it seems to me as if there were a design to get the Frenchmen out of the Montebello, and thus isolate her." "Believe me, captain, I would sooner remain as I am.” "Be calm, my dear friend, and listen to me. When the fleet left the Dardanelles, I took an oath that I would restore the Montebello to the Padishah, or perish with her. I have awaited a favourable moment for a long time, and it has at length arrived. The Egyptian fleet has sailed to carry reinforcements to Ibrahim Pasha, and now we have a chance of moving. At this moment you are appointed providentially captain of the flag-ship. Will you understand me, Cardieux, if I tell you that I now hope not only to restore the Montebello, but the entire fleet to the Sultan. We shall liberate ourselves from this disgraceful position-if you understand me.” "I do understand you, captain," said Cardieux, solemnly, and offered Sanglade his hand. The latter shook it heartily. "Now explain to me how you wish me to set about it," Cardieux said, after a short pause. Their conversation lasted an hour, and when they parted the certainty of success was reflected from their faces. V. THE great ensign of the capudan-pasha floated from the mainmast of the flag-ship as a signal that Admiral Achmet Fevzi Pasha was on board, which was not often the case, as he preferred usually remaining on shore at Alexandria. As soon as the salute had been fired, the actingcaptain Cardieux proceeded to the magazine. By his side walked the aged gunner, Pierre Selèvre. The two men entered the gloomy spot which all shunned, and the wire-enclosed lamp threw a dim light on the piled up cartridges and black-looking powder-barrels. The captain cast a hurried glance around, then thrust away the book the gunner presented him, and said, in a quiet whisper, "I have not come here with you to verify your accounts; we have more important affairs to attend to. You remember the reason of your leaving the Montebello?" 66 My poor ship; shall I ever forget my loss ?" "Give up all such desponding thoughts, gunner; honour is appealing to you, my worthy veteran !" Honour! I listen, captain ?" "Why did Captain Sanglade send you aboard the flag-ship ?" "If I am not mistaken, to obey your commands, captain.' "Well then, gunner, you will not leave the magazine from this moment." "Very good, captain." "You know my negro lad? Well, if between now and the next twelve hours he taps at this door, and says to you, The captain orders the gunner to hold himself ready,' you will blow the ship up The gunner turned pale, and fell back a step. "And you will do what I order you?" Selèvre thought for a moment, and then said, with energy, "I promised Captain Sanglade to obey you blindly in all things; I will keep my promise like an honest man. But, allow me one question, captain: What will happen if the negro does not tap at the magazine door within twelve hours?” "Then you will be gunner on board the Montebello again to-morrow!" An exclamation of joy escaped from the gunner's lips. "I leave you now, gunner, and reckon upon you. So soon as you re ceive the order "The admiral's ship will have ceased to exist a minute after," the gunner interrupted the captain in a firm voice. "Good!" the latter said, and left the magazine to proceed to the cabin of the capudan-pasha. On the way he was joined by the negro lad, who was waiting for him. He said to him, "Come with me, and do not let me out of your sight. While I am in the admiral's cabin, lay yourself at the door, and do not move. When I come out, no matter if alone or in the company of any one, do not quit my side. If I put out my hand and give you a paper, you will hurry with it to the magazine, and give it to the gunner, who will open on your tapping with the words, The captain orders the gunner to hold himself ready.' You understand me thoroughly, my boy?" The boy nodded his head, and they proceeded together to the admiral's cabin. The capudan-pasha was reclining on a splendid ottoman, and smoking his chebouque, when Cardieux entered. He greeted the captain with a condescending nod, and made a sign to him to take a seat. captain, however, paid no attention, but said, seriously, The "The officers and men of the fleet of the Sultan Abd-ul-Medjid have entrusted me with an honourable mission by desiring me to be the interpreter of their wishes to his mightiness the capudan-pasha." "What are these wishes, Captain Cardieux ?" the admiral asked, after staring with some amazement at his visitor. "The officers and men of the Sultan's fleet request his mightiness the capudan-pasha to lead them back to the Dardanelles, which is their proper place." The admiral let his pipe fall in his surprise and alarm. He moved restlessly on the divan, and regarded the captain with widely opened eyes. My officers and men request that I" the admiral stammered. "Will lead them back to Stamboul and their sole lord and master the Sultan," the captain filled up the sentence, in a firm, bold voice. The admiral shook his head, and muttered, "I will consider the matter." "The mighty capudan-pasha will pardon me if I contradict him. No consideration is required in this case." "But if I say it is necessary?" the admiral shouted, and looking at his subaltern furiously. Cardieux remarked, without feeling the least alarmed, "Then I should answer, to my great regret, that it is too late for consideration." "Too late!-why so ?" the admiral asked, restlessly. "Because we have considered, and arrived at the conclusion that we must, in any case, return to the Dardanelles. If the capudan-pasha will not lead us thither, we must do it for ourselves." "Mutiny and revolt!" the admiral said, savagely, as he rose. "Nothing of the sort; it is merely a requital for the treachery that brought us to Egypt, and handed us over to the viceroy." "And who was the traitor ?" the admiral asked, in a hesitating voice, as he strove to look the captain boldly in the face, and cause him to pause in his reply. But Cardieux answered undauntedly, "The capudan-pasha, Achmet Fevzi, was guilty of the treason, and we now ask him to expiate it by leading us back to the place whence he brought us." The admiral stopped for a moment, dumb with passion, and then moved toward the door. Not a step-not a movement, or I will shoot you," the captain explained, in a tone of authority, and drew a pistol from his pocket, which he presented at the admiral. He fell back a step in alarm. "Mutiny and murder, then !" he muttered. 66 Everything is permissible against treachery. But let us understand each other, admiral. While the fleet demands to return to the Dardanelles, we are all unanimous in lightening the task for you. Order us to go to the Dardanelles, restore the ships to the Sultan, and you shall have the entire credit. The Padishah will receive you graciously, and pardon your treachery, as you have expiated it by a good deed." "And suppose I do not accept your proposal?" the admiral inquired, anxiously. "Then I shall kill you, and assume the command of the flag-ship alone," the captain answered, coolly. The admiral sat silent in his indecision. hand gave his words an unmistakable effect. every man a mutineer, every hand ready to captain, who spoke in behalf of all. The pistol in the captain's And, without, he fancied second the pistol of the "And suppose I decide to carry the fleet to the Dardanelles, what will happen in that case ?" "Then we shall obey the capudan-pasha, who will give his orders through me. I will remain by your side till we have left the roads of Alexandria and are steering for Stamboul.". "I cannot leave Alexandria like a fugitive," the admiral objected. "Yet you left Stamboul in that way ?" The admiral was silent. "Will you yield to the general wish, and order the anchor to be weighed ?" A heavy sigh escaped from the terrified man, and at last he muttered, "Be it so!" "I thank you, admiral. But, in order that you may claim the whole merit of the deed, and have witnesses at Stamboul that you acted from your own free will, you must appear with me on the quarter-deck." "I will follow you," the pasha said, despondingly. "Before we go, one word more, admiral, the last bold and open one I shall say to you. I have put up the pistol. Without, I have a more certain guarantee that you will do your duty, and place no obstacle in my way as captain of the flag-ship." "And that is ?" the pasha asked, in a hesitating manner. "In the invisible connexion between myself and the magazine." The admiral turned pale involuntarily. "A word, a movement on your part calculated to arouse my suspicions, and I blow the flag-ship up. Will you be pleased to give orders to weigh anchor ?" The pasha nodded his silent assent, and the two men proceeded on deck. Within five minutes the flag-ship was one mass of signals, and the fleet prepared to start once more for the Dardanelles. Great was the surprise felt, but this was soon changed into a feeling of unbounded delight. As for Captain Sanglade, it was the happiest day of his life when he sailed past the flag-ship, bound for Stamboul. The While all this was going on above, the old gunner, Pierre Selèvre, sat, far, far down in the magazine, waiting with some nervous excitement for what might happen. But hour after hour passed away and nothing came. Only one remarkable circumstance had occurred: the ship was evidently in motion, and was bounding merrily over the waves. gunner could notice this fact even in the depths of the magazine. He did not trouble himself with much thought as to how this had been brought about. He was pleased that it was so, and a sort of joyful foreboding whispered to him that he had a considerable share in the sailing of the ship. And again hour after hour ran by, but the ship did not rest. Suddenly the gunner had certainly been sitting more than twelve hours in the magazine-steps were heard without, and some one rapped at the door. The gunner jumped up in agitation. He took one step forward, but then stopped, as if nailed to the ground. Suppose the order had now arrived to blow the ship up? Selèvre was overpowered by the fearful idea: his legs tottered beneath him, and he leaned against the door. Again a rapping was heard, and this brought the gunner to his senses. shook off all his nervousness with a violent action, and opened the door. A joyful "Ah!" burst from him when he saw Captain Cardieux's goodhumoured countenance. "You are relieved, Gunner Selèvre," said the captain. He A stone seemed to fall from off the gunner's heart. "The ship will not be blown up?" he asked. go up aloft "God forbid! we are bound for the Dardanelles. If you go up you can see the Montebello steering merrily in that direction." 66 Long live the Montebello and her brave Captain Sanglade!" shouted the gunner, proudly and joyfully. Such was the story I heard some two years back on board a Turkish man-of-war laid up in ordinary above the new bridge at Stamboul. It was told me by a Frenchman still serving the Sultan, who was acquainted with all the facts, and was very proud of the distinguished part his countrymen played in the affair. I believe the story is not generally known, and I have therefore no hesitation in imparting it to my readers. Whatever their opinion may be as to the truth of the tale, they will unite with me in agreeing that si non è vero, è ben trovato. VOL. XLV. 64 FAINT HEART NEVER WON FAIR LADY. A MODERN STORY. BY DUDLEY COSTELLO. CHAPTER XLVII. THE SEARCH. THE landlord of "Piccadilly's White Bear" had not overrated the sagacity of Mr. Detective Wormwood. An hour's conversation with Monsieur Perrotin supplied that acute officer with all the preliminary information he required, and he drew upon his own resources for the rest These resources were ample, and he soon satisfied himself that the person he was in quest of must be found within a particular radius, London and its environs being mapped out in Mr. Wormwood's experience with even more than postal accuracy. For a time he pursued his search alone, but when he had exhausted certain districts, and narrowed the field of inquiry, he made Monsieur Perrotin his companion. "While we both of us makes use of our legs, Mounseer"-John Wormwood adhered to the old form of pronunciation-" you must keep your eyes open, for the purpose of identifying of this here chap, in case we happens to stumble on him in our walks. Don't let e'er a one go past you without taking of his measure, only mind you don't look straight at the parties, leastways into their eyes, for then they looks into yourn and the game's all up; they knows directly if they're wanted, and out of sight they dives in less than no time, and ten to one you never sees nothing of 'em again as long as you live! Lord bless identification ain't noways difficult, if ever you have, what I call, really known a man. I once, in a crowd, saw nothing but a hat and the up-and-down motion of a pair of shoulders, and the next moment I had as good as a fifty-pun' note in my pocket: never ketched sight of his face till he turned round and found hisself grabbed." you, It was a relief to Monsieur Perrotin's melancholy to accompany the Detective, and together they roamed, late and early, through all the likeliest suburbs, till Chelsea, Hammersmith, Kensington, and Bayswater had been thoroughly sifted, and then they prepared to explore the rural region which covers London on the north-west. "There's two ways of playing at hide-and-seek, Mounseer," said Mr. Wormwood; "there's the social dodge, when you goes and mixes yourself up with the metropolis-this here London of ours, you understand; and there's the solitary dodge, when you keeps away from it altogether. If it's a personal matter, and you has friends that will help you to keep it dark, my advice is, stick to the bricks and mortar; but if others is in it, don't trust to no friendships-folks is tempted sometimes, and does queer things to save their own bacons-but go and take a walk into the country and keep yourself to yourself: then nobody can't peach on you, if they're |