utes Sir Sidney Smith arrived.

"Nearly ready for sea, Mr. Wilkinson?"

"Yes, sir, we shall be ready to sail to-morrow morning. Everything may
not be quite ship-shape yet, but a few hours' work on the way will get
everything in order."

"Very good work!" Sir Sidney said approvingly. "I hardly thought that
you would have got your guns on board to-day."

"The commandant gave us a complement of Turks to help to carry them
down, sir, which made short work of it."

"I expect that you will be having a more lively time of it than I shall.
I may pick up a few store-ships, but blockading is always dull work.
However, I hope before very long they will be sending a force out from
England to finish with the French in Egypt. You must remember that you
can't be too careful with those Greek and Moslem pirates; one is as bad
as the other, and from what I hear they generally work two or three
together, and though their craft may be small they carry a number of
men; therefore, boat expeditions against them should always be
strong-handed. You must bear in mind that although a command like this
is a fine opportunity for a young officer to distinguish himself, upon
the other hand, if he meets with a misfortune it tells against him. If I
had not seen you and Mr. Blagrove both frequently under a heavy fire I
should scarcely have ventured to appoint you to such a charge; but I
know that you are both cool and steady, and being so short of officers
as we are, and feeling that it is of urgent importance to do something
to put a stop to the alarming increase of piracy, I consider myself
justified in making these appointments."

By this time they had reached the pasha's palace. The latter evidently
considered the visit to be a ceremonious one, and a guard of honour was
drawn up in the court-yard who saluted as they passed in. For a time the
pasha and Sir Sidney exchanged compliments in the usual oriental style,
Edgar translating their speeches.

"Without you and your brave sailors the town would have fallen on the
first day the French opened fire," the pasha said. "My men were
thoroughly dispirited by the events of Jaffa, and to tell you the truth,
I myself absolutely despaired of resistance, and should have left before
the French arrived had not your ships come into the bay. If Jaffa, which
was very much stronger than this place, and with a garrison of 8000 men
in good heart, fell at the first assault, what could be done here, where
the de