ose of
carrying out his plans, which he related in detail.

Accordingly, next morning, the captain proceeded to the palace, and kept
the Dey in complimentary converse as long as was possible with a man of
such brusque and impatient temperament.

While thus engaged, several of the men and midshipmen of the
"Prometheus" proceeded to the consul's house. They did so in separate
detachments, and some of them returned once or twice to the boat, as if
for some small things that had been forgotten, thus confusing the guards
as to the numbers of those who had landed.

When Captain Dashwood again returned to his boat there were two more
midshipmen in it than the number that had left his ship--one being the
consul's wife, the other his daughter Agnes! Master Jim, however, had
been left behind, owing to the arrangements not having been sufficient
to meet his requirements. Poor Mrs Langley had left him with agonised
self-reproach, on being assured that he should be fetched off on the
morrow. Colonel Langley was of course obliged to remain with him.

When the morrow came another boat was sent ashore with baskets for
provisions. One of these baskets was taken to the consul's house. It
was in charge of the surgeon of the ship, as Master Jim required the
services of a professional gentleman on the occasion.

All went well at first. The boat was manned by several men and
midshipmen, who went innocently to market to purchase provisions. The
surgeon, a remarkably cool and self-possessed individual, went to the
consul's house, with a Jack-tar--equally cool and self-possessed--
carrying the basket.

"Now then, let's see how smartly we can do it," said the surgeon, on
entering Colonel Langley's nursery. "Is your child tractable?"

"Very much the reverse," replied the Colonel, with a smile.

"Umph! can't be helped.--Set down the basket, my man, and come and hold
him."

Now the Zaharian Zubby, not having been let into the secret of the
mysterious proceedings that followed, became a source of unexpected
danger and annoyance to the surgeon and his friends. She watched the
former with some interest, while he mixed a small powder in the family
medicine-glass, and when he advanced with it to Master Jim, her large
eyes dilated so that the amount of white formed an absolutely appalling
contrast with her ebony visage. But when she saw Master Jim decline the
draught with his wonted decision of character, thereby rendering it
necess