steamer a young fellow who ran away from my service," continued
+Noury more calmly as he came down to business. "His name is Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"Scott is my apprentice, bound to me by his father in writing: and when
+he was seen in Funchal, he was taken and brought back."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well; let that pass. This little steamer was stolen from me by
+the engineer I employed."</p>
+
+<p>"But she was restored to you, made fast to the Fatimé at this mole,"
+replied the captain. "You took possession of her again, and then sold
+her to a man by the name of Giles Chickworth."</p>
+
+<p>"I claim the boat as my property," the Pacha insisted.</p>
+
+<p>"You sold her to Chickworth, and I bought her of him."</p>
+
+<p>"It was not a legal sale."</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, it was; for I have the bill of sale you gave him,
+signed by you, and with your flourish," argued the commander, taking
+the paper from his pocket and unfolding it.</p>
+
+<p>He held it up so that the Moor could see his signature. He seemed to
+be confounded, and had certainly been beaten on every point he had
+attempted to make. But he was evidently far from satisfied with the
+result of the conference. He declared that he should cause the arrest
+of Scott for stealing the suit of clothes he had loaned him; and if he
+could find the young Spaniard who had stolen his steamer, he would have
+him arrested also, and have them both sent to Mogadore for trial and
+punishment.</p>
+
+<p>"You have grossly insulted me, Captain Ringgold; and you have refused
+to give me the satisfaction which one gentleman has the right to demand
+of another," stormed the Pacha, apparently as a parting shot.</p>
+
+<p>"I am not a duellist; and if I were, I do not regard you as a gentleman
+any more than do the people of Funchal, and I should not feel obliged
+to accept your challenge," replied the commander very quietly.</p>
+
+<p>"Another insult! If I find you in the streets of Gibraltar, I will
+castigate you as an infidel cur!" foamed the Moor.</p>
+
+<p>"If you assault me, I am able to defend myself, and I shall do so,"
+replied the captain as the barge shoved off.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you suppose he will arrest Scott and Felipe, Captain?" asked Louis,
+as he jumped down from the promenade deck, not a little disturbed at
+the apparent peril of his friends.</p>
+
+<p>"He can certainly cause their arrest, and make a great deal of trouble;
+but it will amount to nothing in the end, unless the law is such that
+he can extradite them, and send them into Morocco, as he threatens to
+do. I don't intend to permit him to do anything of the sort," replied
+the commander so quietly that Louis was satisfied he knew what he was
+about.</p>
+
+<p>By this time it was quite dark, and the Pacha's boat disappeared in the
+gloom. Mr. Boulong was called, and directed to have the bunkers of the
+Maud filled with coal as soon as possible. Two men were stationed on
+the little steamer as an anchor watch, with orders to allow no person
+to come on board of her. John Donald was called up from the forecastle,
+and directed to the cabin, which Knott had been ordered to light.</p>
+
+<p>Donald presented himself before the commander, and he looked like
+another person. He was clean, and the clothes of Louis fitted him
+perfectly. He had the appearance of an intelligent person, as the
+captain had before regarded him.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you speak Spanish, Donald?" asked the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I do, sir; for I have been the fourth engineer of a Spanish steamer
+where I was obliged to use it; but I studied it at home with my father,
+who talked in four languages besides his own," replied the oiler. "I
+can speak Arabic, for I expected to get a position on an Egyptian
+steamer."</p>
+
+<p>"Very good. Are you satisfied with the quarters where you dressed
+yourself?"</p>
+
+<p>"Perfectly, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you ready to go to work at once?"</p>
+
+<p>"Quite ready, sir."</p>
+
+<p>The same wages that Felipe was to receive was offered to him, and he
+was satisfied with the pay. Louis wondered what the commander was
+driving at, and what he wanted of another oiler, for he had already
+shipped one for the Guardian-Mother to take the place of the young
+Spaniard.</p>
+
+<p>"I am going on board of the ship now, Sir Louis; but I wish to see the
+whole of your ship's company, as you please to call yourselves, in half
+an hour, in this cabin," said Captain Ringgold, as he rose to leave.
+"Introduce Donald to Felipe, for they will have occasion to know each
+other before morning."</p>
+
+<p>Louis took the new employee to the engine-room, and presented him to
+the engineer in Spanish; and he left them talking the language with
+all their might. He went on board of the ship, and summoned the other
+three of the big four to the conference in the cabin of the Maud,
+assuring them that "something was up," though he did not know what. The
+captain went to the chief steward, and an hour or two later several
+boxes, baskets, and kegs were put on board of the little steamer.</p>
+
+<p>At the time appointed the commander found the big four in the cabin of
+the Maud. Felipe and Donald were sent for, and all were seated around
+the table. Captain Ringgold looked more serious than usual. Of course
+they all knew that he had had an interview, and a stormy one, with the
+Pacha, and Felipe had been trembling for his own safety all the evening.</p>
+
+<p>"The Pacha threatens to have Scott and Felipe arrested to-morrow; but
+I have decided that he shall find neither of them here," said the
+commander. "I shall send you all to sea to-night at twelve in the Maud.
+Do you think you can navigate her to Valetta, Malta, Captain Scott?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know I can, sir," replied he, delighted with the thought.</p>
+
+<p>"Compelled by circumstances to change my plans, we shall spend the rest
+of the summer cruising in the Orient," added the captain.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE STARBOARD AND PORT WATCHES OF THE MAUD</p>
+
+
+<p>An independent cruise in the Maud was to the big four the most
+delightful affair in the world, not that they considered themselves
+restricted and restrained on board of the Guardian-Mother, for they had
+all the liberty they desired. Louis was devoted to his studies, though
+he desired to obtain all the practical information he could as he went
+from port to port in foreign countries. The other three were very much
+inclined to follow his lead, whether it was to work or play, to study
+or recreate.</p>
+
+<p>The pleasure of navigating the Maud on their own responsibility was
+a novelty which they enjoyed in the highest degree, though it was
+likely to lose some of its charm in time. They had had a taste of
+this pleasure in the excursion to Tangier, and the exciting features
+connected with it had given it an additional zest.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold regarded himself as an educator, though a learned and
+skilful professor was employed for the teaching in detail. As has been
+suggested several times before, he had theories on this subject of
+which he desired to make a practical application. He wanted to develop
+the boys, and make good and useful men of them. In keeping them well
+employed he kept the old maxim in mind that the gentleman in black,
+with horns, hoofs, and a caudal appendage, "finds some work for idle
+hands to do."</p>
+
+<p>It was not hard labor, but occupation, upon which he depended to
+improve the bodies and the minds of his charge. Though he insisted that
+the boys should be modest and respectful, he did not accept the idea
+which prevails in England, France, and some other countries of Europe,
+that young people should practically be zeroes till they were of age.
+He believed that they should be developed as rapidly as their nature
+and temperament would permit. They could only obtain this freedom of
+mind by learning to depend upon themselves.</p>
+
+<p>The several adventures in which some or all of the young men had been
+engaged, especially Louis Belgrave, who had really become a man all
+at once, as it were, when his troubles with his rascally step-father
+began, had contributed to the kind of development the commander had in
+mind. The trip to Tangier had assured him that the boys were competent
+to handle the Maud skilfully and with a fair measure of science.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold was absolutely proud of his success in reforming the
+life and manners of Scott Fencelowe, and he had talked with Uncle
+Moses and Dr. Hawkes a great deal about the improvement which had been
+made in his character. He had really lived much of his time on board
+of a yacht, and had made an accomplished boatman of himself. When he
+boasted of the races he had won with the Seahound and other boats, the
+commander was incredulous; but he had no difficulty in believing all
+the stories he had told at the present time.</p>
+
+<p>On the cruise of the Maud to Tangier he had proved that he had pluck
+and skill; for he had sailed the little steamer exceedingly well, and
+shown that he possessed ingenuity of a high order, or the Pacha would
+certainly have captured the party, and thrown the two alleged culprits
+into a prison.</p>
+
+<p>The Guardian-Mother was not ready to sail from Gibraltar. She had to
+take in coal in the early morning, and attend to certain custom-house
+formalities. Ali-Noury Pacha, judging from what he had casually dropped
+in his stormy interview with the commander, had evidently expected to
+be received as a "distinguished Moor" on board of the Guardian-Mother,
+and even seemed to think he had made an impression upon the
+susceptibilities of Mr. Woolridge's lovely daughter.</p>
+
+<p>His eyes had certainly been opened by the plain speech of the captain,
+and he could not conceal the disappointment he felt. He did not seem to
+be aware that the Guardian-Mother had three times run away from him and
+his steamer; or to be able to deduce the simple truth from the hurried
+departure of the ship on these occasions. He was filled with wrath and
+the desire for revenge. The commander had "spoken out" to him only
+when it had become absolutely necessary to do so.</p>
+
+<p>He was capable of making a great deal of trouble, and he appeared
+to have influence enough to do almost anything he pleased. Captain
+Ringgold believed it would save him and the people on board the ship
+a great deal of annoyance if the two alleged culprits were out of the
+way, and he promptly decided to put them in a safe place. He had spoken
+to Uncle Moses and Mrs. Belgrave and with Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge about
+the matter, and none of them raised any objection. All of them had so
+much confidence in the wisdom and discretion of the commander that they
+were ready to follow his advice in almost everything.</p>
+
+<p>The bunkers had all been filled up with coal, water and an abundant
+supply of provisions had been put on board of the Maud, and the captain
+and the officers had thoroughly inspected the craft in her hull, as
+Mr. Shafter and Mr. Sentrick had the machinery. She was said to be in
+perfect order in every respect. She was built of the best quality of
+steel. In the little pilot-house, at the request of Captain Scott, a
+broad table had been put in which folded up over the divan.</p>
+
+<p>He had been supplied with an extra compass, though there were two
+on board, a sextant, a parallel ruler, dividers, and all the small
+implements he required in working out the course after he had obtained
+the latitude and longitude. He had studied navigation at the high
+school where he lived, near the water, and had practised it in his
+yacht with a borrowed sextant. He was now completely equipped, and the
+pilot-house had become a sort of paradise to him.</p>
+
+<p>Louis and Morris spent the evening with their parents in the cabin;
+Scott and Felix were busy on board of the Maud. None of them thought of
+sleeping, though some of them would be on duty all night after they got
+under way. They were too much excited at the prospect before them to
+sleep.</p>
+
+<p>"We have got everything fixed all right now, Flix," said Scott, as
+they seated themselves in the cabin. "It was a big thing for Captain
+Ringgold to employ another engineer, for now we shall have no more
+bother with the machinery."</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, we have two Dons in the engine-room, and both of them talk
+Spanish. I hope they will be able to make the Maud walk Spanish."</p>
+
+<p>"Don John," as the captain of the little steamer had already called
+Donald, "seems to be a very good fellow, for I have had quite a talk
+with him in English. He speaks Arabic too."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we shall have a little gum Arabic to put in the mixture, and that
+will make us stick together all the more closely," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Very good; but we were pretty well glued together before he came.
+Flix, let us overhaul"—</p>
+
+<p>"I had an old pair of overalls I brought with me for dirty work; but I
+haven't had a bit of it to do, and gave them to Don John," interposed
+Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Let us overhaul matters a little, and see how we stand, for we shall
+all be busy after we get under way," said Captain Scott, finishing his
+sentence. "We have captains enough."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, for, like a bull in a china shop, one is quite enough. We have
+the best captain out, and the commander of the Guardian-Mother couldn't
+do the duty any better."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Flix. We have two engineers, and they will take care of
+their department without any help from the rest of us. We have one
+mate, who is also the pilot, though he will do no more steering than
+the rest of us, outside of the engine-room. That gives us two watch
+officers, for as we have no second mate, the captain will have to keep
+his own watch."</p>
+
+<p>"Why don't you make Louis the second mate? He has no office, if he is
+the biggest fellow in the crowd," suggested Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Louis does not want any office, and would not take any; he told me so
+himself."</p>
+
+<p>"He's a very modest bit of a duck."</p>
+
+<p>"Now we must divide ourselves into watches," continued the captain,
+though he did not particularly enjoy the interruptions of Felix, who
+was often struggling to bring forth a joke on such occasions as the
+present. "You know there are two watches on board ship, Flix?"</p>
+
+<p>"One on the starboard and the other on the port side," added Felix with
+a gape.</p>
+
+<p>"Nonsense! You know very well that the name has nothing to do with the
+sides of the ship!" exclaimed Captain Scott impatiently. "Now talk
+sense, and we will soon settle this business; then you can flop over
+on the divan and go to sleep. Do you know which is the captain's watch,
+Flix?"</p>
+
+<p>"To be sure I do; it's the one he commands."</p>
+
+<p>"More nonsense, though we are now engaged in serious business! Port or
+starboard?" demanded Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Port, because the red light always belongs on the port side."</p>
+
+<p>"Wrong! The mate always has the port watch. Now do you know which is
+which?"</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, you didn't tell me which was the captain's watch," replied Felix
+with a blank look. "I'll figure it out, and I may be able to tell you
+by the time we are ready to sail."</p>
+
+<p>"You are not a fool, Flix!"</p>
+
+<p>"Wait till I argue the matter with myself. The mate has the port watch,
+and the captain has the other," replied Felix, scratching his head as
+if to stimulate his ideas. "Begorra! it just shoots through my mind,
+like an electric light in a dark street when it is touched off! The
+captain's watch must be the starboard."</p>
+
+<p>"Right; but I wonder your long head hasn't exploded in working out the
+problem. When there is a second mate"—</p>
+
+<p>"That's metaphysics, for we have no second mate," protested Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"For that reason the captain has to keep his own watch, which the
+second mate would keep for him if there were one," continued the
+captain. "Just as soon as the ship gets into deep water the crew are
+divided into watches."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think the water is deep enough in here to divide the crew into
+watches?" asked Felix, still struggling to be funny.</p>
+
+<p>"It is two hundred fathoms deep in the middle of the bay, and it will
+do. Each officer chooses a man in turn."</p>
+
+<p>"It won't take long in this case, as the crew consists of only two."</p>
+
+<p>"The captain makes the first choice, and I choose you, Flix."</p>
+
+<p>"You do me very great honor, Captain Scott, and I was not before aware
+that I stood so high in your affections, and I thank you from the top
+to the bottom of my heart," replied the Milesian, taking off his cap
+and bowing low to his companion.</p>
+
+<p>"No affections about it! I only want to make the best division of the
+hands," answered Captain Scott. "Louis is older than Morris and will
+be in his watch; and the mate may need his advice and assistance, for
+he knows something about sailing a steamer. Now, according to custom,
+the captain takes the ship out, and the mate brings her home. That
+indicates that you and I have the first watch on deck; and Felipe will
+have it in the engine-room. It is ten o'clock now, and you have time
+for a two hours' snooze before we get under way."</p>
+
+<p>Felix had tried to keep awake by struggling to be funny, and he was
+ready to take the advice of the captain, who had no inclination to take
+a nap. Scott went on deck, where two seamen from the ship were keeping
+the anchor watch. Presently Captain Ringgold came down the gangway
+followed by a young seaman from the crew of the ship.</p>
+
+<p>"One thing had almost been forgotten, Captain Scott," said the
+commander. "You must eat on board of the Maud, and you have no cook and
+steward. You need good food, well prepared."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not forget it, sir, for I was thinking of it this evening,"
+replied Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"I have detailed Pitts from the crew for this duty; he has served as
+both cook and steward. Show him the galley."</p>
+
+<p>The commander returned to the Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE PACHA FINDS HE HAS CAUGHT A TARTAR</p>
+
+
+<p>About half-past eleven all the ship's company were on board of the
+Maud, and Louis was engaged in showing the cabin party of the ship
+over the little steamer. They found that Pitts had put everything in
+order in the galley, which is the kitchen, though the same name is also
+applied to the stove. He had made a fire, and washed all the dishes,
+proving that he was inclined to be neat and nice. The provisions as
+well as the water-casks had been stowed away in the run, from which a
+scuttle opened in the floor of the standing-room.</p>
+
+<p>The ladies approved the housekeeping of the cook, and were conducted to
+the engine-room, where the new hand was presented to them, for they all
+knew Felipe, and had done a great deal for him. Then they went to the
+cabin, where Felix had slept an hour, and was no longer sleepy. He had
+made up the four beds on the divans, all with sheets and pillows, for
+Mrs. Belgrave and Mrs. Woolridge had insisted that their sons should go
+to bed regularly and in due form, and not merely lie down on the sofa.</p>
+
+<p>The ladies were satisfied with the accommodations, and the surgeon
+approved the ventilation and sanitary arrangements. While the cabin
+party of the ship were inspecting the Maud, Captain Ringgold went to
+the pilot-house with Scott. The shelf the carpenter had made and put
+up that evening had been dropped into position, and part of the chart
+of the Mediterranean placed upon it. There were two of them to cover
+this sea, and each of them was four feet and a half long by three and
+a half wide; and by the advice of the captain Scott had cut each of
+them in halves, and he had recommended him to cut out the small plans
+of thirty ports and harbors so that they could be used conveniently, at
+his leisure.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Captain Scott, show me how you are going to navigate your
+steamer," said the commander, as he placed himself at the table; and
+the room was well lighted for the occasion.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall take my departure from Europa Point," replied Scott, putting
+the point of his pencil upon it. "My first run will be to Alboran
+Light, distance 130.22 nautical miles."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, indeed, Captain Scott," laughed the commander. "The coon
+evidently came down when you made your figures."</p>
+
+<p>"The course will be east by south, with 18° 40′ variation of the
+compass to the westward. From Alboran Light to a point ten miles north
+of Algiers the course will be east a quarter south, distance 344.16
+miles. That is as far as I have worked it up, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"That is far enough for the present; but if I do not overhaul you in
+the Guardian-Mother before that time, you will work around Cape Bon,
+and make for Valetta, Malta, going to the south of the island, taking a
+pilot off Marsa if you find one. You must watch the weather, and if it
+comes on to blow a heavy gale, you will make a port if necessary."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think it will be necessary, sir, for I am sure the Maud is
+a good sea-boat, and she can stand anything we are likely to get
+at this season of the year. She can take in no water except in the
+standing-room, and that will not hold enough to do us any harm. I
+should be willing to cross the Atlantic in her in the winter, so far
+as her safety is concerned, though it would not be very comfortable on
+board of her."</p>
+
+<p>"Young men are usually over-confident. I counsel you to be very
+prudent, Captain Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"I am always so in a boat, sir," protested the young navigator.</p>
+
+<p>"Louis has a level head, and I advise you to consult him in any
+emergency that may arise."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall certainly do so, Captain Ringgold, without any urging."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well; but it is time now for you to get under way," added the
+commander, as he glanced at his watch. "Good-by, and a pleasant voyage
+to you, Captain Scott;" and the captain took his hand at parting.</p>
+
+<p>Louis's mother embraced him, and Mrs. Woolridge pressed her boy to her
+heart, and there was a general shaking of hands, though the captain
+was confident, if he was not delayed in Gibraltar, that he should
+overhaul the Maud some time the next day. No whistles were blown,
+for it was desirable to get away as quietly as possible so as not to
+attract the attention of those on board of the Fatimé.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott had spoken to Louis and Morris about the division of the
+crew into watches; and both of them were entirely satisfied with the
+arrangement, as they were with everything else that had been done on
+board. In a few minutes the Maud rounded Europa Point, and the captain
+gave out the course, east by south. The starboard watch were now on
+duty, and Felix was at the wheel. All the lights on board had been
+extinguished, for it was not advisable to attract the attention of the
+watch on board of the Pacha's steamer by them.</p>
+
+<p>"We begin with the mid watch, from midnight till four in the morning,"
+said the captain on the forecastle. "You are the mate, Morris; and you
+have charge of the port watch, which consists of yourself and Louis.
+I recommend you both to turn in at once, for sailors must take their
+sleep when they can get it."</p>
+
+<p>"That will suit me exactly, for I was beginning to get sleepy as we
+came out from the Mole; but it was because I had nothing to do,"
+replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"I had Flix make up the beds in the cabin, and as you are the port
+watch, you will take the two beds on that side," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"By the way, Captain Scott, where will Pitts berth?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Stevens has put up a berth for him against the bulkhead in the
+forecastle, and he has gone to bed as comfortably as though he had been
+in his father's house."</p>
+
+<p>Louis and Morris went aft and turned in, and they were soon asleep. In
+one hour from his point of departure Captain Scott took the bearings
+of Estapona Light, and found that the Maud had made just ten miles.
+This was the rate he had instructed Felipe, who occupied the nominal
+position of chief engineer, to make. All was going on very well.</p>
+
+<p>While the Maud is pursuing her course towards the Orient it becomes
+necessary to return to the Guardian-Mother. The cabin party had watched
+the little steamer as she sailed away, and the commander was not alone
+in wondering into what adventure the big four would fall this time.
+The boys seemed to be unable to make an excursion of any kind without
+having some mishap overtake them.</p>
+
+<p>A few months before Mrs. Belgrave would not willingly have permitted
+her son to leave her under such circumstances as those in which he had
+just sailed away in the Maud; but Dr. Hawkes appeared to have cured her
+of her nervousness, and on all questions she was as reasonable as could
+be expected of any devoted mother.</p>
+
+<p>The surgeon was very attentive to her and so was Captain Ringgold.
+Probably the general improvement of her health, produced by the voyage
+under such pleasant conditions, did something to account for the cure
+of her nervous malady. She retired as soon as the little steamer could
+no longer be seen; and it was not to toss about all the night in
+wakeful tremors at the absence of Louis, but she went to sleep at once
+and did not wake till the first bell rang in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast the commander had business in the city; and, as some of
+the party wished to make a few purchases, he went to the Ragged Staff
+stairs in the barge, the entire party accompanying him. He allowed the
+visitors but two hours, for he intended to get the Guardian-Mother
+under way as soon as possible.</p>
+
+<p>In its course to the stairs the barge had to pass near the Fatimé.
+The eight oarsmen, all dressed in the neat uniform of the steamer,
+presented a rather showy appearance, and she was observed with
+attention by all who saw her. The party separated as soon as they
+landed, or divided up into smaller groups, each of which had its own
+errands.</p>
+
+<p>During the absence of the big four the afternoon before, the commander
+had made his preparations for receiving the Maud on the upper deck
+of the ship. Skids to support her had been placed where the deck was
+strengthened by the bulkheads, or partitions under it, and heavy
+eye-bolts had been screwed to the planks, each over a timber, for the
+stays to keep the craft in position.</p>
+
+<p>He had employed a ship-smith to do most of the work, though the
+carpenter's gang did the wood-work. The captain's first business was to
+pay this smith, and when he had done so he went to the principal street
+to purchase some additional charts and nautical instruments. He had
+selected these articles, and had them sent down to the barge. His next
+business was at the custom-house.</p>
+
+<p>On the way Uncle Moses joined him, for he had no taste for other
+people's shopping. They had walked but a short distance before they
+encountered the Pacha, elegantly dressed in his Oriental robes, and
+followed by four of his people. Every one in the street stopped to gaze
+at them; for His Highness was a sight even in Gibraltar, where nearly
+every nation seemed to be represented on its thoroughfares.</p>
+
+<p>After the event of the preceding evening Captain Ringgold was sorry
+to see him, though it was not in his nature to run away from any man.
+Uncle Moses always carried a cane when he walked, and he noticed that
+his companion had one, though he had never seen him use one before. The
+squire suggested that they should step into a store they were passing,
+but the commander declined to do so.</p>
+
+<p>"Sir!" exclaimed the Pacha, halting in front of the captain, who
+attempted to proceed on his way without noticing him. "Coward! You
+shall not escape me! You have insulted me, and you refuse to meet me
+like a gentleman!" added Ali-Noury, as he seized the commander by the
+throat.</p>
+
+<p>But His Highness made a mistake, and in consequence thereof the next
+instant he was rolling in the mud at the side of the driveway, to the
+serious detriment of his magnificent costume. His attendants sprang to
+his assistance, and lifted him from the mire into which he had fallen.
+As they did so both the Americans discovered that he had a cowhide
+in his hand, and it was plain that he had intended to castigate the
+captain with this implement.</p>
+
+<p>He spoke to his servants, as doubtless they were, in his own language.
+The four men rushed upon the commander and attempted to lay hold of
+him. For the moment he seemed to forget that he had a cane in his hand;
+for when one of his assailants seized him by the collar of his coat,
+he planted a tremendous blow between the two eyes of the fellow which
+knocked him over into the gutter. Another attempted to do the same
+thing and shared the fate of the first. The Pacha became furious at the
+defeat of his satellites.</p>
+
+<p>Ali-Noury spoke to the other two very fiercely, and they rushed
+together upon the captain; but Uncle Moses had by this time overcome
+his professional dignity, and dealt a smart blow with his cane over the
+head of one of the assailants, which caused him to step aside, while
+the commander upset the other with his fist.</p>
+
+<p>The usual crowd had quickly gathered, and a couple of policemen
+stepped to the front. It was not convenient for them to pick up seven
+persons at once, and the guardians of the peace waited for further
+developments. Ali-Noury had become more furious than ever when he
+witnessed the overthrow of his forces; and, beside himself in his
+wrath, he rushed forward upon Captain Ringgold.</p>
+
+<p>The policemen were alert enough; and when the commander was about to
+defend himself again as he had done before, they seized His Highness,
+a hand of each on the throat of their victim; and they were not tender
+about it. The affair brought out the fact that the reputation of the
+Pacha was as unsavory as in Funchal. The officers marched him off in
+spite of his struggles, and his troop followed him.</p>
+
+<p>Before Captain Ringgold could reach the barge he and Uncle Moses were
+invited to appear before a magistrate and give their evidence. Their
+story was confirmed by half a dozen who had seen the beginning of the
+affray, and His Highness was sentenced to pay a heavy fine.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">A FEW LESSONS IN NAVIGATION</p>
+
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold was a powerful man, fully six feet high, and weighing
+one hundred and eighty pounds, while his assailant, though nearly as
+tall, was slender in form, and not a strong man. Doubtless he was
+brave, for he held high rank in the army of Morocco, though he was
+usually absent on furlough. It was very rash and injudicious for him to
+attack the commander. He had "caught a Tartar," and he had found it out.</p>
+
+<p>The magistrate did not seem to be impressed by the title or the elegant
+costume of the Pacha, perhaps because the latter was dabbled with mud,
+and his handsome face was liberally spattered with the same unsightly
+element. The commander was lofty in his manner on such an occasion, and
+full of dignity; and he did make a decided impression on the court and
+the spectators. He said but little. He had been attacked without any
+provocation whatever, and he had defended himself.</p>
+
+<p>The Pacha had been educated at the military school of St. Cyr, and he
+imbibed his duelling propensity in Paris. He pleaded that he had been
+insulted the night before by the captain of the Guardian-Mother, who
+had refused to give him satisfaction, and he had treated him as any
+gentleman should a poltroon.</p>
+
+<p>"But it does not appear that he was a poltroon when you attacked him,
+for he overturned you and your four servants all in a heap," interposed
+the Court with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>The Pacha winced at this remark. The magistrate desired to know in
+what manner the commander had insulted him, and the whole truth came
+out. Captain Ringgold calmly stated his objections to the character of
+the Moor, and there was an attempt at applause, in which some British
+officers took part; but it was promptly checked. He stated on oath that
+the reputation of the Pacha was so bad in Funchal—</p>
+
+<p>"And in Gib," some persons interpolated.</p>
+
+<p>"—that I could not permit the ladies in my charge to associate with
+him," added the witness, who repeated all his remarks that had been
+offensive to the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>The Moorish consul promptly paid the fine of his fellow-subject, and
+they left the court-room together.</p>
+
+<p>"The fellow is a dirty blackguard!" said a military officer to the
+captain. "He has insulted ladies here; and I am very grateful to you,
+for one, for chastising him as he deserved."</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you, sir," replied the commander. "I did no more than my duty
+to those under my charge."</p>
+
+<p>He took the arm of Uncle Moses, and they walked down the street. They
+had gone but a few steps before they discovered that they were followed
+by half a dozen officers; but they reached the barge without any
+further molestation, where they found the ladies already seated in the
+stern-sheets.</p>
+
+<p>"We have kept you in sight, Captain Ringgold; and if the dirty
+brute had given you any further trouble, we were ready to throw him
+overboard," said one of the officers.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you, gentlemen; I feel able to defend myself; but I appreciate
+your kindness and sympathy as much as though you had manifested it in
+the way you have suggested," answered the captain, as he took the hand
+of the speaker.</p>
+
+<p>While they were waiting for Dr. Hawkes and Professor Giroud, the party
+were presented to the four ladies in the barge, each giving his name
+and rank. They were all struck with the beauty of Miss Blanche; and as
+they retired from the boat, the captain told them that for her sake he
+had run away from the Fatimé three times. They declared that Gib would
+soon become too hot for His Highness.</p>
+
+<p>The missing members arrived, and the boat shoved off, the military
+gentlemen raising their caps, and bowing very politely, while they
+cried "<i>Bon Voyage!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>It was noon when they reached the deck of the ship, for the affair
+with the Pacha had delayed them a full hour. The steam was up and the
+steamer immediately tripped her anchor, for it had been "hove short"
+before, and she began her voyage. In a few minutes she had rounded
+Europa Point, and the course east by south had been given to the
+quartermaster at the wheel. The Viking had sailed for Malaga the day
+before.</p>
+
+<p>"Where do you suppose the Maud is just now, Captain Ringgold?" asked
+Mrs. Belgrave, the party being seated on the officers' promenade.</p>
+
+<p>"She is just fifteen miles north-west of Alboran Light," replied the
+commander with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"I am just as wise now as I was before, and no more so!" added the
+lady. "I have not the least idea where Alboran is."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not suppose you had. It is a little island half a mile long and
+a quarter of a mile wide, belonging to Spain, inhabited only by a few
+fishermen, for there is not room for a great many of them. It is about
+half-way between Europe and Africa, and one hundred and thirty nautical
+miles from Europa Point, according to Captain Scott's figures."</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you say <i>nautical</i> miles, Captain?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, who
+had given no attention whatever to navigation.</p>
+
+<p>"Because I mean nautical miles," laughed the commander, who was always
+delighted when he could get into a close conversation with this lady.</p>
+
+<p>"Isn't it just the same as a mile in Von Blonk Park?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all; the sailors call their miles knots."</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard you talk about sixteen knots an hour"—</p>
+
+<p>"I can't talk as fast as that, for sixteen knots an hour is about the
+best speed of the Guardian-Mother," interposed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"You know what I mean!" pouted the lady. "But I supposed it meant
+sixteen miles an hour, just as it is sixteen knots from the Park to New
+York."</p>
+
+<p>"Which it is not; it is only sixteen statute miles, or miles
+established by statute, or law."</p>
+
+<p>"Then will you please to tell me what a knot is?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is a geographical mile. Of course you are aware that a great
+circle, like the equator, a meridian, or any other that goes around the
+biggest part of the earth, contains three hundred and sixty degrees."</p>
+
+<p>"I learned all about it when I went to the academy, but I don't
+remember a great deal of it."</p>
+
+<p>"I have repeated all that it is necessary for you to know now," added
+the commander, as he took an orange from his pocket, and proceeded to
+show the difference between a great circle and any other. "You learned
+that all circles, whether great or small, even if no bigger than a
+nickel, contain three hundred and sixty degrees; and that every degree
+is divided into sixty parts called miles—geographical miles. These
+miles are the navigator's knots."</p>
+
+<p>"Except the knots, the rest all comes back to me," said the lady. "But
+I don't understand the difference between a knot and a statute mile, as
+you call it."</p>
+
+<p>"I can't say that I know much of anything about it," added Dr. Hawkes.</p>
+
+<p>"A degree contains sixty-nine and a quarter miles, though the fraction
+varies with different authorities. Now, if you will divide 69.25
+statute miles by 60," continued the captain, performing the operation
+on the back of an envelope, "the result will be 1.154 statute miles
+to a knot. The sixteen knots of this ship would therefore be nearly
+eighteen statute miles an hour."</p>
+
+<p>"I think I understand it now, Captain Ringgold," said Mrs. Belgrave;
+and the others said the same.</p>
+
+<p>"If we go as fast as that, we shall soon overtake the Maud," suggested
+Mrs. Woolridge.</p>
+
+<p>"Not to-day, madam," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"When shall we catch up with her?"</p>
+
+<p>"I told Captain Scott not to try to make more than ten knots an hour,
+which is very good sailing for a steamer of her size. She left at
+midnight, and is therefore twelve hours, or one hundred and twenty
+miles ahead of us."</p>
+
+<p>"Knots or statute miles?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"Knots always at sea. We rarely make any use of statute miles. I have
+directed Mr. Shafter to make his best speed, so that we sail six knots
+faster than the Maud. Gaining six knots an hour, it will take us twenty
+hours to overhaul the Maud," said the captain. "I shall expect to see
+her about eight o'clock to-morrow morning, when we shall be off Magrowa
+Point."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold invited all the party to his cabin, where the chart
+of the Mediterranean Sea was spread out on the table. He pointed out
+Alboran Light to them, with a ring thirty miles in diameter drawn
+around it. On the northern edge of this circle was a cross, which was
+connected with Europa Point by a red line.</p>
+
+<p>"What is the ring for?" asked Dr. Hawkes.</p>
+
+<p>"It indicates the distance from all points at which the light can be
+seen," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose that red line shows the course we are sailing," added Uncle
+Moses. "But why is your course alone marked on the chart?"</p>
+
+<p>"I marked that myself with a red pencil; it was not printed on the
+paper, as you seem to suppose. Captain Scott made just such a line on
+his chart," the captain explained.</p>
+
+<p>"But it is not straight," the surgeon objected. "If you should keep on
+this course you would hit the African coast at Columbi Island," as he
+read the name from the chart.</p>
+
+<p>"It was not intended to be straight," answered the commander. "I am
+following the course laid down by Captain Scott for the Maud, so that I
+shall be able to find him to-morrow morning. I should have gone farther
+to the north of Alboran, and I should not have seen it in consequence;
+but I thought he might need the light to assure him where he was."</p>
+
+<p>"Here is another little red cross just north of Algiers, with a red
+line drawn from it to the one north of Alboran," said Dr. Hawkes,
+scrutinizing the chart very closely. "That, I conclude, is the course
+between the two crosses."</p>
+
+<p>"Quite right, Doctor; you would easily become a navigator."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall not make the struggle. But why is the point north of Algiers
+chosen rather than some other one?"</p>
+
+<p>"I took Captain Scott's mark, which he selected, ten miles north of
+Algiers, because the course to it would carry him clear of the coast of
+Africa, and of all dangers of every kind from rocks or shoals. When we
+get to Captain Scott's point off Algiers, we shall make the course a
+quarter of a point more to the north, so as to pass Ras al Koran, where
+the navigation becomes more difficult on account of rocks and shoals."</p>
+
+<p>"But how in the world do you know which way to steer in order to reach
+Captain Scott's red cross at the end of the red line?" inquired Mrs.
+Belgrave, who had been studying the chart with all her might, though it
+was about the same as trying to read the notice posted on a Chinaman's
+laundry.</p>
+
+<p>"And what are all these rings on the chart for?" asked Mrs. Blossom, as
+she put her finger on one of the diagrams of the compass.</p>
+
+<p>"You both ask about the same question," replied the commander, as he
+picked up his parallel rule, and began to work the same problem before
+described. "This is called a parallel rule," he added, working it back
+and forth. "The brass connecting pieces keep the two parts of the
+implement exactly parallel."</p>
+
+<p>"What is the use of keeping the pieces parallel?"</p>
+
+<p>"That is what I am going to show you."</p>
+
+<p>He placed the rule so that one edge was on both of the red crosses. He
+then worked the rule to the nearest diagram, and took off the course
+east a quarter south. But the ladies would not be satisfied till they
+had done it for themselves, and the captain made other crosses till
+they could do it very well.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">MORRIS ON "THE RULE OF THE ROAD"</p>
+
+
+<p>On board of the Maud it had been issued as an order by Captain Scott
+after the matter had been fully talked over, that the watches should be
+four hours in length, except the dog-watches, which were to be half as
+long, both in the sailing and the engineer department. The arrangement
+was precisely the same as on board of the Guardian-Mother, or any other
+ship at sea. The tricks at the wheel were to be two hours in length.</p>
+
+<p>The commander of the little steamer had all the dignity appertaining
+to the master of a vessel, but the smallness of the ship's company
+rendered it necessary that he should perform his full share of the work
+like an ordinary deck-hand. But he was accustomed to this sacrifice of
+one of the immunities of his position; for on board of the Seahound,
+in which he had made a voyage of over a thousand miles, he had been
+captain, crew, cook, and steward.</p>
+
+<p>Felix was at the wheel, where he was to remain until four bells, or two
+o'clock in the morning. The half-hours were regularly struck on a bell
+hung in front of the pilot-house, and a line from its tongue extended
+into the apartment. Between the two windows in front was a clock, so
+that the wheelman could keep the run of the time, and strike the bells.
+Captain Scott was obliged to do duty as a deck-hand during the two
+hours of Felix's watch. His principal occupation at this time was to
+keep the lookout, a very important duty on board of a steamer.</p>
+
+<p>Many vessels, a large proportion of them steamers, were constantly
+passing in and out of the Mediterranean, and there was always danger of
+a collision. At sea there are "rules of the road," as well as on the
+land; and Captain Scott had learned them so that he knew just what to
+do under any circumstances; and he was the only one on board who did
+know them in full, though Morris had learned the most necessary ones.</p>
+
+<p>On the road, in the United States, it is generally the rule to keep to
+the right when two vehicles meet, going in opposite directions, and to
+keep to the left in getting ahead of another, though it is the opposite
+rule in England and Canada. At sea, when two steamers approach each
+other "end on," or going directly towards each other, both also keep to
+the right, and each leaves the other on the port hand. But the rules
+of the road on the ocean are too complicated and dry to be given in a
+story in full.</p>
+
+<p>"Where are we now Captain Scott?" asked Felix, when he had about
+finished his trick at the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"Twenty miles east of Europa Point," replied the captain, who was
+beginning to be very sleepy, though he had walked the deck all the
+time in order to keep himself awake, for he had worked hard and been
+greatly excited from the early evening till two o'clock in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>"I knew that myself," replied the wheelman cheerfully, for he had taken
+a nap.</p>
+
+<p>"Then why did you ask me, Flix?"</p>
+
+<p>"I thought we might be near some place."</p>
+
+<p>"We are out of sight of land, and there isn't a thing to be seen."</p>
+
+<p>"But where is the light we are running for?"</p>
+
+<p>"Alboran; that is ninety miles ahead of us, and we shall not see it
+before eleven o'clock in the forenoon," replied the captain. "I will
+take the wheel now, Flix, for I need something to keep me awake."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I suppose I may go to sleep," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"No, you may not!" protested Scott with energy. "It is still your
+watch, and will be till eight bells. You will keep a sharp lookout, for
+that is your duty for the next two hours, as it has been mine for the
+last two;" and he struck four bells.</p>
+
+<p>"All right, Captain Scott; and I am wide awake," replied Felix; and he
+left the pilot-house, and began to plank the deck on the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>The duty of the lookout was not of a very exciting character; and
+though the Milesian had not been dubbed a knight-errant, he would have
+preferred something a little more stirring. It would have suited him
+better to remain at the wheel; but the captain would not permit any one
+to take the trick of another. Occasionally he halted at the windows of
+the pilot-house and had a chat with the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder if the Grand Mogul will try to arrest you and Felipe
+to-morrow?" he asked at one of these halts.</p>
+
+<p>"I think he has a bigger bone than that to pick with Captain Ringgold,"
+replied Scott. "I should not wonder, from what the Pacha said, if they
+had a row. He wanted to fight a duel with the commander, who would not
+do anything of the sort, though he would defend himself if he were
+assaulted."</p>
+
+<p>"The captain is able to take care of himself, and he will do so," added
+Felix.</p>
+
+<p>Then the lookout walked again, and continued to do so till Scott called
+him a couple of minutes before it was time to strike eight bells.</p>
+
+<p>"Now you will turn out the port watch and call Don in the forecastle,"
+said the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"All right;" and Felix went to the cabin where he waked Louis and
+Morris; then he descended to the forecastle, and aroused the second
+engineer.</p>
+
+<p>Everything was done with the greatest regularity, for all hands had
+learned on board of the Guardian-Mother to have a very high respect
+for all the forms in the routine of ship's duty. Morris relieved the
+captain as officer of the deck, and directed Louis to take the helm.
+Scott repeated the course to the latter as he resigned the wheel to
+him. In his turn the first officer became the lookout, and everything
+proceeded in as orderly a manner as before.</p>
+
+<p>Just after Louis had rung one bell in the morning watch, Morris
+reported a sail dead ahead, only there was no officer on deck of higher
+rank than himself to whom he could discharge this duty.</p>
+
+<p>"I see it; red and green light both to be seen," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"We are end on, and I suppose you know what to do, Louis," added
+Morris. "If you don't, port the helm, and remember this couplet:—</p>
+
+<div class="poetry-container">
+<div class="poetry">
+  <div class="stanza">
+    <div class="verse indent0">'When both lights you see ahead,</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">Port your helm, and show your red.'"</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>"That is a good bit of mnemonics," said Louis, as he repeated the
+lines. "I see the other steamer is doing the same."</p>
+
+<p>"She is following the rule of the road. I suppose you know that there
+are 'International Steering and Sailing Rules' so that all nations may
+follow the same directions."</p>
+
+<p>"I never heard of them before, for I do not claim to be much of a
+sailor, though I have given some attention to sailing a steamer since
+I have been on board of the Guardian-Mother," replied Louis. "I have
+learned to steer, and I know something about handling the engine. I
+never was placed in any responsible position on board a vessel, and
+that is the way to learn all about it."</p>
+
+<p>"Now she shows her red light, and we are doing the same thing to her,"
+said Morris. "Here is a bit more mnemonics:</p>
+
+<div class="poetry-container">
+<div class="poetry">
+  <div class="stanza">
+    <div class="verse indent0">'Green to green, or red to red—</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">Perfect safety, go ahead!'</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>That is, you cannot see the red or green alone unless you are abreast
+of the other vessel on one side or the other."</p>
+
+<p>"I can remember the two couplets; but both of them assure you only when
+you are all right. One would like to know what to do when things are
+not all right," suggested Louis, who had already repeated to himself
+both of the safety couplets several times.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course you know all the lights a vessel is obliged by law to carry
+at sea, Louis," continued Morris, as they passed the other steamer,
+distant about a quarter of a mile.</p>
+
+<p>"I know that every steamer is obliged to carry a white light on the
+foremast, not less than twenty feet above the deck, a green light on
+the starboard side, and a red one on the port side."</p>
+
+<p>"That is enough to know, though very minute directions are given in the
+international rules for placing these lights. I used to be bothered to
+remember which was which. But a naval officer told me that red was on
+the port side because that was the color of port wine; and any fellow
+must be green who could not tell the color on the other side."</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Ringgold told me the first part of your rule—port from the
+color of port wine," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Now we have a case in point!" exclaimed Morris with sudden energy,
+as he pointed to another light in the distance. "That is a red light,
+and it is on the starboard side of us. This is the position of the
+greatest danger, for that steamer is running towards us. Here is more
+poetry:—</p>
+
+<div class="poetry-container">
+<div class="poetry">
+  <div class="stanza">
+    <div class="verse indent0">'If to your starboard red appear,</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">It is your duty to keep clear;</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">To act as judgment says its proper—</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">To port, or starboard, back, or stop her!'</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>That is just as yonder steamer appears in relation to the Maud—red
+on our starboard, her helmsman has green on his port, and this verse
+applies to him, as it would to us in his position:—</p>
+
+<div class="poetry-container">
+<div class="poetry">
+  <div class="stanza">
+    <div class="verse indent0">'But, when upon your port is seen</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">A steamer's starboard light of green,</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">There's not so much for you to do,</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">For green to port keeps clear of you.'"</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>"She is still a long distance from the Maud; but what am I to do when
+we come nearer?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Red to starboard; we must keep out of her way," replied Morris. "She
+will do nothing, for she has the right of way. Port the helm a little
+and we shall go astern of her all right."</p>
+
+<p>"Where do you find these international rules?" asked the wheelman, as
+he obeyed the order.</p>
+
+<p>"I found them in 'The Sailor's Handy Book,' which will tell you all
+about a thousand nautical things," replied Morris. "I have a copy of it
+in my valise, and I will lend it to you to-morrow."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you; and I will buy it as soon as I can find one; but I am not
+likely to find one over here," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>An hour later the Maud passed astern of the approaching steamer, and
+she had evidently not changed her course a point.</p>
+
+<p>The day had already begun to dawn in the east, in the Orient towards
+which the little vessel was sailing. She was still out of sight of
+land. At four bells, or six o'clock, Pitts came out of the forecastle,
+and Morris saluted him with a "good-morning," as if one had not been
+the chief officer and the other the cook, and Louis did the same.</p>
+
+<p>"What time am I to have breakfast ready on board of this steamer?"
+asked Pitts.</p>
+
+<p>"You must ask the captain; but you need not wake him for that purpose.
+Half-past seven is the hour on board the ship, and you had better be
+ready at that time," replied Morris; and Louis nodded assent when the
+mate looked at him.</p>
+
+<p>The cook went to his apartment, and made a fire in the galley. His
+first need was hot water, and he went to the run to obtain a supply
+with a couple of buckets. He took off the scuttle in the standing-room,
+careful to make as little noise as he could in order not to wake the
+starboard watch in the cabin, the doors of which were wide open.</p>
+
+<p>He descended by the little ladder, but it was dark in the run, and as
+he stepped from the lower round, he put his foot ankle deep in water.
+He was startled, for it looked as though the steamer had sprung a
+leak. He hastened to procure a lantern, and made an examination. Two
+half-casks of water were secured on each side of him. He attempted to
+move one of them in order to find a leak. It was empty! So were the
+other three! It was an alarming discovery, and he made haste to report
+it to the first officer. Morris could not explain it; neither could
+Louis; but they knew they could not proceed on the voyage without
+water.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE PROSPECT OF A WATER-FAMINE</p>
+
+
+<p>Morris and Louis were quite as thoroughly startled as Pitts had been
+when he made the discovery that the water-casks were all empty; for he
+had sounded all of them, and afterwards shaken them, listening for the
+noise of the needed fluid.</p>
+
+<p>"What shall be done?" asked Morris, who had just relieved the wheel, as
+he directed a blank gaze at Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"It is not for me to say what is to be done," replied the deck-hand,
+remembering that he was such, and not a leader of the big four, as he
+had generally been.</p>
+
+<p>"We can't get along without water," added Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"We cannot; and I am as thirsty as a grounded polywog," answered Louis,
+as he turned to the ice-pitcher with which the pilot-house was supplied.</p>
+
+<p>Pitts passed it out of the window to him, and he drank a copious
+draught.</p>
+
+<p>"That is good," he added, "though it is a little warm."</p>
+
+<p>"But there is plenty of ice on board, sir," interposed the cook and
+steward, as he took the pitcher from the deck-hand. "I will put some
+in it, for it is nearly full of water; and that may be all there is on
+board."</p>
+
+<p>There was an ice-chest built into the after part of the run, which had
+been filled from the ship's supply, and the provisions were stored
+around it.</p>
+
+<p>"Pitts can't even make any coffee for us," continued Morris ruefully.
+"It takes water to make coffee."</p>
+
+<p>"That is as true as truth itself," replied Louis cheerfully; "but we
+will not cry about it."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't mean to cry about it; but it is a serious question, for the
+Guardian-Mother cannot overhaul the Maud in less than twelve or fifteen
+hours more, and we want something to eat and drink to-day."</p>
+
+<p>"I think we can stand it one day," added Louis, laughing. "I went
+longer than that on a New Jersey sand-spit without a drop of drink of
+any kind."</p>
+
+<p>"I can melt the ice and get water enough to cook with," interposed
+Pitts.</p>
+
+<p>"But suppose the Guardian-Mother should fail to find us, as she did
+your party, Louis, when you made the run in this boat from Funchal to
+Tarifa?" suggested Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"That is possible, but not probable," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Why did the commander of the ship instruct Captain Scott to make a
+port at Valetta in the island of Malta?" demanded the first officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Because, as I said, it is possible that the ship may fail to find the
+Maud. But this question is no more to me than to the rest of the party;
+and I am willing to do what the majority think best, Morris," replied
+Louis, when the mate began to be a little warm in the discussion.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we had better call the captain, and have the matter decided at
+once," added Morris.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was sent aft to attend to this duty, as the mate decided. Scott
+was sleeping very soundly, and he was entitled to another hour nearly
+in his bed. He woke with a start when Louis put his hand on the arm of
+the dreamer, as he appeared to be.</p>
+
+<p>"Eight bells?" demanded Captain Scott, as he sat up in his bed.</p>
+
+<p>"Not yet, Captain; it wants almost an hour of it; but the mate ordered
+me to call you, for we have got into a sort of difficulty," replied
+Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"What kind of a difficulty? Is the Pacha chasing us?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not that I am aware of; but the water has all leaked out of the casks
+in the run," said the messenger, telling the whole truth all in a heap.</p>
+
+<p>"How can that be?" asked the captain blankly.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure I don't know. Pitts found the casks empty when he went to
+the run for water."</p>
+
+<p>"What's the matter now?" asked Felix, springing up in his bed. "Has the
+bottom dropped out of the little steamer?"</p>
+
+<p>"No; but the bottom has dropped out of the water-casks, and we are
+likely to be a thirsty set," replied Louis, as the captain proceeded to
+dress himself in readiness to consider the difficult question.</p>
+
+<p>Felix followed his example, and in a few minutes they were all on the
+forecastle. Louis expressed his view of the question as he had before,
+and Morris did the same. While they were talking about it, Pitts went
+to the run again, and made another examination of the casks, and
+then he carried the four to the standing-room, from which the velvet
+cushions had been removed the night before. It was clear enough to
+him now, as it had been before, that there was no water in the casks.
+Taking off his shoes and stockings, he descended to the run again. He
+stubbed his foot against something, which proved to be a plug in the
+flooring, used to let the water off when the run was washed out, which
+was frequently done to keep it clean as a receptacle for the provisions.</p>
+
+<p>There was but a small quantity of ice in the chest, and that was needed
+to preserve the meats in it. Then he went on deck and looked over the
+casks. He could insert the small blade of his knife in some of the
+seams in them. They had not been in use on board of the ship, and had
+dried up in their place by the fire-room. They had been lowered into
+the run in the night, and the hands had failed to observe that there
+was any serious leak in them. Pitts reported what the situation was.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we are in danger of being missed by the Guardian-Mother,"
+said Captain Scott in the course of the discussion, as Pitts appeared
+upon the forecastle. "She might pass us in the night or in a fog. We
+don't know when she sailed from Gib, or what time she will sail; and
+I hardly think Captain Ringgold, from what he said to me, expected to
+overhaul the Maud before she arrived at Valetta."</p>
+
+<p>"There is not a drop of water in any of the casks, Captain," reported
+Pitts at this point of the discussion. "There is not ice enough to last
+us more than to-day; and the meats will spoil without it, for it is hot
+in the run."</p>
+
+<p>"That does not look like a very pleasant prospect for water," added
+Captain Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"There is a water-jar in the cabin," suggested Louis. "How much is
+there in that?"</p>
+
+<p>"I filled it up last night, and there must be some in it," replied
+Pitts.</p>
+
+<p>The steward was sent to examine the jar, and reported that it contained
+about two quarts.</p>
+
+<p>"We can get along a while on that, and we will not change our course at
+present," said the captain, settling the matter, at least for a time.
+"Don't boil any potatoes, Pitts; fry them, and keep what water there is
+for coffee."</p>
+
+<p>"How far are we from the island of Alboran?" asked Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"About fifty miles."</p>
+
+<p>"We ought to be able to get some water there; for if the island is
+inhabited, as they say it is, the people there cannot live without it.
+The lightkeeper must have water."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know anything about it," replied Captain Scott. "There isn't
+a mile of land on it, and I should not care to go a great way off the
+course with the expectation of filling our casks there. Keep her going
+east by south, Morris."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott went back to the cabin, followed by Felix, and both
+of them were soon fast asleep again. Pitts drew off the water from
+the jar, and went to work in the galley; but it was eight o'clock
+when breakfast was ready, for the cook had been delayed by the water
+question. The table was set in the cabin at the last moment, so that
+the sleepers might not be disturbed; and they were called only when the
+meal was ready.</p>
+
+<p>Morris had just relieved the helm, and he insisted that Louis should
+go to breakfast first. The captain took his place at the head of the
+table, with Morris on his right and Louis on his left. Pitts left them
+to take care of themselves while he served the meal for the engineers;
+for they had decided to breakfast together in the engine-room, where a
+shelf served as a table.</p>
+
+<p>"This is not bad for a beginning," said Captain Scott, as he seated
+himself and looked over the dishes on the table. "Ham and eggs are to
+my mind, though I served them half the time on board of the Seahound.
+They look very nice, and Pitts appears to be a good cook."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe we shall starve, or suffer from thirst, in spite of
+the water famine," added Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"The praties are moighty foine," said Felix. "Ye's couldn't get a
+betther male in an Oirish castle."</p>
+
+<p>"What's an Irish castle, Flix?" asked Morris.</p>
+
+<p>"A noice bit of a house tin fate shquare, wid a thatched roof and a
+mood flure."</p>
+
+<p>"But they have water to boil their potatoes in an Irish castle," added
+the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Faix, they have; the foinest wather in the wurruld."</p>
+
+<p>"But we mustn't stay here too long to talk; for the owner of the
+Guardian-Mother is at the wheel, and it is time for the starboard watch
+to go on duty," said Captain Scott, as he broke open a hot biscuit.</p>
+
+<p>Not much ceremony was used at the meal, and it was soon finished. As
+the trio passed the engine-room on their way to the forecastle, a
+flood of Spanish speech struck their ears, and it was evident that the
+engineers were enjoying their morning meal. As soon as the steward
+saw the captain he hastened aft to rearrange the table; and Louis was
+served as elegantly as became the dignity of a ship-owner, though he
+put on no airs. He ate his breakfast alone; but he had a good appetite,
+for he had been up since the morning watch was called at four o'clock.</p>
+
+<p>By nine o'clock Pitts had cleared the tables, and put everything in
+good order in the galley. His head was still full of the water-casks,
+and he went to the standing-room to examine them again. They were
+simply dried up when the water was drawn into them from the tanks. In
+six hours they had drained themselves empty, which was a leakage from
+each of only about four gallons an hour; but he wondered that Mr.
+Gaskette, who had superintended the work of putting them in the run,
+had not discovered the condition of the casks.</p>
+
+<p>While he was engaged in his examination Don joined him. The engineer
+had slept most of the night, and he had no desire to turn in again.
+He looked the casks over with the steward, and declared that he could
+make them as tight as when they were new in fifteen minutes. He went to
+the engine-room, and returned with a hammer and a piece of iron in his
+hands. He calked the casks as though he had been a cooper all his life,
+and then proceeded to drive the hoops.</p>
+
+<p>In less than half an hour the job was completed, and Don was sure
+the casks would not leak a drop. Morris and Louis went aft when they
+heard the sound of the hammer, and the former reported to the captain
+what was going on at the stern. Louis examined the casks when they
+were finished, and tried to penetrate the seams with the blade of his
+penknife; but they appeared to be perfectly tight.</p>
+
+<p>"We have the casks, and all we want now is the water to fill them,"
+said he. "Do you know anything about Alboran, Don?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have seen it, but I never went ashore there," replied the second
+engineer. "I think there must be water there."</p>
+
+<p>The captain was at the wheel. Pitts had sounded the water-jar in the
+cabin, and declared that there was hardly water enough left to enable
+him to get dinner; and he reported accordingly at the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"Alboran is not more than a dozen miles off our course, and we will try
+there," said Captain Scott, after he had looked the water-question over
+again. "We have passed Malaga; and the next place on the Spanish coast
+is Almunecar, but it is thirty-five miles off our course. Then we have
+no papers; and I am afraid we should be sent into quarantine."</p>
+
+<p>The captain changed the course to south-east.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE MAUD INCLINED TO TURN SOMERSETS</p>
+
+
+<p>Among other nautical furniture, Captain Ringgold had put an
+old-fashioned log-line, chip, reel, and second glass on board of the
+Maud. Captain Scott had been unable to use it during the mid watch for
+the want of some one to assist him. After he had changed the course he
+gave the wheel to Felix, and with the assistance of Morris, Louis, and
+Don, had heaved the log. It gave him very nearly ten knots an hour; but
+he was not confident that his work had been accurate.</p>
+
+<p>Felipe kept account of the number of revolutions a minute; and he
+insisted that the Maud was making her ten knots an hour, and the
+current might make it a trifle more than that. The captain had timed
+the steamer by distances on the chart, and he was satisfied that the
+log was substantially correct.</p>
+
+<p>"It is now half-past nine, and we have made ninety-five miles from
+Gib," said he, after he had taken the wheel again. "It would have been
+thirty-five miles to Alboran if we had kept on our former course; it is
+less than that now, say about thirty-two. At about eleven o'clock it
+will be time to be on the lookout for the lighthouse."</p>
+
+<p>At ten Felix took his trick at the wheel, and the captain was the
+lookout man. Morris and Louis lay down in the cabin and went to sleep.
+There was nothing to occupy their attention. The weather was pleasant,
+the sky exceedingly blue, and the sea was quite smooth. Scott had
+seated himself on the forecastle, and everything on board was as quiet
+as midnight in a church. He had a spy-glass within his reach, and he
+occasionally looked through it in the direction in which the steamer
+was headed.</p>
+
+<p>"What time is it, Flix?" he called to the wheelman, after he had taken
+an observation with the glass.</p>
+
+<p>"Half-past eleven, Captain," replied Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Alboran in sight through the glass," added Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"How far off is it? Are we in any danger of running over the island,
+and knocking the lighthouse into flinders?" asked the Milesian.</p>
+
+<p>"No danger yet, for it is at least twelve miles distant," replied the
+captain. "It gives me great satisfaction to know that my calculations
+were correct."</p>
+
+<p>"Well it might; you do that sort of thing as well as the captain of the
+Guardian-Mother," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>Scott watched the lighthouse till the helmsman struck eight bells,
+which was noon. Then he went aft and called the port watch.</p>
+
+<p>"Where are we now, Captain?" asked Louis, rubbing his eyes.</p>
+
+<p>"Alboran light in sight, and about seven miles distant," replied Scott,
+as he hastened forward again, for he had seen a felucca ahead, and he
+wished to speak to her.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached the forecastle, he shouted through the scuttle for
+Don, who came on deck immediately. It was time to relieve Felipe at
+the engine; but the captain ordered all hands, and the Spaniard was
+requested to remain at his post. Pitts was busy in the galley getting
+dinner. The felucca in sight was a large one, and evidently belonged
+to the island. She was standing out from the lighthouse, and as soon
+as the Maud was near enough to her, the captain ordered Morris to stop
+her, for he had just relieved Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Don, hail her," said Scott to the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"Felucca, ahoy!" said he in Spanish.</p>
+
+<p>The hail was returned in the same language, and the craft came up into
+the wind.</p>
+
+<p>"Is there any water on that island?" asked Don at the dictation of the
+captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Plenty of it," returned the skipper of the felucca.</p>
+
+<p>"We are short of water, and want a cask or two," continued the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"I can sell you two casks," returned the speaker from the felucca.</p>
+
+<p>"He is on the make," added Scott, when Don had translated the sentence;
+and he could not help laughing at the business turn of the Spaniard.</p>
+
+<p>"Is it fresh?" asked the captain; and Don put the question to the
+skipper.</p>
+
+<p>"He says he filled the casks from the well this morning," said Don,
+rendering the reply into English. "But he may be lying about it,"
+suggested the engineer, smiling. "I have known some Spaniards to be
+guilty of falsehood; and I think you had better try the water before
+you buy it."</p>
+
+<p>"Tell him we will go alongside his felucca," added the captain, as he
+directed Morris to ring one bell.</p>
+
+<p>The Maud went ahead slowly, and in a few minutes she was alongside the
+felucca. Felipe came out of his room when he had stopped the engine,
+and began a talk with one of the Spaniards.</p>
+
+<p>"Ask the price of the water, Don," said the captain, when the skipper
+presented himself abreast of the forecastle; and the engineer put the
+question.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Veinte pesos le tonel</i>," (Twenty dollars a barrel).</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Veinte pesos le tonel!</i>" exclaimed Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"No!" shouted the skipper, with no little indignation in his tone and
+manner. "<i>Veinte pesetas le tonel</i> (Twenty <i>pesetas</i> a barrel).</p>
+
+<p>"Twenty <i>pesetas</i>! That is a horse of another color," added Louis.
+"Didn't he say <i>pesos</i>, Don?"</p>
+
+<p>"I understood him so, sir; but perhaps it was a slip of the tongue,"
+replied the engineer. "I don't think he meant that, for twenty
+<i>pesetas</i> is a very high price for water."</p>
+
+<p>"How much is a <i>peseta</i>?" asked Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Twenty cents," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Four dollars a barrel! That is a steep price," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Let Don ascertain if the water is good," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>The engineer went on board the felucca, and the skipper filled a tin
+dipper from one of four barrels lashed to the side of the craft. Then
+he tried one on the other side. Returning to the deck of the Maud, he
+reported the water to be fresh and pure.</p>
+
+<p>"But the price?" said the captain, turning to Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Those are fifty-gallon barrels," interposed Don. "They contain enough
+to fill your four casks, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Never mind the price, Captain Scott. It would cost us more than eight
+dollars to make a landing on that island, fill the casks, and get them
+on board again, for we could take only one at a time in our little
+tender," argued Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You and Morris pay the bills, and I have not a word to say," replied
+Captain Scott, laughing and shrugging his shoulders, as though he did
+not regard himself as the victim of the swindle, though he saw the
+force of Louis's reasoning.</p>
+
+<p>But then another question came up when it was found that the skipper
+did not include the price of the casks in that for the water, and
+he wanted two dollars apiece for the barrels. Scott was in favor of
+emptying them into the four half-barrels; but there was nothing like
+a tunnel in either vessel, and the four dollars additional was paid
+rather than use up any more time.</p>
+
+<p>"Six dollars a barrel for water!" exclaimed Don. "Why, you could buy
+wine at that price over on the main land."</p>
+
+<p>"I prefer the water to the wine," replied Louis. "Besides, these poor
+fellows on the island don't often have a chance to make a dollar; and
+when they do have one, they use it to the best advantage."</p>
+
+<p>The skipper then offered to sell some fresh fish, just out of the
+water. Louis gave him four Spanish <i>pesetas</i>; and for it he put fish
+enough on the deck of the Maud to feed the whole ship's company for
+three days. He was evidently feeling very good after the unexpected
+trade he had made, and perhaps had more money in his pocket than for
+six months before; and he was profuse in his compliments and his thanks.</p>
+
+<p>The Maud cast off her fasts, and Morris rang one bell, which was
+speedily followed by the jingling of the speed bell. The captain
+dropped his broad shelf in the pilot-house till it became a table on
+which he spread out his chart. Applying his parallel rule, he took off
+the course from Alboran light to his point ten miles off Algiers.</p>
+
+<p>"East a half south, Morris," said he when he had obtained the course.</p>
+
+<p>"East a half south, sir," repeated the helmsman, after the manner it
+was done on board the Blanche and the Guardian-Mother. "While you were
+dickering for water, Captain Scott, I noticed a change, a drop, in the
+barometer. Did you observe it?"</p>
+
+<p>"No; but I noticed that the wind was backing," replied Scott, rushing
+to the barometer, which was suspended by the side of the starboard
+door. "That felucca is going west, and she has the wind on her port
+beam.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you mean by backing, Captain?" asked Louis, who was standing
+at the door of the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"When a west wind shifts against the sun, or works round towards the
+east through the south-west and south, sailors call it backing,"
+replied the captain, who was as fond as the average young fellow of
+telling what he knew.</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard old farmers talk about the wind backing round, and I knew
+that it was towards the south when it did this thing; but I did not
+know that the sun had anything to do with it," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"The sun moves from east to west, as it must if it rises in the east.
+From east to south would be <i>with</i> the sun; but from west to south and
+to east would be <i>against</i> the sun," continued the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"That's so," added Morris; "and there is a couplet about it:—</p>
+
+<div class="poetry-container">
+<div class="poetry">
+  <div class="stanza">
+    <div class="verse indent0">'When the wind shifts against the sun,</div>
+    <div class="verse indent0">Trust it not, for back it will run.'"</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>"The barometer has dropped, and I see that the felucca has all the
+breeze she can take care of," said Scott, as he looked at the Spanish
+craft. "The wind is backing to the southward; and before night we shall
+know what sort of a sea-boat the Maud is."</p>
+
+<p>"Dinner is all ready, Captain Scott," Pitts announced at the port door.</p>
+
+<p>"That means the captain and Flix," added Scott, "for they are off watch
+just now. Here, Pitts, we must have the meal hours fixed a little
+differently. It is half-past twelve now, and the watch ought to dine
+before they come on duty."</p>
+
+<p>"That would make the dinner hour come at half-past eleven, sir,"
+replied the steward, "and the other meals at very odd times, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"No matter for the oddity. Hereafter, breakfast at half-past seven,
+dinner at half-past eleven, and supper at half-past five," said Captain
+Scott. "Then either watch will have half an hour for a meal before it
+goes on duty, and the one relieved can have all the time they want. If
+we find that half an hour is too much time, we can put the time ahead
+ten minutes."</p>
+
+<p>"The hours you have named are those used in the navy and on board the
+Guardian-Mother for the ship's company," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>Roast beef with a few vegetables and a pudding was the dinner, and it
+was highly approved by both watches. The meal was hardly finished by
+the port watch before all hands became thoroughly conscious of a change
+in the mood of the Mediterranean Sea, for the little steamer had begun
+to roll as though she intended to make a complete somerset. With her
+course about east and the wind south, she spent more than half of her
+time in the trough of the sea, which is a very uncomfortable place to
+be in, especially in a small steamer like the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>It would not be called a very heavy sea, and it was the direction of
+the wind rather than the quantity of it which made it uncomfortable
+on board. The water slopped in over the bulwarks, and Captain Scott,
+like a prudent shipmaster, made a survey of the deck, taking with him
+Felix and Don. The scuttles over the run and forecastle were secured in
+their places, and everything put in order for a gale.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">CAPTAIN SCOTT SETS A REEFED FORESAIL</p>
+
+
+<p>The Mediterranean had very suddenly lashed itself into a fury. Nothing
+movable would stay in place, and everything had to be secured.
+Rope-yarns were in great demand; and Captain Scott had done everything
+possible for the safety of the property on board, in the pilot-house,
+on deck, and in the cabin. At first everything in the galley was
+pitched into heaps; but Pitts had brought order out of confusion there.</p>
+
+<p>By the middle of the afternoon watch, with Morris and Louis on duty,
+everything had been put in order; for after the captain and Felix
+believed that all was safe, something would break loose and need
+further attention. The water-casks had given them the most trouble.
+Felipe and Pitts had assisted them in putting the half-casks back
+into the run and securing them there; but the full ones, containing
+fifty gallons each, were more troublesome. They were blocked up in the
+standing-room, and made fast with strong ropes; but they still had an
+inclination to break away.</p>
+
+<p>Louis Belgrave had the wheel from four bells, or two o'clock; and he
+found he had his hands full, and that it required no little of his
+strength to manage it. He had seen several heavier gales than the
+present, when the Guardian-Mother knocked about quite as much as the
+Maud in the more tremendous seas of the Atlantic. Felipe had sailed in
+the Maud more than any other person on board; but he appeared to be the
+only one who was at all alarmed at the situation, though he had made
+the voyage from Mogadore to Funchal and back, and at the time when he
+took his final leave of the Pacha; but he had never been at sea in her
+in a gale.</p>
+
+<p>At about every roll of the little steamer the sea broke over the
+bulwarks and swept over the bow and stern where there was no deck-house
+to obstruct its passage. Every door, window, or other opening had been
+closed and securely fastened, and thus far no water had found its way
+into the inside of the boat. As long as the engine did not break down
+Captain Scott had no fears for the safety of the Maud, uncomfortable as
+she was to those on board in such a gale.</p>
+
+<p>The little steamer had two masts, and she was rigged as a schooner;
+but they appeared to be more for ornament than for use. A mainsail,
+foresail, and jib were stowed away in the forecastle; but it was
+doubtful if they had ever been bent on. The rigging and spars certainly
+added to the nautical effect of the craft; and they afforded an
+opportunity for the display of flags, for the gaffs on each mast were
+secured in place aloft by the vangs. The American flag had been set at
+the main peak during the voyage to Tangier; though, as anything but a
+tender of the ship, she was not legally entitled to use it.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Louis, what do you think of this?" said Captain Scott, who had
+watched his opportunity when the starboard side of the steamer was
+under water to open the port door of the pilot-house wide enough to
+enable him to enter.</p>
+
+<p>"I think it is a tolerably fresh breeze," replied the young
+millionaire, as he heaved the wheel over to meet a big billow. "It
+makes a lively time in a steamer no larger than the Maud."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a regular muzzler," added the captain. "But I have been out in
+a gale as heavy as this one in the Seahound; and she was not as big as
+the Maud."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not comfortable; and I suppose that is about the worst that can
+be said of it."</p>
+
+<p>"She is all right as long as the engine holds its own; and both Felipe
+and Don say there is no danger of its giving out," said the captain. "I
+suppose it is all right; but I wish we had another string to our bow."</p>
+
+<p>"What other string could we have to our bow?" asked Louis, giving his
+companion an inquiring glance.</p>
+
+<p>"The sails; and I wish I had thought to bend them on before we left
+Gib, or this forenoon, when we had nothing under the canopy to do but
+bite our finger-nails."</p>
+
+<p>"I dare say it would be well to have them ready for use as a last
+resort," suggested Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"As something more than that, though it would be exceedingly convenient
+to be able to set a reefed foresail in case the engine should break
+down. I have been thinking of bending on the foresail since it came on
+to blow heavily."</p>
+
+<p>"You have no use for it yet; for Felipe says the Pacha had everything
+about the craft built twice as strong as was necessary, and I have no
+fear of the engine," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"If the sails were bent on, I should have set a reefed foresail, and
+perhaps a reefed mainsail, before this time," continued the captain.
+"It would steady her a great deal if nothing more, for I do not believe
+we are making our ten knots an hour just now."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Scott sat on the divan, and appeared to be considering the
+expedient he had mentioned. A few minutes later he announced his
+intention to bend on the foresail, and he made his exit with the same
+precaution he had used in entering. He called Felix, Pitts, Morris, and
+Don to assist in the work, after he had been into the forecastle by the
+way of the engine and fire rooms. He overhauled the sails, and found
+the one he wanted.</p>
+
+<p>Pitts carried it on deck, and it was passed up to the promenade deck,
+as they called the roofs of the deck-houses. The foremast was between
+the galley and the pilot-house. The gaff was lowered; and Scott and
+Pitts, who were both sailors, lashed the head of the sail to it. The
+mast-hoops were all in place, and the inner-leach was readily secured
+to them. Felix and Don, who were not sailors, had enough to do in
+holding on at the sail to keep the wind from whipping it out of the
+hands of the operators.</p>
+
+<p>The promenade deck was swept by floods of spray all the time, and the
+party had not been there five minutes before they were wet to the skin;
+but no one minded this, for the weather was quite warm, the wind, fresh
+as it was, coming from the burning sands of Africa.</p>
+
+<p>The tack was secured, and the clew hauled out to the end of the boom.
+The foot of the sail was then lashed down, and the work was finished,
+though it had taken an hour and a half to do it. The two sailors then
+overhauled the sheet and the halyards to see that they were in working
+order. Pitts had brought up some "slush," or grease, which was applied
+where it was needed.</p>
+
+<p>A single reef was then put in the sail, and then a second upon the top
+of it, so that the last could be turned out if the craft would bear
+more sail. Captain Scott then stationed his force so that none of them
+would be knocked overboard by the thrashing of the sail, which was then
+hoisted with no little difficulty. The sheet was hauled in and made
+fast to the lower block, which moved on a traveller.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus7.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">The sail was then hoisted with no little difficulty.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>The wind was square on the beam, and filled the reefed sail. The blast
+laid the steamer down to the plankshear; but she rallied after the
+first shock, and did not heel over as much as the captain supposed she
+would. The effect was very satisfactory, and the Maud went along much
+steadier than before.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you think of it, Pitts?" asked the captain, and all the party
+were holding on at the stays of the smoke-stack.</p>
+
+<p>"She behaves like a dandy, sir," replied the steward. "She would carry
+the foresail with only one reef in it."</p>
+
+<p>"That is just what I was thinking," added Scott. "What is more, I am
+going to turn out the second reef, and let her go it with one."</p>
+
+<p>"It won't be an easy thing to do with the wind on the beam, sir,"
+suggested Pitts. "If you spill the sail, sir, the boom will run out so
+as to make a hard job of it, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"I was thinking of that," replied the captain, as he went forward, and,
+bending down over the front of the pilot-house, yelled to Louis at the
+wheel to head the steamer up into the wind.</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, ay, sir!" screamed the helmsman; and in a moment more the Maud was
+pitching into the head sea, and the reefed foresail was flapping in the
+gale.</p>
+
+<p>The second reef was turned out in a minute or two, and the order was
+sent down by Morris for Louis to come up to the course again. The sheet
+remained as before, and the sail filled as the Maud came about. As it
+was done gradually there was no shock as before, and the steamer soon
+came to her bearings. She heeled over more than before, but not much,
+and her motion was decidedly steadier.</p>
+
+<p>At four o'clock Louis rang eight bells, and the watches were to be
+changed. It was the turn of the starboard watch, and the captain's
+trick at the wheel. He directed Felix, his watch-mate, to keep the
+lookout on the promenade deck where he could see the sail and keep it
+in trim, for he was sailor enough to do this, though he was not an able
+seaman. The rest of the party descended to their places below.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Louis, what do you think of it now?" asked the captain, as he
+went into the pilot-house on the lee side.</p>
+
+<p>"I think you have greatly improved the situation, Captain Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"I feel perfectly happy, my boy," replied Scott, who appeared to be
+considerably exhilarated as he took the wheel from the hands of Louis.
+"I seem to know where I am now better than I did before. The engine may
+break down now if it is so disposed, and I can snap my finger in its
+face, for we have sail enough to keep the Maud on the top of the water
+if anything happens to the machinery."</p>
+
+<p>"You were certainly born to be a sailor, Captain," replied Louis, as he
+seated himself on the divan.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe that with all my might, and this experience is worth a
+hundred dollars a day to me," answered Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Call it fifty," laughed the other.</p>
+
+<p>"It is very valuable to me, whatever you call it in figures. I have a
+big ambition in this direction; and it is bigger now than it was before
+I became a decent fellow. I think Captain Ringgold will make a man of
+me."</p>
+
+<p>"It looks as though he had already done so," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps he has not finished his work yet. We are going along very
+nicely now, my hearty."</p>
+
+<p>"We are indeed. The Maud rolls a good deal"—</p>
+
+<p>"You don't expect her to go along on an even keel in such a sea as
+this, do you?" interposed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not; she is behaving very well."</p>
+
+<p>"She is behaving like a lady in a ballroom!" exclaimed Scott with
+enthusiasm. "She has a good deal of motion, like the belle of the
+waltz; but her motion is poetry."</p>
+
+<p>"She is waltzing along very well."</p>
+
+<p>It was the first dog watch. Pitts could not get up a regular dinner,
+for the pots and pans would not stay on the galley; but he gave the
+ship's company enough to eat. The racks, or "fiddles," on the table
+in the cabin kept the dishes in tolerable order. After the meal the
+captain called all hands, and succeeded in heaving the log, which, to
+his astonishment, gave thirteen knots. He concluded that there must be
+some mistake, and he repeated the operation with the same result.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't understand it, Don," said he. "Have you been driving the
+engine?"</p>
+
+<p>"The last time I looked at the revolutions, I thought she must be
+making about eleven knots," replied the second engineer. "The furnace
+has a big draught in this wind, and the sail helps her a couple of
+knots."</p>
+
+<p>The captain did not object to the speed. The steamer went along without
+incident or accident, and by this time the ship's company had become
+accustomed to the motion. Southerly storms are not usually of long
+duration, and at midnight the gale broke, though the sea was still
+disturbed. The watches were regularly kept, the lookout man attending
+to the sail on the upper deck. In the morning the wind had shifted to
+the south-west.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE MEETING OF THE TWO STEAMERS</p>
+
+
+<p>"Where are we now, Captain Scott?" asked Louis, who had just finished
+his breakfast, as he went into the pilot-house to relieve the starboard
+watch.</p>
+
+<p>Morris was with him, and he took the wheel according to the programme
+which had been laid down in the beginning of the voyage. This was at
+eight o'clock on the second morning of the trip. The captain had his
+chart table in use when they entered, with Felix at the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"Where are we now is the question; and I can't guess the conundrum
+exactly, for I don't know how fast we have been running during the
+night," replied Scott. "Our standard speed is ten knots an hour; but
+the log last evening showed that we were doing three knots better than
+that."</p>
+
+<p>Then he looked at a station-bill he had made out in pencil which was
+tacked to the starboard door for the want of a better place. It showed
+all the watches, who served on them, the number of hours from Europa
+Point, from which the departure was made, and the number of miles run
+at the end of each watch, figured at the standard speed.</p>
+
+<p>"We are thirty-two hours out, and have run three hundred and twenty
+miles, or ought to have run only that; but in the last twelve hours
+we have probably made from twenty-four to thirty-six miles more than
+that," continued the captain. "I will heave the log after breakfast,
+and that will give us a better idea, for we are still carrying the
+reefed foresail. Morris reported to me when he was relieved by the
+morning watch that he had started the sheets about two bells. We have
+the wind on the starboard quarter now, and it must help her somewhat. I
+should say that we had made three hundred and forty-four miles."</p>
+
+<p>"Land, ho!" shouted Felix, who had gone out on the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"Where away?" demanded Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"On the beam," replied Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"That is just where it ought to be," added Scott, as he turned to his
+chart. "We must be off Magrowa Point, where the mountains are close to
+the shore. Three hundred and forty-four miles must be the figure."</p>
+
+<p>The captain and Felix went to breakfast, after which the log was heaved
+and it gave twelve knots. The Maud was now going along with comparative
+steadiness. The gale had entirely subsided, though the sea was not yet
+reduced to its former smooth condition. There was a gentle breeze, and
+Scott ordered the reef in the foresail to be shaken out. Don declared
+that they had burned too much coal while the wind was so fresh, and
+that they had reduced the quantity.</p>
+
+<p>At four bells, when Louis took the wheel, the log was tried again, and
+it appeared that the old standard of ten knots had been restored in
+spite of the sail. But Scott had bent on the mainsail and jib while he,
+Felix, and Don were off watch, assisted by the steward. He had set all
+sail, and then the log gave eleven knots. He had hardly completed the
+job before the starboard watch were called to dine before they took
+the deck at eight bells. Morris was the lookout on the promenade deck,
+attending to the sails also.</p>
+
+<p>"Sail, ho!" shouted he, standing over the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"Where away?" demanded Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Directly astern of us!" cried Morris.</p>
+
+<p>Pitts carried this report to the cabin. Louis had no chance to observe
+the sail, and he passed the glass up to his watch-mate. Morris examined
+the distant sail with the instrument, and he could see only her masts
+and sails; but a streak of black smoke in the air indicated that she
+was a steamer. She was hull down, and he could not make out anything
+about her. But it was soon evident to him that the sail was gaining
+rapidly on the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>Louis struck eight bells, which was noon this time, and the captain and
+Felix appeared on time. He wrote "386 miles" on his station-bill as the
+distance the Maud had made at the end of the forenoon watch. He took
+the wheel, and then asked about the sail which had been reported. All
+that was known was stated to him; but he could make nothing of it.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know when the Guardian-Mother left Gib, and of course I can't
+tell when she will overhaul us," said he. "She must have got off some
+time yesterday forenoon, and it is time that she was up with us. On the
+upper deck, Flix, watch the sails, and keep a lookout for the steamer
+astern."</p>
+
+<p>After Felix and Morris had dined they hastened to the promenade deck;
+they were interested in the sail astern, for it had been already
+demonstrated that it was steering the same course as the Maud. In a
+couple of hours more, her burgee, which had evidently been set for a
+purpose, could be distinguished.</p>
+
+<p>"It's the Guardian-Mother as sure as that my mother was born in
+Ireland!" exclaimed Felix, who was the lookout man, and had the glass,
+which he passed to Louis as soon as he had satisfied himself.</p>
+
+<p>"The sail is the Guardian-Mother!" he shouted over the pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe those on board of her will know the Maud," suggested
+Morris. "They never saw her carrying sail, and she will look like a
+strange sight to them."</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Ringgold will make her out in good time," added Louis.</p>
+
+<p>In half an hour the steamer astern was within a quarter of a mile of
+the Maud. At this time Pitts and Don came on the upper deck with the
+order from the captain to take in sail, which the former delivered to
+Morris as the first officer, and he had already hauled down the jib. It
+was an easy matter to furl the sails compared with what it had been to
+set them, and the stops were soon put on the after sails. There was no
+longer any need of the party on the upper deck, and they descended to
+the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the Guardian-Mother was abreast of the Maud, and hardly a
+biscuit's throw from her. In this position she stopped her screw, and
+Captain Scott rang one bell for the same purpose.</p>
+
+<p>"Maud, ahoy!" shouted Captain Ringgold from the officer's promenade,
+where all the cabin party were seated.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the Guardian-Mother!" returned Captain Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"How goes it?" asked the commander of the ship, putting a general
+question which covered everything.</p>
+
+<p>"All well, sir!" answered the captain of the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>The sea was still too rough to permit the two vessels to come
+alongside each other; but it was seen from the little steamer that
+the Guardian-Mother was lowering the first cutter into the water,
+and in a few minutes that her crew were pulling to the consort, with
+the commander in the stern-sheets. The gangway was rigged out on the
+starboard quarter, for it was not a fixture as on board of larger
+steamers. No one was required at the helm or engine of the Maud, and
+all hands gathered in the standing-room to give the commander an
+appropriate welcome.</p>
+
+<p>The only proper salute that came to the mind of Captain Scott was
+three cheers, which he called for, and they were given with decided
+enthusiasm. No one could blame the young commander of the little
+steamer for feeling very much exhilarated as the time came for him
+to make his first report of the cruise. He had brought his craft
+safely through a smart gale in as good condition as when she had left
+Gibraltar. If he was proud of the achievement, as he certainly was, he
+had sufficient foundation for an honest pride.</p>
+
+<p>The cutter came up to the gangway on the lee side, and Captain Ringgold
+ascended to the deck, which was not a long journey, for the Maud sat
+low in the water. The ship's company stood in a group, with Captain
+Scott in front of them as the commander came over the rail. He went
+directly to the captain, who was the first to be saluted in virtue of
+his office, and took him by the hand.</p>
+
+<p>"We did not recognize the Maud when we first made her out," said
+Captain Ringgold. "We never saw her under sail before; but she looked
+quite natural after you had furled everything."</p>
+
+<p>Without waiting for any reply, the commander shook hands with Morris,
+Louis, and Felix, and nodded to the two engineers.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Captain Scott, I did not find you exactly where I expected to
+overhaul you, for you are about twenty-five miles farther along than I
+supposed you would be," continued the captain of the Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>"We were rolling very heavily in the gale, sir, and I bent on the
+foresail, which made things easier on board; and as the wind was fair,
+we made twelve and thirteen knots an hour for about ten hours."</p>
+
+<p>"It was a smart gale; and when I did not find you where I expected, I
+was a little anxious about you this forenoon. How does the Maud behave
+in heavy weather, Captain Scott?"</p>
+
+<p>"Like a lady, sir; of course she does a great deal of rolling on
+account of her size, but she stood it very well, and kept up her speed
+in spite of the knocking about she had."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you have become a sailor by this time, Louis," added Captain
+Ringgold, turning to the young millionaire.</p>
+
+<p>"Not much of a sailor, sir," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"You must be full-fledged, Mr. Woolridge, after the experience of the
+last thirty-six hours," he added.</p>
+
+<p>"I tried to do my duty, sir," answered Morris, rather startled to hear
+himself mistered,— a distinction to which he was entitled as mate,
+though the big four had been more familiar with him.</p>
+
+<p>"Mrs. Belgrave and Mrs. Woolridge were somewhat worried about you
+during the gale; but Mr. Boulong will take you to the ship, Louis and
+Morris, while I am arranging things with the captain for the future,"
+said the commander. "You will return in an hour."</p>
+
+<p>The first officer of the Guardian-Mother took the hands of the young
+gentlemen as he received them in the cutter, and listened with interest
+to a brief account of their voyage. In return he told them the news
+from the steamer, and told them what had passed between Captain
+Ringgold and the Pacha. But the time was too short to say much, and in
+a few minutes both of them were in the arms of their mothers, after
+which there was a general shaking of hands with the other passengers.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see that we have any occasion to go to Malta," said the
+commander to the captain of the Maud, after the departure of the
+cutter. "We can take that in at another time. Have you had any trouble
+of any kind on board?"</p>
+
+<p>"None whatever, sir," replied Scott, hardly understanding the meaning
+of the question.</p>
+
+<p>"Boys will sometimes get up ill-feeling and even quarrels among
+themselves when they are off on their own hook," added Captain Ringgold
+with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"There has not been a particle of trouble of any kind, or anything
+like ill-feeling," protested Scott very warmly. "Every one has obeyed
+orders, and when I bent on the foresail in the gale all were ready
+to work, whether they were on watch or not. It was a hard job on the
+promenade deck, which would not hold still a moment, and where we were
+wet to the skin with every spray that flopped over her. I have not
+heard a growl or a grumble since we sailed from Gib. Pitts and Don have
+done all kinds of work, and done it cheerfully."</p>
+
+<p>"Your report is excellent, Captain Scott. I have been considering
+whether or not I should hoist the Maud on the upper deck of the ship,"
+replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I haven't anything to say about that sir; but I believe I
+could go around the world in the Maud. Our casks leaked all the water
+out, and we had to get a fresh supply off Alboran;" and Scott detailed
+the meeting with the felucca.</p>
+
+<p>"You have done so well, and got along so pleasantly, that I will not
+take the Maud on board of the ship, and you shall proceed on the
+voyage."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold marked the course for the Maud on the chart to
+Constantinople. Louis and Morris returned to the little steamer at the
+end of the hour, and both vessels proceeded on the voyage.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE PROFESSOR'S LECTURE ON ALGERIA</p>
+
+
+<p>It would require several volumes to detail all the particulars of the
+daily life of the big four on board of the Maud during the long voyage
+from the point where the two vessels had met to Constantinople, where
+Captain Ringgold had decided to make his next stay of any length. The
+routine of duty and the ordinary experience of the young Americans
+afloat have been described so that the reader can understand how the
+days were passed on board of the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold had decided that the Guardian-Mother and her consort,
+as the Maud had now come to be called, should keep together, the
+former regulating her speed by that of the latter. At the same time
+the commander had marked out the course on the chart of Captain Scott,
+so that he could proceed on the voyage alone if by any accident they
+should be separated.</p>
+
+<p>This course was along the coast of Africa, passing Algiers and Tunis,
+as far as Cape Bon; then stretching across to Cape Passaro, the
+south-eastern point of the island of Sicily, leaving Malta on the
+right. From this cape the course was east for about four hundred
+miles to the southern capes of Greece, and passing through the channel
+between the island of Cerigo and the mainland into the Archipelago,
+where the course would generally be north-east to the Dardanelles.
+After going through this strait and the Sea of Marmora, the little
+squadron would arrive at its destination at the city of the Sultan.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps Captain Ringgold was a little facetious about it, but he called
+this voyage running away from Ali-Noury Pacha; and it is certain that
+Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge were very much relieved after the steamer left
+Gibraltar, where the Fatimé was still at anchor. But the need of coal
+and fresh provisions would require that some calls should be made at
+the various ports on or near the course.</p>
+
+<p>The commander had consulted his passengers frequently in regard to
+where they should go and what they should do. They always protested
+that they should be happy wherever the commander took them; but now
+that the danger of encountering the Pacha appeared to be removed, they
+expressed their minds more freely, though they often changed them.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose we are going over some of this ground, or rather this water
+again, are we not?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"I think not," replied Captain Ringgold.</p>
+
+<p>"But we all want to see something of Algiers," added the lady.</p>
+
+<p>"Algeria is French now; but I have never been there," added Professor
+Giroud.</p>
+
+<p>"It is only about eighty miles to Captain Scott's red cross off
+Algiers, and we shall be up with it at midnight; but as you desire
+to visit the place, we will go there," replied the commander; and he
+ordered the course to be changed a point to the southward.</p>
+
+<p>"Algiers" was spelled out with the signal flags for the Maud; and she
+replied that the message was understood. At two o'clock in the morning
+the Guardian-Mother stopped her screw off the red and green lights
+placed at the ends of the two moles that enclose the inner harbor, and
+the Maud followed her example. The city is built partly on a hill five
+hundred feet high, and partly on the low ground in front of it. It is
+on the west side of a bay between Capes Caxine and Matifou, on each of
+which is a light.</p>
+
+<p>In the early morning the ship led the way into the harbor, and stopped
+at the approach of the quarantine boat. The Maud placed herself
+alongside the Guardian-Mother, and the doctor boarded her first. He
+addressed Captain Scott in French; but Louis, who could speak the
+language nearly as well as he could English, hastened to his relief. He
+stated that the little steamer was the tender of the big one, which was
+a yacht on a pleasure voyage. The Frenchman laughed, was exceedingly
+polite, and hastened on board of the principal vessel.</p>
+
+<p>She had a clean bill of health, and being a yacht, the custom-house
+officers, who soon appeared, had no duties to perform or exact. The
+big four breakfasted on board of the ship, and it was a pleasant
+reunion after the separation. After the meal the party gathered on
+the promenade. Blanche Woolridge manifested a great deal of pleasure
+at meeting Louis again, and he assisted her to mount the steps to the
+upper deck, and provided her with a chair, taking a seat beside her;
+and neither her father nor mother frowned at this act of courtesy.</p>
+
+<p>Somewhat to the astonishment of the company, as soon as they were all
+seated where they could see the upper and the lower city spread out
+before them, Professor Giroud took a position in front of them. Without
+saying anything to others, the commander had invited him to tell them
+something about Algérie, as it is called in French.</p>
+
+<p>"I obey the order of the commander of the Guardian-Mother in standing
+up before you to say something about Algérie; and I hope I shall not
+be so dry as to tire you out in half an hour," the scholar of the ship
+began; and he was answered with a round of applause in which all the
+ladies joined. "Algérie was formerly a part of the Turkish Empire; but
+the French have conquered it and made it a colony of my country, and
+extended its boundary about two hundred miles farther to the south. Its
+area is said to be a hundred and sixty thousand square miles; but that
+is only an estimate. As our good captain would add, it is nearest in
+size to the State of California, and about four times as large as the
+State of Virginia.</p>
+
+<p>"The population is estimated at 2,600,000, considerably more than half
+of them being Europeans, mostly French. About one-fifth of the country
+is under cultivation; and some of it is very fertile, especially in the
+river valleys. If you look at your maps you will see that the Barbary
+States—Morocco, Algérie, and Tunis—are crossed by mountain ranges
+quite near the coast, as on the west coast of South America, so that
+there can be no large rivers in them.</p>
+
+<p>"Algiers, Bona, and Oran are the principal cities. The provinces with
+these names are extremely fertile, and were formerly the granaries of
+Italy. The Southern parts are something like the desert of Sahara,
+which they border, but contain oases, which are part of the date
+country.</p>
+
+<p>"The climate in some parts is very hot, but it is cool on the seashore
+and cold in the high mountains. The thermometer averages sixty-three
+in this city. The productions are the grains, resin, timber, olives,
+and dates. Oxen, sheep, and camels are the animals. French is now the
+language of the people, though Arabic and Turkish are still spoken. In
+ancient days the eastern part was the country of the Numidians, and the
+western of the Moors, or a portion of what was called Mauritania."</p>
+
+<p>"My favorite name," added Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"A pretty name, but with little to recommend it, madame," added the
+professor. "As Roman colonies these regions enjoyed their highest
+prosperity; but the conquest of the Vandals sent them back into a state
+of barbarism. The Mohammedans then got possession, and an improvement
+followed, and at one time the Arabian savants held the burden of the
+knowledge then in existence.</p>
+
+<p>"When Ferdinand and Isabella completed the conquest of Granada, the
+year that Columbus discovered America, they drove the Jews and Moors
+over into Africa. In revenge for the treatment they had received,
+they became pirates, and preyed upon their late oppressors. For this
+Ferdinand attacked them, and captured this city in 1509, fortifying the
+place. One of the Algerine princes called in Barbarossa, the famous
+pirate chief, to his assistance. He was a renegade Greek, and had
+become a Turk. This pirate turned his forces against the emir who had
+called him over, treacherously murdered him, and made himself Sultan.
+He was very successful in his wars; the Spaniards were alarmed, and
+marched out from Oran upon him. Barbarossa was taken prisoner and
+beheaded, and his brother was chosen his successor. He called in the
+aid of the Turkish government, whose armies drove the Spaniard out of
+the country. They established a system of despotism and piracy, which
+lasted till 1830. For three hundred years the nations of Europe warred
+against this piracy.</p>
+
+<p>"In 1815 a United States fleet defeated the Algerines, and compelled
+the dey to respect the American flag ever after. The pirates still
+exacted tribute or presents from several of the nations of Europe.
+Various outrages upon the commerce and officials of France brought on a
+war, which continued with more or less activity for thirty years, and
+was only ended by the capture of Abd-el-kader. The French have been
+engaged in extending their conquest up to the present time.</p>
+
+<p>"The city before you, or the beginning of it, was built in the year 935
+by an Arab chief, whose name I don't remember. The fortress you see on
+the hill, five hundred feet high, is the Casbah, and commands the whole
+city, as the deys who occupied it found it necessary to overawe their
+own subjects. You observe the lower town nearest to you, and with the
+exception of a few mosques, it consists of government and commercial
+buildings. The French occupy this part of the town, while the upper
+city is still Moorish, as its people and its inhabitants will assure
+you when you visit it; and this is the part of the city that will
+interest you most. But I think I have said enough, and perhaps too
+much."</p>
+
+<p>"No!" shouted Dr. Hawkes, as the professor stepped back and took his
+seat. "I have been very much interested, for I knew next to nothing
+about Algeria."</p>
+
+<p>"I heartily indorse the remark of my Brother Adipose Tissue," added
+Uncle Moses, and the whole party gave a round of applause as an
+expression of the general sentiment.</p>
+
+<p>"I see that I did wisely and well to call on the professor for this
+occasion instead of attempting the task he has done so well," said the
+commander. "But we will use our time while we have it and the weather
+is pleasant. We are not compelled to take to the barge or cutters for
+the purpose of going on shore, for we are fortunately provided with a
+tender under the name of the Maud; and I have directed the engineers
+to have her in readiness for us. We shall now be under the command of
+Captain Scott."</p>
+
+<p>"I can find my way to the shore, but I am not a pilot in this harbor,"
+added the captain of the Maud. "I see the custom-house, and I will
+land you there. There is not less than eighteen feet of water anywhere
+within the moles, and we can't get aground."</p>
+
+<p>Pitts had put the water into the half-casks, and lowered them into
+the run. They did not leak now. The velvet cushions were placed on
+the seats, and the awning stretched out for the protection of the
+passengers. The standing-room was just a pattern for them. Captain
+Scott took the wheel, and in five minutes the little steamer was
+alongside the wharf, for it was not more than three cables' length from
+the ship. The party divided into groups according to their own fancies.
+The two fat men were in sympathy, and went together. As usual, Captain
+Ringgold was the escort of Mrs. Belgrave; the professor took charge of
+Mrs. Blossom; Louis placed himself at the side of Miss Blanche, and the
+other three of the big four went by themselves.</p>
+
+<p>"This is nothing but a French town, Miss Blanche," said Louis to his
+companion, after they had walked a short distance. "It looks like many
+others I have seen."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you could talk with these French people, Mr. Belgrave,"
+added the young lady.</p>
+
+<p>"I could; couldn't you?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure I could not. I have studied French in Switzerland and in New
+York, but I cannot speak it yet."</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid you don't practise it enough, Miss Blanche."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't practise it at all out of school, for I have no one to talk
+with. Morris can't speak French any more than I can, and mamma has
+forgotten all she ever knew."</p>
+
+<p>Louis spoke to her in French, and she replied to him in the same
+language. With a little assistance over hard places she got along very
+well, and declared that she was delighted with the exercise, which she
+should be glad to repeat every day.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXIV">CHAPTER XXXIV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">ORIENTAL VIEWS IN ALGIERS</p>
+
+
+<p>The party from the Guardian-Mother continued their walk towards the
+upper town till they came to a large square, which was laid out with
+lime and orange trees, and surrounded by the best buildings in the
+town, which were in European style. Captain Ringgold found a hotel
+there of considerable size, which he entered, and presently returned
+with a guide who spoke English and Arabic.</p>
+
+<p>"This is the Place Royale," replied this man in answer to a question.</p>
+
+<p>"You have all sorts of people here," said the commander. "Are there
+many English here?"</p>
+
+<p>"Very few English and Americans; only once in a while one who comes to
+look at the city."</p>
+
+<p>"Most of the nations seem to be represented here."</p>
+
+<p>"Arabs, Moors, Jews, French, Spaniards, Germans, Italians, Maltese,
+and Turks," added the guide. "That street is Bab-el Ouad, and a little
+farther is Bab-azoun, two of the best streets in the city; and they are
+very fine."</p>
+
+<p>"They are built like the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, with colonnades on
+each side; but they are very narrow, like the streets of most
+Spanish and Oriental cities. Bab means street, I take it," said the
+captain, as the party stopped to look down the first of the two
+streets. "When the sun is hot that would be a very comfortable place to
+walk."</p>
+
+<p>After the party had spent an hour in the Place Royale, with a short
+walk in the Bab-el Ouad, the guide conducted them up a narrow and
+irregular street to the upper town, where the scene became vastly more
+interesting because it was novel and strange.</p>
+
+<p>"I should think we were back in Mogadore," said Mrs. Belgrave, the only
+Oriental city she or any of the other passengers had ever seen, and
+every person and object commanded their attention.</p>
+
+<p>The people of this section were nearly all Mohammedans, and the few
+women they saw were veiled. Most of them were fat and dumpy, for
+obesity is a chief attraction in an Oriental belle. The Nubians were
+jet black, but they were as closely veiled as those who were whiter.
+Many mosques were in sight all the time, and the commander spoke to the
+guide about them.</p>
+
+<p>"There are one hundred mosques and marabouts in the city," said he.</p>
+
+<p>"What are marabouts?" asked the captain, and all the others were
+gathered around him to hear what was said; and the natives gazed at
+them as much in wonder as the tourists at the strange sight before
+them.</p>
+
+<p>"A marabout is a tomb, or the sanctuary of a saint, and some of them
+are very elegant edifices."</p>
+
+<p>"What is this in front of us?"</p>
+
+<p>"That is a <i>mesjid</i>, which means a second-class mosque, as you
+Americans would say. The principal ones are called <i>djamas</i>, and some
+of them are very elegant. The tomb of a dey or a very rich pacha is
+often exceedingly fine."</p>
+
+<p>"The houses here are very queer, Mr. Belgrave," said Miss Blanche; "but
+they are like those we saw in Mogadore, and not at all like those in
+the lower town."</p>
+
+<p>"That is a French town, and I saw two or three buildings five and six
+stories high. They have earthquakes here, and I should rather be in
+one of these Moorish houses than on the sixth floor of one of those
+lofty structures," replied Louis, who had read up a little as soon as
+he returned to the ship. "These dwellings all have flat roofs, Miss
+Blanche. Do you know why that is so?"</p>
+
+<p>"So that the rain can get into them, I should suppose," replied the
+beautiful maiden; and not only the French but the Moors had paused to
+get a second look at her.</p>
+
+<p>"Hardly for that; but as soon as the sun has gone down, in the cool
+of the evening, the people pass their time on the roof. I read some
+stories by a French writer who had spent some time in Algeria, and he
+speaks of passing his evenings on the roof of the house he had hired, a
+Moorish house in Bougie, on the seashore."</p>
+
+<p>"These houses have no windows, as we understand the word," said
+Blanche, who was taking in all the strange sight before her. "They are
+nothing but peek-holes, with iron bars, which make them look like so
+many prisons."</p>
+
+<p>"These houses would not suit us any better than ours would the people
+who live in them. These narrow streets keep out much of the glare of
+the hot sun, and make the place cooler than it would otherwise be. You
+noticed the same thing in Cadiz and Seville, and it is an Oriental
+idea."</p>
+
+<p>"It looked very odd to see omnibuses in the Place Royale, just as we
+see them in Paris."</p>
+
+<p>"The French have introduced a great many improvements here; in
+fact, they have everything here as they do in France, even to the
+horse-racing, of which the Arabs are very fond, as well as the
+Frenchmen."</p>
+
+<p>"Where did you learn so much about Algiers, Mr. Belgrave?" asked Miss
+Blanche, bestowing a pleasant smile upon him.</p>
+
+<p>"I have not had time to look up much about this town; but the ship's
+library contains books treating of all the cities in the world,"
+replied Louis, who felt just as though he was floundering about in a
+sugar-bowl all the time.</p>
+
+<p>"Before we come to another place I want to learn something about it,
+and I wish you would put me in the way of finding what I shall want."</p>
+
+<p>"I will do so with the greatest pleasure if I happen to be on board
+of the ship; but I shall probably continue to be a deck-hand on the
+Maud for the next week," replied Louis; and he thought of the only
+disadvantage that came to his mind in being in another craft than the
+Guardian-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>"You must have fine times on board of the Maud, Mr. Belgrave."</p>
+
+<p>"We all have to do duty there as the officers and seamen do on board of
+the ship."</p>
+
+<p>"I should like to sail some of the time in the little steamer, Mr.
+Belgrave," said Miss Blanche, looking her chaperon full in the face as
+if to ascertain the possibility of such a change.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe you would be as comfortable there as you are on board
+of the ship," replied Louis, not a little moved by the suggestion of
+the young lady.</p>
+
+<p>"I know I couldn't live on her; but I mean to ask Captain Ringgold to
+let me spend a day on board of her," persisted Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>The young millionaire thought it would be absolutely delightful for him
+to take his trick at the wheel with Miss Blanche standing on the lee
+side, with the privilege of looking at her occasionally,—for he never
+permitted himself to stare at any lady,—and the idea invested the Maud
+with a new charm.</p>
+
+<p>The sun had become very hot in the middle of the day, and they found
+the shade of the narrow streets very agreeable as they descended the
+rough thoroughfare to the lower town. The party were all complaining of
+the heat, and the commander sent the guide to procure an omnibus for
+them.</p>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+  <img src="images/illus8.jpg" alt="">
+  <div class="caption">
+    <p>"<span class="smcap">They found the shade of the narrow streets very agreeable.</span>"</p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="chap">
+
+<p>"The professor said the thermometer was only 63° here; but I should
+say it was 90° now, Mr. Belgrave," said Miss Blanche while they were
+waiting for the vehicle.</p>
+
+<p>"He spoke of the average temperature for the whole of Algeria, and
+there are snow and ice on some of the mountains. The professor only
+meant to say that it was not so hot as it might be," replied Louis, as
+the omnibus came for them. "To-day the south-west wind brings the hot
+air of the desert to Algiers."</p>
+
+<p>It was but a short ride to the custom-house, and the party embarked
+in the Maud. The tourists were glad enough to get on board the
+Guardian-Mother again, for it was comparatively cool under the awning
+on deck. The passengers all said they had seen enough of Algiers; for
+none of them were artists, antiquarians, or archæologists, and it would
+have been a bore for them to stay there a week, though the student of
+art or history would have found enough to occupy his time for a much
+longer period.</p>
+
+<p>A lighter was alongside the ship, filling up her bunkers with coal,
+and another supplied those of the Maud in the afternoon. At lunch the
+commander consulted the party in regard to their wishes. Something was
+said about putting in at Tunis by the professor; but the captain shook
+his head.</p>
+
+<p>"It is more than thirty miles off our course, and then at the head of a
+shallow lake nine miles farther," said he.</p>
+
+<p>"But it is within three miles of the ruins of ancient Carthage,"
+interposed the professor.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Delenda est Carthago</i>," replied the commander, laughing. "I believe
+that means that Carthage must be destroyed, or, in other words, a war
+of extermination; and I fear we must make that of Carthage in this
+instance, for the navigation is difficult. I went there when I was a
+boy during the war in the Crimea, and I can assure you that Tunis is a
+dirty hole, though it has some fine mosques, well-supplied bazaars, and
+the palace of the Bey is magnificent; but it hardly pays to go there.
+The professor is a fine classical scholar, and he would enjoy it more
+than any of the others. But if you wish to go there, I will take the
+ship to Tunis with the greatest pleasure imaginable."</p>
+
+<p>"Don't go there on my account, Captain Ringgold," protested Professor
+Giroud.</p>
+
+<p>"I will put it to vote, and the majority shall decide," replied the
+commander, and he proceeded to do so.</p>
+
+<p>No one, not even the professor, voted in favor of the visit, and the
+question was decided in the negative. In the middle of the afternoon
+the captain went on shore in the first cutter to attend to the
+formality of clearing. On his return the order was given to heave up
+the anchor, and the ship's company of the Maud was sent on board of
+her. The officers took leave of the party that were to proceed in the
+ship.</p>
+
+<p>"I want to sail some day in the Maud, Captain Ringgold," interposed
+Miss Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>"Not now, I hope, for it will soon be night, and there are no
+accommodations on board of her for you," replied the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"No; I mean some day when the sea is not too rough," added the maiden.</p>
+
+<p>"There will be no difficulty at all about it, Miss Woolridge; and I
+thought of sending all my passengers on board of the Maud when we get
+to the Archipelago, for then we shall be in sight of land all the time
+among the islands. I can easily put you on board of her some morning
+when it is pleasant, and you say the word."</p>
+
+<p>Louis was satisfied that Miss Blanche would soon be a passenger on
+board of the Maud for a day, and he went to his duties on board of the
+little steamer. He had talked with the professor about his studies, and
+he took his books with him. The pilot was on board the Guardian-Mother,
+and the Maud was to follow her out of the harbor. The two steamers went
+to sea that night, and the weather was delightful. The rough sea had
+subsided, and the commander anticipated a prosperous voyage.</p>
+
+<p>He was not mistaken in his prognostication; for in four days and
+sixteen hours the steamers were off Cape Matapan, the southern point of
+Greece. The professor became enthusiastic when the name was announced;
+Dr. Hawkes and Uncle Moses, both of whom were graduates of colleges and
+interested in classic lore, were not unmoved.</p>
+
+<p>Off Cape Bon, which is within seventy-five miles of the island of
+Sicily, and with the exception of Spain at the Strait of Gibraltar, is
+the shortest distance between Europe and "The Dark Continent." At this
+Cape Miss Blanche was put on board of the Maud, and remained there till
+evening, greatly to the beatification of the millionaire deck-hand.
+Two days later the visit was repeated, this time in company with
+Mrs. Belgrave; and they were on board of the Maud when she made Cape
+Matapan.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXV">CHAPTER XXXV</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE</p>
+
+
+<p>Since the departure from Algiers the weather had been like a dream of
+paradise. The African winds came over water enough to cool them, and
+the thermometer on the deck of the Guardian-Mother stood at seventy,
+hardly varying from that during the day. Across the Ionian Sea, between
+Sicily and Greece, the sea was somewhat disturbed, but not enough to
+make it uncomfortable, even on board of the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>"I think this is perfectly delicious!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave, as the
+little steamer was passing Cape Matapan about noon.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing could be finer," replied Captain Scott, who had just been
+relieved by the port watch.</p>
+
+<p>Morris was at the wheel, and Louis had seated Miss Blanche on the
+forecastle, where he was keeping the lookout. Pitts was busily engaged
+in getting up a dinner as elaborate as the resources of the little
+steamer would permit for the guests on board.</p>
+
+<p>"You seem to know all the land and all the water in this part of the
+world as well as Captain Ringgold, Captain Scott," said Mrs. Belgrave,
+after they had passed the Cape.</p>
+
+<p>"Why should I not? I have never been here before, but my chart puts me
+in possession of all it is necessary to know in connection with the
+navigation," replied the captain, flattered by the remark and not less
+by the smile of the lady. "We have to cross the entrance of the Gulf of
+Kolokythia now; but it is not more than twenty miles wide, and then we
+go into the Cervi Channel."</p>
+
+<p>"Dinner all ready for the starboard watch, Captain Scott," said Pitts,
+presenting himself in the standing-room.</p>
+
+<p>"Where is Miss Blanche?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"She is keeping the lookout with Louis," replied the captain with a
+significant smile. "The steward will call her."</p>
+
+<p>"I will call her myself," replied the lady as she went forward, where
+she found Blanche looking through a spy-glass at the shores of Greece
+under the direction of Louis, who held the end of the glass. "Come to
+dinner with the starboard watch, Miss Blanche."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't want any dinner yet, Mrs. Belgrave, for I wish to find the hut
+of the hermit of whom Captain Ringgold told us this morning."</p>
+
+<p>"You will not find it here, for the hermit lived on Cape Malea," said
+the lady with a merry laugh. "Besides, they don't keep a restaurant on
+board the Maud, and have 'meals at all hours.'"</p>
+
+<p>"But the port watch must have meals at all hours; and I have already
+accepted an invitation to dine with Mr. Woolridge, the distinguished
+first officer of the Maud, and the equally distinguished deck-hand
+without any handle to his name whom you call Louis, and I call Mr.
+Belgrave."</p>
+
+<p>The young lady had her own way, and dined with the port watch to the
+great satisfaction of the young millionaire deck-hand. The dinner was
+late on account of the extra preparations made for the guests, and did
+not conform to the usual hours. The dinner was very creditable to the
+skill of Pitts; and Miss Blanche enjoyed it quite as much as Louis,
+though it was doubtless a very tame affair to Morris, who was not
+elevated to the seventh heaven by the circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>The Maud sped on her course, and was in the middle of the gulf with the
+Greek name when the port watch finished the dinner, and Louis returned
+to his post on the forecastle; but the young lady seemed to prefer this
+part of the deck, and accompanied him. The captain and Felix returned
+to the standing-room when they were relieved, for they had served out
+of course on account of the lateness of the dinner hour.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you begin to feel at home here, Flix," said the captain as
+they seated themselves opposite Mrs. Belgrave. "I believe you have
+always claimed to be a Greek, though you were born in America."</p>
+
+<p>"Is it a Grake? Upon me worrud I am a Grake from Kilkenny," replied
+Felix; Mrs. Belgrave, who had known him from his childhood, always
+laughed when he spoke the Milesian dialect, and he used half a dozen
+different ones.</p>
+
+<p>"Can you give us the Greek name of this island on the starboard hand to
+which we are coming?"</p>
+
+<p>"Av coorse Oi kin; sure it's Sayraygo."</p>
+
+<p>"I was not aware that you knew any Greek, Felix," added Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"Nayther do I know the Grake these haythins shpake out here. It's only
+the pure Grake, as it comes from Kilkenny, that Oi know."</p>
+
+<p>"But what is the name of the island we are coming to, Captain Scott?"
+asked the lady.</p>
+
+<p>"Flix told you correctly, only he pronounced it in Greek. It is Cerigo."</p>
+
+<p>"That's jist what Oi say, Sayraygo!" exclaimed Felix. "Sorra one uv 'em
+out here knows how to shpake Grake."</p>
+
+<p>Louis had to take the wheel at four bells, and Miss Blanche resumed
+her place on the lee side of him, precisely as he had imagined the
+scene beforehand. She remained there till eight bells, when the port
+watch was relieved. At three whistles, about three bells, the steamer
+stopped, and the second cutter came for the two lady passengers. The
+young lady declared that she had had a delightful time all day when she
+met her mother at the gangway.</p>
+
+<p>The next day, while the little fleet were sailing through the
+Archipelago, the entire party went on board of the Maud, and passed the
+day with the big four. They chatted, laughed, and sang all day long,
+making just such a pleasure excursion of it as most of them had often
+enjoyed at home. They were so delighted that they repeated the visit
+the next day, and left the little steamer only at the entrance to the
+Dardanelles, for they could see the shores better from the deck of the
+big steamer. The night was passed on the Sea of Marmora; and they were
+all sorry when the darkness prevented them from seeing the strange
+sights that still surrounded them. The steamers had been obliged to
+slow down so as not to arrive in the night; but early in the morning
+they went into the Golden Horn.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Ringgold, fully appreciating the anxiety and trouble into which
+the reappearance of Ali-Noury Pacha had thrown the parents of Miss
+Blanche, had suddenly reversed his principal plan, which was to follow
+the southern coast of Europe to its most eastern point which it was
+desirable to visit. Instead of doing so, he had followed the coast of
+Africa as far as Cape Bon, and then continued to the eastward till he
+reached the Archipelago. In this manner the Guardian-Mother and her
+puny consort had sailed over two thousand miles.</p>
+
+<p>A great deal had been said by the boys and also by the passengers about
+the Orient; and they had certainly been cruising in the Orient the
+greater portion of the distance. The Barbary States were Mohammedan
+countries, and they had been near their shores half the time. The
+commander was sorry they had not been able to pass through the Sea of
+Marmora in the daytime; but he had slowed down so that they entered the
+Bosporus at six o'clock in the morning, and the passengers had seen the
+sun rise, which most of them were not in the habit of seeing.</p>
+
+<p>The entire party were gathered together in their usual place when
+they desired to see to the best advantage the surroundings—on the
+promenade, which was about seven feet higher than the upper deck. A
+pilot had been taken at the entrance to the Dardanelles, and another on
+the sea a few miles from the Oriental city.</p>
+
+<p>"The Bosporus here is just about one mile wide," said Captain Ringgold,
+who had now nothing to do but attend to his passengers.</p>
+
+<p>"What does Bosporus mean?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"It means 'Cow-ford,'" replied Professor Giroud, whom the Captain asked
+to make the explanation. "Perhaps 'Heifer-ford' would be the better
+name, for it comes from mythology. Io was the daughter of Inachus, king
+of Argos, Peloponnesus (now called the Morea), which we saw day before
+yesterday, Cape Matapan being its most southern point. She was a very
+pretty young lady, and Jupiter, as he was very apt to do in such cases,
+fell in love with her."</p>
+
+<p>"We haven't much time for long yarns just now, Professor," laughed the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I will finish in a moment. Juno, who was the wife of Jupiter, properly
+enough under such circumstances, was jealous of Io, and turned her into
+a white heifer. She then caused a gad-fly to torment Io, and sent her
+wandering all over the earth. In the course of her travels she swam
+over this Strait. 'Bos' is the Latin for ox or cow. It is also said
+that the name was given because the Strait was so narrow that a cow
+could swim across it. That is all, Captain."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Professor, for the explanation. I did not wish to hurry
+you, but I desire to point out some of the localities here. The land on
+our left is occupied by the site of the ancient city of Byzantium. We
+are now off the Seraglio, where you see the palaces. It is an enclosure
+three miles in circumference; but we shall visit it in due time."</p>
+
+<p>"Is that Constantinople also on our right?" asked Uncle Moses.</p>
+
+<p>"That is Scutari," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"There is a lighthouse near the shore," added Miss Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>"It is not a lighthouse, Miss Woolridge. It is sometimes called
+Leander's Tower, and the Turks call it Kiz Kullehsi, which means
+Maiden's Tower. I suppose you have heard of a young gentleman by the
+name of Leander," added the captain, turning to Miss Blanche.</p>
+
+<p>"He swam the Hellespont to see Hero. Then this is the Hellespont of
+ancient times," replied the young lady.</p>
+
+<p>"It is not; and there is no reason to call that tower after Leander.
+The Dardanelles was the Hellespont over which he swam; and it was no
+great thing, for Lord Byron did it for the fun of it. Now we are off
+Seraglio Point, and entering the waters of the Golden Horn, which is
+simply an arm of the Bosporus, of which there are several others,
+extending about five miles inland. The water in it is very deep, and
+there is room enough for more than a thousand large ships to lie at
+anchor in its quiet waters.</p>
+
+<p>"Now you will leave the Bosporus on your right," continued the
+commander, as the steamer turned into the Golden Horn, closely followed
+by the Maud. "In front of you is the modern city, and the part nearest
+to us is Galata, the commercial section. On the hill is Pera, where
+the hotels are situated, and where all the foreign ministers reside.
+Farther up the Strait is Tophana, where the Sultan lives at the present
+time in a magnificent palace."</p>
+
+<p>In the earlier morning the party had taken its first view of
+Constantinople, and some of them had made the usual remark that it
+looked like the most beautiful city in the world. The mosques, towers,
+and minarets glittered in the rays of the rising sun, and gave it a
+glory which a walk through its streets, narrow and dirty, fails to
+realize. The pilot rang to stop the screw when the ship was near the
+shore; and she came to anchor quite near the landing, for the water was
+very deep.</p>
+
+<p>Both of the steamers were immediately surrounded by a multitude of
+boats, containing runners for the hotels, and men who wanted the job of
+taking the passengers to the shore. A big fat Turk, who proved to be a
+custom-house officer, came on board of the Guardian-Mother. He could
+not speak English, but addressed the captain in Italian, which is the
+language used on board of the Austrian Lloyd's steamers, which ply on
+the Black and Mediterranean Seas in great numbers.</p>
+
+<p>"Hotel d'Angleterre," called a man dressed like a Greek, as a boat came
+alongside the Maud.</p>
+
+<p>"We don't want any boat," replied Captain Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Come alongside, Maud!" shouted Captain Ringgold.</p>
+
+<p>Scott rang the bell, and the Maud went ahead to the discomfiture of the
+boats, and the little steamer was made fast to the big one. Louis and
+Morris went on board, and were warmly received by their mothers. The
+passengers had descended from the promenade, and were seated under the
+awning, where the professor was to speak to them about Turkey.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXVI">CHAPTER XXXVI</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE CITY OF THE SULTAN</p>
+
+
+<p>Pitts and the engineers remained on board of the Maud, but the rest of
+her ship's company repaired to the deck of the Guardian-Mother, where
+the captain and the professor were to tell them something about Turkey.
+They had been studying geography all the time, and they had obtained
+a better knowledge of the countries visited than it would be possible
+to get from books and maps. History was to be mingled with it so far
+as practicable. The regular class in the library, consisting of Miss
+Blanche and the big four, were present, for their instruction was one
+of the principal purposes of the voyage round the world.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you all know where you are," said Captain Ringgold, rising
+from his chair.</p>
+
+<p>"In a horn," replied Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the standard joke of this locality, and I heard it thirty-four
+years ago when lying at anchor where we are now," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought it would be as fresh and new as though it just came out of
+Kilkenny," added the Milesian.</p>
+
+<p>"No; it is a chestnut. But why is it called the Golden Horn?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because that's the best sort of a horn to be in," answered Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"Hardly. This gulf, as it properly is, extends back about five miles,
+and several streams flow into it from the Valley of the Sweet Waters.
+It gets its name from its shape, and it is called golden on account of
+the riches brought to its shores from other lands. It is a safe harbor,
+though great storms sometimes pass through the Bosporus. You can see
+that it is crossed by two bridges of boats."</p>
+
+<p>"With two humps in each of them," said Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"Those are to enable boats to pass under them; and some of the pontoons
+are drawn aside to permit the passage of large crafts. Do any of you
+happen to know the name of this country?"</p>
+
+<p>"Turkey; and it was named after the Thanksgiving bird," replied Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"The bird of which you speak is a native of Mexico, and was first taken
+to Europe by the Spaniards."</p>
+
+<p>"Thanks to the Spaniards, for we have eaten the bird in Europe."</p>
+
+<p>"The people here wouldn't know what you meant if you called their
+country by the name of the bird. Their name is Osmanli Vilaieti; but we
+do not expect you to speak Turkish, and the proper name in English is
+The Turkish or Ottoman Empire. It consists of three divisions, Turkey
+in Europe, in Asia, and in Africa. The first has thirty thousand less
+square miles than New York and Pennsylvania together. We used to
+say it had a population of fifteen millions; but it has lost Servia,
+Roumania, and Bulgaria, and a census makes it less than five. The whole
+empire is estimated at twenty-seven and a half millions.</p>
+
+<p>"The principal industry is agriculture, which is carried on in a very
+slipshod manner. Grain, rice, cotton, and tobacco are raised. Olives,
+grapes, figs, dates, oranges, citron, and otto of roses are largely
+exported. The ladies will find the last at the Bazaar. This is about
+the season here for the nicest grapes in the world, and you will see
+them for sale about the streets. If you wish to buy them, the money
+here is in <i>piastres</i>, worth five cents apiece, and <i>paras</i>, of which
+it takes forty to make five cents, or one-eighth of a cent apiece.
+At the hotels and foreign stores French money, which is the same as
+Italian, is used, a franc or lira passing for eighty-eight <i>piastres</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"The present Sultan is Abdul-Hamid II., born in 1842. In Turkey the
+eldest son does not succeed to the throne of his father, as in most
+Christian countries. The founder of the empire was Othman, who reigned
+in the thirteenth century, and his oldest male descendant succeeds to
+the crown up to the present day. When I was here the second time in
+1870, Abdul-Aziz was the Sultan. I took my hat off and bowed to him on
+his way to the mosque; but he took no notice of me. His son, Yussuf
+Izzeddin Effendi, a boy of thirteen, returned my salute, and was more
+polite than his father.</p>
+
+<p>"When the Sultan Aziz became the Sultan that was, to repeat an old
+joke, the boy I had seen had to step aside for his Uncle Murad, who was
+older, and therefore nearer in his descent from the original Othman.
+Murad reigned but three months, and was then deposed as an idiot; but
+he had a brother, who is the present Sultan, Abdul-Hamid II."</p>
+
+<p>"I thought these sultans were not married like other princes," said
+Mrs. Woolridge.</p>
+
+<p>"They are not; for the Imperial Harem, as it is called, is a state
+institution, and all the children born there are equal and legitimate.
+The ladies there are usually brought in from other countries,
+principally Circassia, and they are practically slaves. The Sultan does
+not contract a regular marriage as we understand the matter; but from
+the inmates of the Harem he usually selects seven, who are supposed to
+be more especially his wives. An aged lady is the superintendent of
+this institution, through whom alone any communication can be obtained
+with the outer world; and then it must be done with the guard of
+<i>eunuchs</i>, whose chief is the equal of the Grand Vizier, the principal
+officer of state, and is his superior on some occasions."</p>
+
+<p>The commander retired, introducing the professor.</p>
+
+<p>"The government of Turkey is called an absolute monarchy; but it is
+limited by the Koran and the Multeka, which is a collection of sayings
+of Mohammed and his immediate successors. The Grand Vizier represents
+the sultan, and is the head of the government as the premier is in
+England and France. Next to him is the Sheik-ul-Islam, who is the
+head of the church. There are a dozen or more ministers in the several
+departments.</p>
+
+<p>"The history of the Ottoman Empire is simply a record of conquests over
+other divisions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Turks originally came
+out of Tartary. It would require too much time to relate the events of
+these wars, and you may read an epitome of them in several books in the
+library. This country has long been regarded as the 'sick man,' and no
+doubt it would have been dismembered before this time if the nations
+of Europe had not been jealous of any increase of territory and power,
+each of any other. Russia would like to have Constantinople, which
+could be made the finest seaport in the world. England and France have
+been the allies of Turkey to prevent Russia from becoming too powerful
+by its acquisition. But I think you are all in a hurry to go on shore,
+and I will not detain you longer."</p>
+
+<p>After lunch the party went on shore in the Maud, to the great
+disgust of the boatmen. There were no carriages to be had, and they
+were obliged to walk. A steamer had just come in, and they had an
+opportunity to see how a passenger with a trunk and other baggage
+would get to his hotel in the Rue de Pera, at the summit of the hill.
+A porter with a kind of saddle on his back, having a shelf for his
+burden, rendered this service. The trunk was placed on this shelf, the
+valise and packages on the top of it, till they were piled up higher
+than his head.</p>
+
+<p>"That man is called a <i>hammal</i>, Miss Blanche," said Louis, who had
+placed himself at her side.</p>
+
+<p>"He has to carry an awful load," she replied as they followed him up
+the street, which was not more than eight feet wide, and was very wet
+and muddy. "There is a lady coming down the hill; at least, I take her
+for one."</p>
+
+<p>She was stout, and not very clean. She wore about the same trousers as
+the men, with a sort of long jacket and red slippers. She was closely
+veiled, and her <i>yashmak</i> was quite thick.</p>
+
+<p>"She needs a veil, for she is as homely as a hedge fence," said Louis,
+laughing. "There is one who is better-looking, and her veil is not so
+thick."</p>
+
+<p>"What a lot of dogs!" exclaimed the young lady, as her companion shoved
+one out of her path. "I should think every person in the city kept one."</p>
+
+<p>"On the contrary, no one keeps a dog. They do not belong to any person,
+but every one of them has to look out for himself."</p>
+
+<p>A little farther along a mule was approaching with panniers on his
+back, filled with cord wood. The street at this point was not more
+than six feet wide, and they had to step into a doorway to avoid being
+knocked down. They reached the Rue de Pera, which was wider, and looked
+a little more like a street in a European city. They walked through
+a portion of it, looking in at the shop windows, till they came to
+Misserie's, as it is oftener called than Hotel d'Angleterre, its proper
+name.</p>
+
+<p>At this hotel Captain Ringgold procured the services of two guides who
+were to serve the tourists for the next week, and longer if needed; and
+they were to be on board of the steamer the next morning. Dimitri was
+the principal one, and was a Greek; the other was a Turk, whose name
+was Munif. Both of them spoke English, French, and Italian, as well as
+Greek and Turkish.</p>
+
+<p>"To-morrow will be Friday, and that is the Mohammedan Sunday, and
+you can see the Sultan when he goes in procession to the church,"
+said Dimitri. "You will need a <i>firman</i> to visit the mosques and holy
+places."</p>
+
+<p>"We must certainly see the Sultan, and the procession will be a fine
+sight," added Mrs. Belgrave. "But what is a <i>firman</i>?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is a permit to visit the sacred places of the city, given by the
+Sultan, or in his name; and it costs five hundred <i>piastres</i>, or
+twenty-five dollars," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Then it is very expensive to see the sights here."</p>
+
+<p>"The <i>commissionaires</i>, or guides, usually make up a party of a dozen,
+so that it does not cost but about two dollars apiece. Be sure and have
+the <i>firman</i> ready for to-morrow, Dimitri," said the captain as the
+party left the hotel, though they halted in the street.</p>
+
+<p>"But how are we to get about this city if there are no carriages?"
+asked Mrs. Woolridge. "The walk I had up that narrow street, through
+the mud and garbage, was quite enough for me."</p>
+
+<p>"We have carriages, though it is impossible for them to go through
+most of the streets; but there is a fine road at Tophana, where we see
+procession," interposed Dimitri.</p>
+
+<p>"Engage enough of them to seat the party," added Captain Ringgold.</p>
+
+<p>"There are sedans for ladies, and saddle horses for gentleman when we
+go to the Seraglio," added the guide, who hastened away to procure the
+<i>firman</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"There is a pedler selling grapes," said Miss Blanche, as she
+discovered a Turk with a big basket at a corner.</p>
+
+<p>He was dressed in full Turkish costume, and Felix insisted that he
+had escaped from some circus company. The basket looked as though it
+contained about two bushels of the fruit; but it was a fraud with a
+partition near the top, upon which the grapes were heaped up so as to
+make the greatest possible display.</p>
+
+<p>"We must have some of them," added Louis; but he had no Turkish money.</p>
+
+<p>Munif, the second guide, had attached himself to the party, and he soon
+procured a supply of it with an English shilling, and about half a peck
+of the luscious fruit was purchased. All the tourists tasted them, and
+declared they were fully equal to the recommendation the captain had
+given them. After a basket had been obtained it was filled, and the
+guide insisted upon carrying it, apparently as an excuse for going with
+the party.</p>
+
+<p>But most of the travellers were tired by this time, and the older
+members strolled down the hill to the landing. With the assistance of
+Munif, Louis treated Miss Blanche to a variety of Turkish confects
+and drinks. The sherbet of which they read in the Arabian Nights
+was nothing but raspberry shrub, as it is called in New England, or
+something very like it. The little cakes or rolls were strong of rancid
+grease, and the young lady could not eat the candy. They concluded that
+there was some delusion about things Oriental.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Blanche was tired, and Louis obtained a sedan to convey her to the
+little steamer, walking by its side down the narrow, filthy, and steep
+street.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXVII">CHAPTER XXXVII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">THE SULTAN AND THE DANCING DERVISHES</p>
+
+
+<p>Dimitri appeared on the shore the next morning with four carriages,
+"hooded phaetons" as they called them there, each of which seated three
+persons. The commander, Mrs. Belgrave, and Scott went in the first
+one; Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge and Morris in the second; Louis, Miss
+Blanche, and Mrs. Blossom in the next, and Uncle Moses, Dr. Hawkes, and
+Professor Giroud in the last. Then it was found that Felix was left
+out, and he was put in with Morris in the second.</p>
+
+<p>By keeping near the water room enough was found for the phaetons, for
+it would have been impossible for them to ascend the hill on which
+Pera is situated. They reached the broad, well-made road on which the
+Sultan's palace is located. It was quite level, and different from
+anything else in Constantinople. A multitude of people had collected
+there, and all the nations of the earth seemed to be represented in the
+throng.</p>
+
+<p>The Imperial Guard of the Oriental potentate, or a portion of it, was
+drawn up at the side of the street. Dr. Hawkes declared they were the
+finest body of men he had seen gathered together. Of course they were
+picked soldiers, rather large in stature, and of lusty <i>physique</i>.
+They were clothed in complete Turkish costume, wearing the great
+bagging trousers and a sort of jacket, with the fez on their heads.
+The latter is worn by all the people, though there are Arabs about the
+streets who are crowned with a kind of turban.</p>
+
+<p>Every one of the Americans had all he could do to take in the sights to
+be seen on this brilliant occasion. Promenading the avenue were quite
+a number of carriages of various patterns; most of them were English,
+though a few of them might have been Turkish for aught the observers
+knew, the body setting on its springs, with the driver on the nigh
+horse. All of them were open, and all of them contained only ladies,
+closely veiled.</p>
+
+<p>"But what are these ladies, Captain Ringgold?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, who
+was more interested than at any other time during her ten months of
+travel.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose they are all the wives or the property of various pachas,"
+replied the commander with a smile. "I know nothing more about them.
+This building we are passing, with no windows anywhere near the ground,
+is the harem of the Sultan; but none of his ladies are to be seen in
+the streets."</p>
+
+<p>"Do they stay in-doors all the time?" inquired the lady.</p>
+
+<p>"They have grounds inside the walls. They go to the summer palace, but
+in close carriages, so that no one can see them. Two of the four ladies
+in that carriage are young and good-looking, but the others are old
+and homely enough to bring the average down very low," said the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"The younger ones are the wives of a rich pacha, and the old ones are
+their duennas," said Dimitri, who was seated with the driver and could
+hear all that was said.</p>
+
+<p>"One of them is a beauty," added Mrs. Belgrave.</p>
+
+<p>"She is indeed," said Scott. "I can see all her face almost as well as
+though she did not wear the hackmatack."</p>
+
+<p>"The <i>yashmak</i>," laughed the captain. "In her case the veil is the
+thinnest gauze."</p>
+
+<p>"The old ladies did not have gauze over their faces," replied Scott.</p>
+
+<p>"The older and uglier the women are the thicker is their <i>yashmak</i>,"
+added Dimitri.</p>
+
+<p>Presently the survey of the promenaders was interrupted by the strains
+of a band of music, which were of a wild, barbaric character, quite
+different from anything they had ever heard before. A string of cavalry
+then lined the avenue on both sides, leaving the middle entirely open.
+No man must go in front of the Sultan, which is the rule of the road in
+Turkey; and the potentate appeared riding on horseback in the middle of
+the street.</p>
+
+<p>Abdul-Hamid II. was about fifty years old. He wore a frock coat and
+trousers in European style, but with a fez on his head. His breast was
+covered with decorations and orders of honor. The trappings of his
+magnificent horse were of the richest material, and were ornamented
+with gold. As he approached, the Imperial Guard gave a wild and weird
+yell as a salute, to which the potentate made no response even with a
+nod.</p>
+
+<p>The gentlemen of the party removed their caps and hats, and some of
+them bowed; but his imperial majesty made no response of any kind,
+though he glanced at the Americans. It was something more than a glance
+which he bestowed upon the inmates of the third carriage, in which Miss
+Blanche sat in her radiant beauty. The guides pointed out the four sons
+of the Sultan, the oldest of whom was about twenty and the youngest
+seven. He has also three daughters who do not appear in processions.</p>
+
+<p>The rest of the parade consisted of pachas dressed in the most
+magnificent costumes, and mounted on the finest horses. Dimitri called
+many of them by name, but no one was the wiser for it. The Albanians
+surpassed all the others in the elegance of their dress, and all the
+ladies would have voted for them.</p>
+
+<p>The Sultan and his retainers passed on to the church, and the American
+party hastened to the Rue de Pera, where the monastery of the Dancing
+Dervishes is located. Passing through a courtyard, they entered the
+vestibule of the building. Dimitri obtained several pairs of large
+slippers, which the gentlemen put on over their boots. Some smaller
+ones were procured for the ladies and young gentlemen.</p>
+
+<p>"What is all this for?" asked Mrs. Belgrave in a whisper.</p>
+
+<p>"'Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou
+standest is holy ground,'" replied Captain Ringgold. "No one must touch
+the floor of a mosque or holy place with the shoes that have been in
+the dirt. Formerly no one was allowed to enter one of these places
+without actually taking off the shoes; but the rule has been modified
+so that overshoes may be taken off, or put on, when going into one of
+them."</p>
+
+<p>The apartment to which they were then conducted by the guide was in
+the form of an octagon, and of considerable dimensions. The roof was
+supported by columns, which also sustained a small front gallery and
+a larger one on the side, latticed for women so that they could see
+and hear without being seen by the audience or the celebrants. Around
+the enclosure which contained the dancing-floor was a rail to keep the
+spectators at a proper distance. The visitors had to squat on the floor
+next to this rail on sheepskins, a very uncomfortable position for the
+ladies.</p>
+
+<p>The front gallery was occupied by a reader and the music. A prayer
+carpet was spread on the floor opposite the door, for the sheik, or
+chief, of the monastery. About twenty of the dervishes entered, one by
+one or in groups, and squatted on the floor like so many tailors. They
+were dressed in loose, brown robes, and looked very grave, as though it
+was a religious exercise, as it really was, upon which they were about
+to enter.</p>
+
+<p>The sheik was a venerable old man, with a long white beard, and bowed
+with age. He entered and squatted on the prayer carpet. Like all the
+others, he wore a lightish brown hat, in the shape of a flower-pot
+placed upside down on his head. There were boys, and men of eighty or
+more, though the average age appeared to be about forty. They all had
+an expression of religious enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>The sheik repeated some passages from the Koran, and then one in
+the front gallery intoned something from a book, which none of our
+party could understand. After some more sentences from the sheik, the
+dervishes followed a leader several times around the room, pausing at
+the prayer carpet, bowing low to the sheik. Two of them crossed their
+arms on their breasts, and, facing each other, bowed low. Turning on
+their heels they faced two others, and went through the same ceremony;
+and it was repeated till all had passed the carpet.</p>
+
+<p>When the bowing was finished, the head of the line slipped off into the
+centre of the room and began to whirl or waltz. He was followed by all
+the others, till the whole of them were gyrating in two circles around
+the circus. The music sounded like the thrumming of a banjo, with
+another instrument. When the men engaged in the service had warmed up
+they threw off their brown robes, and appeared in a suit of white, worn
+under the other. It consisted of a jacket, and a skirt reaching nearly
+to the floor.</p>
+
+<p>With no cessation the whirling was kept up for half an hour. Not one of
+them knocked against another, and their skirts were spread out as far
+as they could be extended. They were all barefoot, and took a regular
+step, and their movements were very graceful. The arms were elevated
+in set positions, which were uniform with all. When the whirling was
+finished, the dervishes all passed before the sheik again, the reader
+intoned more sentences, and the service was finished.</p>
+
+<p>"What in the world does it all mean?" asked Mrs. Belgrave when they
+were in the street.</p>
+
+<p>"I only know that it is a religious service, though some one told me,
+when I was here last, that it was in imitation of the revolutions
+of the heavenly bodies; but I cannot say that this is a correct
+explanation," replied the captain.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Blanche asked the same question of Louis, but he was not even as
+wise as the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I could hardly keep from laughing," she added.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Ringgold cautioned us not to laugh; for it was a religious
+ceremony, and should be treated with respect," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the tourists were tired enough to return to the ship; but
+the big four obtained permission to walk about the streets for a while,
+Munif to go with them.</p>
+
+<p>"If I were going to live here, the first thing I should do would be to
+kill off a lot of these dogs," said Scott, as they walked up the Rue de
+Pera.</p>
+
+<p>"The Turks would kill you if you did that," added Munif.</p>
+
+<p>"These dogs are the only scavengers that go about the streets," said
+Louis. "They don't have any swill-tubs here, but throw everything into
+the street. The dogs live on this garbage."</p>
+
+<p>"They starve on it then," replied Scott. "I have not seen a
+decent-looking dog among them; they are all curs."</p>
+
+<p>"There's a row among them," added Morris, as a tremendous howling and
+yelping was heard in the next street. "I did not suppose they had grit
+enough to fight; and they are all small dogs, lank and mangy."</p>
+
+<p>"There are lots of battles among them every night, more than in the
+daytime. All the dogs have quarters; and when one lot invades the home
+of another, looking for something to eat, the residents of the section
+attack them, and a hard fight sometimes follows, as I read the other
+day in Yusuf," explained Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"Mind your eye, Louis!" exclaimed Felix, in a low tone, grasping his
+friend on the shoulder. "Do you see that gentleman standing in front of
+Misserie's Hotel?"</p>
+
+<p>"I see him; but what of him?" asked Louis as all the four stopped in
+the street.</p>
+
+<p>"He has changed his rig; but you ought to know him," whispered Felix.</p>
+
+<p>The gentleman was dressed in European costume, and appeared to be less
+than thirty years old. He certainly had a very handsome face, and an
+elegant jet black beard. He was looking carelessly about him, and did
+not appear to notice the boys. A moment later he went into the hotel.</p>
+
+<p>"I never saw him before," Louis insisted.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, you have!" exclaimed Felix. "That gentleman is Ali-Noury Pacha!"</p>
+
+<p>"Nonsense, Flix!" replied Louis. "If the Fatimé had come here, we
+should have seen her."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not say that he came here in his steamer," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"He has gone into the hotel. Come with me, Flix, and we will soon find
+out if it is he;" and Louis led the way into the house.</p>
+
+<p>They made their way to the reading-room, where the gentleman had seated
+himself in an arm-chair and picked up a newspaper. Keeping out of sight
+themselves, they were soon satisfied that the person was the Pacha.</p>
+
+
+<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop">
+
+<div class="chapter">
+<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXVIII">CHAPTER XXXVIII</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class="ph2">HIS HIGHNESS IN THE ORIENTAL CITY</p>
+
+
+<p>When Louis and Felix returned to the street they found Scott and Morris
+bargaining for a horse with one of the Arabs who keep them to let.
+These men are found in the principal parts of the city; and when the
+horse is taken, they accompany him on foot wherever he goes. With the
+assistance of Munif they had made the trade, and Morris had mounted the
+horse. Scott and the guide attended him.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we had better go to the landing, Flix," said Louis as soon as
+they came out of the hotel; and they started down the steep and filthy
+street.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you believe now that the gentleman is the Pacha, my darling?" asked
+the Milesian.</p>
+
+<p>"I have no doubt of it," replied the young millionaire. "He is dressed
+like a Christian now; but there is no mistaking his face. He is the
+handsomest man I ever saw in my life, not only in his figure-head, but
+in his form."</p>
+
+<p>"I was just going to say the same thing; and he could make his fortune
+in a dime museum, with his circus clothes on, though his present dress
+shows him off to the best advantage," added Felix.</p>
+
+<p>"According to all accounts, he is about as bad a man as ever lived,
+in spite of his masculine beauty, and he is as rich as Crœsus; a
+Mohammedan millionaire. The Portuguese gentlemen at Funchal said that
+he travelled all over Europe, Asia, and Africa on shore or in his
+yacht, and spent his money as freely as water," continued Louis. "He is
+a man of the world in the worst sense of the term."</p>
+
+<p>"But how did the blackguard get here so soon?"</p>
+
+<p>"We have not seen the steam-yacht in which he sails since we left
+Gibraltar; but she may be in the Bosporus or Golden Horn for all that.
+We stopped a day at Algiers, and the ship slowed down to the ordinary
+speed of the Maud. But he could have come here by land in much less
+time," Louis explained.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, he is here, and it don't make much difference how he got here,"
+said Felix. "But Captain Ringgold took him down so thoroughly in Gib
+that I should suppose he had had enough of him."</p>
+
+<p>"That may be the very reason why he is here. Whether he is dressed as
+a Moor or a Christian, he has the Oriental love of vengeance in his
+bones, and his millions will enable him to gratify it at any expense,"
+replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"He is a more dangerous enemy than John Scoble, <i>alias</i> Wade
+Farrongate, ever was. Do you suppose he means to follow us all over the
+world to get his revenge for the upsetting the captain gave him?" asked
+Felix. "He can make it lively for us, if that is his idea."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know what he means to do, and I don't much care. I only
+hope the captain will not run away any more from this Mohammedan
+millionaire."</p>
+
+<p>When they reached the landing they found that the Maud had gone off to
+the steamer; but she returned immediately, and they went on board of
+her to wait for the coming of Scott and Morris. Presently the horse
+appeared, leading the procession, with Scott in the saddle. They
+declared that there was no fun in riding horseback at a walk, and they
+had had enough of it. Munif went off to the Guardian-Mother with them,
+as Dimitri had done before.</p>
+
+<p>Felix and Louis had kept their own counsel in regard to the Pacha, and
+the equestrian party had not heard a word about him. As soon as they
+went on board of the ship they hastened to the captain's cabin, where
+they found him looking over some letters he had just received. Louis
+told his story; and the commander listened to it with a frown on his
+face, as though it was not pleasant news.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course Scott and Morris know all about this matter?" asked the
+captain.</p>
+
+<p>"We kept it to ourselves," replied Louis.</p>
+
+<p>"That was wise; and you will oblige me by saying nothing about it to
+any one. We will continue to attend to our affairs without regard to
+the Pacha. To-morrow we are to make an excursion in the Maud through
+the Bosporus and Golden Horn, and we shall ascertain whether or not the
+Fatimé is here."</p>
+
+<p>Nothing more was said about the matter on board, and the next morning
+the entire party started on the excursion, the two guides attending
+them. The little steamer passed through the bridge of boats, and then
+coasted along the eastern shore, passing the navy-yard and several
+government buildings, the commander, Louis, and Felix keeping a sharp
+lookout for the Fatimé, but nothing was seen of her. After a run of
+about three miles they landed at the mouth of a stream and visited the
+mosque at Eyub.</p>
+
+<p>"This is Eyub; the word means Job, who was an Arabian general buried
+here twelve hundred years ago," said Dimitri, as the party landed. "The
+<i>firman</i> will admit us to the mosque."</p>
+
+<p>On their return the Maud followed the other shore, and made another
+landing at a place to which Dimitri gave a name which no one could
+remember ten minutes, from which they proceeded to a Turkish cemetery,
+which was full of interest to them. The sad-looking cypress grew in
+great numbers on the grounds, as in the miles of burial-places in and
+about the city. The most of the sail back was alongside the part of the
+city called Stambool.</p>
+
+<p>The excursion was continued through the Bosporus to the Black Sea; and
+on the way the guides, Dimitri in the standing-room and Munif on the
+forecastle, pointed out all the castles and other objects of interest.
+They talked all the time, and the commander related some of his own
+experience in this part of the world. The Bosporus is about seventeen
+miles long. The Maud stood out a short distance into the Black Sea,
+which seemed to justify its name, for the little steamer began to jump
+on the billows so that the ladies soon saw enough of it.</p>
+
+<p>The excursionists took a late lunch, and then proceeded to Stambool
+in the Maud, landing at a point quite near the Seraglio. They visited
+the Mosque of St. Sophia, or Ayia Sofia as the Turks call it. A wall,
+in which are three gates, extends across the peninsula from the Sea of
+Marmora to the Golden Horn. The principal one is the imperial gate,
+called the Sublime Porte, which has given its name to the Turkish
+government.</p>
+
+<p>The party visited the Mosque of Solomon the Magnificent and of
+Achmet the next day. Another day was given to the walls and the
+Mosque of Sultan Bajazet. In the courtyard of the latter are immense
+flocks of doves, or pigeons, or they are there as soon as the grain
+is distributed. Birds and beasts fare better at the hands of the
+Mohammedans than men and women who become their enemies on account of
+religion or politics.</p>
+
+<p>A piece of money was given to an old Turk who sat near a chest, and
+he scattered a quantity of grain, precisely as the same thing is done
+in the square of St. Mark at Venice. Thousands of pigeons alighted on
+the pavement, and the food was soon all gone. More money was given by
+various members of the party; and the birds settled two or three deep
+all over the court, crowding, scrambling, and fighting for the grain.
+They had their fill that day. They were very tame, and some of them
+ate out of the hands of the excursionists.</p>
+
+<p>On the Sundays the ship was at Constantinople the Maud visited the
+shore to convey the party to church at the English embassy. Services
+were always held for the whole ship's company and the passengers in the
+cabin or on deck, consisting of singing, Scripture reading, prayer, and
+a sermon selected and read by the commander. On the second Mohammedan
+Sunday the party witnessed the services of the Howling Dervishes, which
+they regarded as a very disagreeable exhibition, though it was not
+prepared for them.</p>
+
+<p>The Bazaar was extremely interesting to the ladies and not much less
+to the others. Many purchases were made of silks, rugs, and attar of
+roses, besides curious trinkets and useful articles, for all of them
+had money enough. A ride in carriages was taken to the Palace of the
+Sweet Waters,—the one in Europe, for there is another in Asia; but the
+ideas of Oriental splendor were not realized in the buildings or the
+waters. Scott declared that there were more and finer palaces on the
+Hudson than on the Bosporus. There were plenty of buildings at home
+that could "discount" anything they had seen in the Orient.</p>
+
+<p>The party were kept very busy during the two weeks spent in
+Constantinople, though the sights they saw are not fully described
+in this volume.<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> By this time they began to feel that they had
+seen quite enough of this phase of the Orient; and they were looking
+forward with the most pleasurable anticipations to a change of scene,
+especially to the islands of the Archipelago and to Greece, which were
+the next regions to be visited. The Maud was regarded as an excellent
+investment by Captain Ringgold and Mr. Woolridge, for she had proved
+to be exceedingly convenient in visiting the sights of the city of the
+Sultan.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing had been seen or heard of Ali-Noury Pacha till the day
+before the Guardian-Mother sailed from the Golden Horn. The company
+then landed for a visit to the Rue de Pera to purchase a supply of
+photographs. The guides had been dismissed the day before; and they
+preferred to do their shopping without any assistance, as the latter
+generally implies a commission to be collected afterwards by the guide,
+and is included in the price paid.</p>
+
+<p>While those who were interested in obtaining souvenirs of their visit
+were in the stores, Captain Ringgold and Louis wandered through the
+street as far as Misserie's Hotel. They were talking about the Pacha,
+as they were alone, and wondering why they had not seen him before,
+since he was in the city. The commander had begun to doubt that he
+was there; but Louis suggested that he had probably had enough of his
+companion in Gibraltar. They were about to enter the hotel, when the
+elegant gentleman presented himself before them.</p>
+
+<p>He was now dressed in full Oriental costume. Probably he had come by
+Vienna and the Danube, and had worn the European garments to escape
+too much attention from observers. Louis expected that he would "pitch
+into" the commander, and he braced himself to render him an efficient
+support. He even thought he could handle the Pacha alone; for the Moor,
+though five feet eight in height, was not heavier than the American
+boy. But His Highness did nothing of the kind. On the contrary, he
+bowed very politely, and stepped back to allow the captain to pass.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-morning, Captain Ringgold," said he, extending his hand to him.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-morning, sir," replied the commander; but he did not take the
+offered hand.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-morning, Mr. Belgrave," he continued, quite as politely.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was as civil as his companion had been.</p>
+
+<p>"I desire to apologize to you, Captain, for my rudeness at Gibraltar,"
+continued the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"The apology is accepted, and I have no desire that you should
+humiliate yourself any further," replied the captain promptly. "But
+I wish to say that my sentiments in regard to you remain the same as
+before."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you are not inclined to make friends with me?" added the Moor,
+biting his lips with chagrin and disappointment.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall treat you like a gentleman while you behave like one."</p>
+
+<p>"I was extremely interested with the very agreeable party I met in
+the cabin of your steamer at Mogadore, and I should be most happy to
+continue the acquaintance. If you suppose that I have any sinister
+motives, you are greatly mistaken."</p>
+
+<p>"I have no ill-will against you, though you and your servants assaulted
+me in the street."</p>
+
+<p>"If you will consider that you insulted me, you will take a different
+view of the subject," pleaded the Pacha.</p>
+
+<p>"I simply expressed my views in plain language as they were then and as
+they are to-day," added the commander very mildly.</p>
+
+<p>"You compel me to regard you as an enemy instead of a friend," said
+Ali-Noury, beginning to look very savage.</p>
+
+<p>"That is my misfortune, but I cannot help it."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you prefer my enmity?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not; but I do not tremble at even that."</p>
+
+<p>"I came here on a mission in the service of my august master, the
+Sultan of Morocco. I have unlimited wealth at my command, and I can be
+of great assistance to you in your tour around the world," continued
+the Moor, still biting his lip, and evidently controlling his anger by
+a great effort.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall be obliged to deprive myself and my friends of any aid you
+might render," replied the captain with dignity. "If you will excuse me
+now, I will attend to my own affairs."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I will follow you to the ends of the earth till I obtain my
+revenge!" exclaimed the Pacha, as he retreated to the interior of the
+hotel; and he was plainly too wise to attack the doughty shipmaster
+again.</p>
+
+<p>"What can he do, Captain?" asked Louis when they resumed their walk.</p>
+
+<p>"He may annoy us, and we must keep our eyes open. It looks a little
+like another edition of Scoble; but I believe we shall be able to take
+care of ourselves."</p>
+
+<p>The party returned to the Guardian-Mother, and nothing more was seen
+of the Moor; but at sunset they saw the Fatimé steaming up the Golden
+Horn. Captain Ringgold had made all his preparations for leaving.
+Mr. Sage had filled the ice-house with provisions, and the bunkers
+of both steamers were full of coal. At daylight in the morning the
+Guardian-Mother, followed by the Maud, was steaming out into the Sea of
+Marmora.</p>
+
+<p>The cabin party happened to be at dinner when the Pacha's yacht came
+in; and she was seen only by Mr. Boulong, who was on deck while the
+rest of the officers and the crew were at supper. He was requested by
+the captain to keep his knowledge to himself. In the course of the
+following week the Pacha began to make himself felt, though his yacht
+did not appear on the scene at the time.</p>
+
+<p>Into what adventures the big four tumbled while they were on board
+of the Maud, and all the party saw as the voyage continued, must be
+related in "The Young Navigators; or, The Foreign Cruise of the Maud."</p>
+
+<hr class="tb">
+
+<div class="footnote">
+
+<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> In "Cross and Crescent," one of the author's "Young
+America Abroad" series, may be found a much fuller account of the
+objects of interest to be seen in Constantinople, and he is not
+inclined to repeat himself to the extent required to do justice to the
+subject.</p>
+
+</div>
+
+<hr class="tb">
+
+<p class="ph3">ALL-OVER-THE-WORLD LIBRARY</p>
+
+<p class="ph3">By OLIVER OPTIC</p>
+
+<p class="ph3"><i>Illustrated, Price per Volume $1.25</i></p>
+
+
+<p class="ph3">FIRST SERIES</p>
+
+
+<p class="ph3">A MISSING MILLION<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or The Adventures of Louis Belgrave</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or The Cruise of the Guardian-Mother</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">A YOUNG KNIGHT-ERRANT<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Cruising in the West Indies</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or A Voyage in European Waters</span></span><br>
+
+<hr class="tb">
+
+<p class="ph3">SECOND SERIES</p>
+
+
+<p class="ph3">AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Cruising in the Orient</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">THE YOUNG NAVIGATORS<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or The Foreign Cruise of the Maud</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">UP AND DOWN THE NILE<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Young Adventurers in Africa</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">ASIATIC BREEZES<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Students on the Wing</span></span><br>
+
+<hr class="tb">
+
+<p class="ph3">THIRD SERIES</p>
+
+
+<p class="ph3">ACROSS INDIA<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Live Boys in the Far East</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">HALF ROUND THE WORLD<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Among the Uncivilized</span></span><br>
+
+<p class="ph3">FOUR YOUNG EXPLORERS<br>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">Or Sight-Seeing in the Tropics</span></span><br>
+
+<hr class="tb">
+
+<p class="ph3"><i>OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION</i></p>
+
+<p class="ph3">ANY VOLUME SOLD SEPARATELY</p>
+
+
+<p class="ph3">LEE AND SHEPARD Publishers Boston</p>
+
+
+<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75149 ***</div>
+</body>
+</html>
+
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
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