means of escaping, these unfortunate men did what
they could to mitigate the woes of their brethren--though they were not
allowed to do much--and entered more or less into the society and
amusements of the city. Hence, though liable at any moment to be put in
chains, or sent to the quarries, or even slain by their savage captors,
they were to be found waltzing at the fancy ball of the French consul!

Among those who cut a very conspicuous--we may venture to say a
beastly--figure that night was our friend Ted Flaggan. The eccentric
tar, desiring to enjoy the ball under the shelter of a mask which would
preserve his incognito, had, with the aid of Rais Ali, provided himself
with the complete skin of a wild-boar, including the head with its
enormous tusks, and, having fitted it to his person, and practised a
variety of appropriate antics, to the delight of Agnes, who was the only
person besides Rais admitted to his secret, he felt himself to be quite
up in his part--almost fitted to hold converse with the veritable
denizens of the forest.

Flaggan had arranged that he was to put on the boar-dress in the town
residence of Rais Ali. Being unwilling to attract the attention of the
populace by passing through the streets, in broad daylight, he
determined to postpone his advent to an advanced part of the evening.

It was a clear, calm night when he left the country residence of the
British consul, with a crescent moon to light him on his way. He had
just issued from the garden gate, when an old man, clad in a
half-monkish robe, advanced, towards him with strides that would have
done credit to a dragoon.

"I've me doubts that yer not so ancient as ye look, owld feller," he
said, eyeing the man keenly as he drew near, and moving the head of the
thick stick, which, as usual, rested in his pocket, as if to hold it in
readiness for instant action.

"Be the Breetish consul at home?" said the old man in broken English and
in breathless haste.

"Not at present," answered the seaman quickly, for he now saw that the
man was really old, and that anxiety had given him strength to exert
himself beyond his ordinary powers, "but I'm goin' to meet him--bein',
if I may so spake, his edgedukong. Av you've anything in the world to
say to his Excellency I'm your man to carry the message."

"You are Breetish sailor, I zee," returned the old man, sitting down and
heaving a deep sigh, as if unable to recover breath. "You will
onderstan'