ight just as well
put in here; and here I arrived, sure enough, yesterday, about three
bells in the morning watch, after a voyage of five months and three
days.

* * * * *

When Mustapha translated all this to the pacha, the latter was lost in
astonishment. "Allah Wakbar! God is everywhere! Did you ever hear of
such a swimmer? Twenty thousand miles--five months and three days. It is
a wonderful story! Let his mouth be filled with gold."

Mustapha intimated to the sailor the unexpected compliment about to be
conferred on him, just as he had finished the bottle and rolled it away
on one side. "Well, that be a rum way of paying a man. I have heard it
said that a fellow _pursed_ up his mouth; but I never afore heard of a
mouth being a purse. Howsomever, all's one for that; only, d'ye see, if
you are about to stow it away in bulk, it may be just as well to get rid
of the dunnage." The sailor put his thumb and forefinger into his cheek,
and pulled out his enormous quid of tobacco. "There now, I'm ready, and
don't be afraid of choking me." One of the attendants then thrust
several pieces of gold into the sailor's mouth, who, spitting them all
out into his hat, jumped on his legs, made a jerk of his head with a
kick of the leg behind to the pacha; and declaring that he was the
funniest old beggar he had ever fallen in with, nodded to Mustapha, and
hastened out of the divan.

"Mashallah! but he swims well," said the pacha, breaking up the
audience.

Chapter XVIII

The departure of the caravan was delayed for two or three days by the
vizier upon various pretexts--although it was his duty to render it
every assistance--that Menouni might afford further amusement to the
pacha. Menouni was well content to remain, as the liberality of the
pacha was not to be fallen in with every day, and the next evening he
was again ushered into the sublime presence.

"Khosh amedeid! you are welcome," said the pacha, as Menouni made his
low obeisance, "Now let us have another story. I don't care how long it
is, only let us have no more princesses to be married. That Babe-bi-bobu
was enough to tire the patience of a dervish."

"Your sublime highness shall be obeyed," replied Menouni. "Would it
please you to hear the story of Yussuf, the Water carrier?"

"Yes, that sounds better. You may proceed."

THE WATER-CARRIER.

May it please your highness, it so happened that the great Haroun
Alraschid w