g they would be off
again, with absolutely no one the wiser. Then they could make Valencia
without any trouble at all. For, who the devil would ever guess, at
home, what they had on board? And the good-natured fisherman laughed at
his own shrewdness, though, inside, he rather admired the wily uncle who
had given him all this good advice.

And the Rector waited, his eyes anxiously fixed on the water in the
direction from which the red light had shone. Tonet and the two sailors
were sitting on the bow, their legs dangling over the water. They were
hungrily studying the brilliantly lighted town. Rosario's husband had
been stationed at Algiers once, and he had all sorts of stories to tell
about his gay escapades about the city. He could even point the places
out from the lights in front of them. They could actually hear the music
from one of the cafes, where he had had such a time, such a time! The
"cat" opened his mouth from ear to ear, and his eyes gleamed excitedly.
He could almost see the wonderful dancing girl the great man was
describing. That long straight avenue there, leading from the pier--all
arches, and a light under each one, so that it looked like the nave of a
church with candles--was the _Boulevard de la Republique_, where the
really swell places were. Only officers from the navy went
there--absinthe, mostly--with rich Moors--you ought to see the big
turbans they wore--and Jew merchants, with silk tunics, dirty usually,
but of fine colors. The streets leading off it also had arches and
pretty shops. Over there was the _Plaza del Caballo_ where the principal
mosque was--a big white building--and a lot of those Moor lunatics went
there, all washed and barefoot, to pay respects to that fake of a
Mahomet. You could even see the little tower of the place from the boat.
Well, at certain times of the day, a fellow in a turban got up there and
waved his arms and shouted like a crazy man. And _madames_, all along,
well dressed, and waddling in little steps like ducks, with a _mersi_
for every compliment you dropped them! And soldiers, with date-palm
hats, and trousers big enough for a whole family to get inside them; and
lots of fine fellows from every country, who had gone there to get away
from the police! A drinking place every two doors, with tables out on
the sidewalks, and absinthe in big glassfuls!

Tonet had seen it all himself, and described everything with gestures or
grimaces that vividly pictured each ep