hear an account
of all the wonderful things which you have seen. You must tell lies, and
you will have gold."

"Tell lies! that is, spin a yarn; well, I can do that, but my mouth's
baked with thirst, and without a drop of something, the devil a yarn
from me, and so you may tell the old Billygoat, perched up there."

"What sayeth the son of Shitan?" demanded the pacha, impatiently.

"The unbeliever declareth that his tongue is glued to his mouth from the
terror of your highness's presence. He fainteth after water to restore
him, and enable him to speak."

"Let him be fed," rejoined the pacha.

But Mustapha had heard enough to know that the sailor would not be
content with the pure element. He therefore continued, "Your slave must
tell you, that in the country of the Franks they drink nothing but the
fire-water, in which the true believers but occasionally venture to
indulge."

"Allah acbar! nothing but fire-water? What, then, do they do with common
water?"

"They have none but from heaven--the rivers are all of the same
strength."

"Mashallah! how wonderful is God! I would we had a river here. Let some
be procured, then, for I wish to hear his story."

A bottle of brandy was sent for, and handed to the sailor, who put it to
his mouth, and the quantity he took of it before he removed the bottle
to recover his breath, fully convinced the pacha that Mustapha's
assertions were true.

"Come, that's not so bad," said the sailor, putting the bottle down
between his legs; "and now I'll be as good as my word, and I'll spin old
Billy a yarn as long as the main-top bowling."

"What sayeth the Giaour?" interrupted the pacha.

"That he is about to lay at your highness's feet the wonderful events of
his life, and trusts that his face will be whitened before he quits your
sublime presence. Frank, you may proceed."

"To lie till I'm black in the face--well, since you wish it; but, old
chap, my name arn't Frank. It happens to be Bill; howsomever, it warn't
a bad guess for a Turk; and now I'm here, I'd just like to ax you a
question. We had a bit of a hargument the other day, when I was in a
frigate up the Dardanelles, as to what your religion might be. Jack
Soames said that you warn't Christians, but that if you were, you could
only be Catholics; but I don't know how he could know anything about it,
seeing that he had not been more than seven weeks on board of a
man-of-war. What may you be--if I may make so bold as to a