who had been the one to advance it, being hoisted in the hump
of the camel.

But though the young O'Connor had been accustomed to the saddle from
childhood, and had ridden "across country" on many an occasion, it was
not long before he became satisfied with the saddle of a maherry. The
rocking, and jolting, and "pitching," as our adventurers termed it, from
larboard to starboard, fore and aft, and alow and aloft, soon caused
Terence to sing out "enough"; and he descended into the soft sand with a
much greater desire for walking than the moment before he had had for
riding.

Harry Blount took his place, but although the young Englishman had been
equally accustomed to a hunting-saddle, he found that his experience
went but a little way towards making him easy on the hump of a maherry;
and he was soon in the mood for dismounting.

The son of Scotia next climbed upon the back of the camel. Whether it
was that natural pride of prowess which oft impels his countrymen to
perseverance and daring deeds,--whether it was that, or whether it arose
from a sterner power of endurance,--certain it is that Colin kept his
seat longer than either of his predecessors.

But even Scotch sinews could not hold out against such a tension,--such
a bursting and wrenching and tossing,--and it ended by Colin declaring
that upon the whole he would prefer making the journey upon "Shank's
mare."

Saying this he slid down from the shoulders of the ungainly animal,
resigning the creature once more to the conduct of Old Bill, who had
still kept hold of the halter.

CHAPTER XIX.

HOMEWARD BOUND.

The experience of his young companions might have deterred the sailor
from imitating their example; more especially as Bill, according to his
own statement, had never been "abroad" a saddle in his life. But they
did not; and for special reasons. Awkward as the old salt might feel in
a saddle, he felt not less awkward _afoot_. That is ashore,--on _terra
firma_.

Place him on the deck of a ship, or in the rigging of one, and no man in
all England's navy could have been more secure as to his footing, or
more difficult to dispossess of it; but set sailor Bill upon shore, and
expect him to go ahead upon it, you would be disappointed: you might as
well expect a fish to make progress on land; and you would witness a
species of locomotion more resembling that of a manatee or a seal, than
of a human biped. As the old man-o'-war's-man had now being flo