his hat to her.

It is perhaps true that the Alley had no tremendous personages in its
membership, but its innate strength lay in this weakness for it
represented the very embodiment of what is known as the concrete social
spirit, "one for all, all for one," and with this motto it might
have--and really did--stand against the entire ship. Neither the
Purser, the Captain nor the crew dared oppose its opinions or wishes;
in fact, the Alley thought of running down to Zanzibar and taking a
whack at the lions before "Bwana Tumbo" even saw them. We don't like
to brag, but one of our members could, with one eye shut, hit any
button on the metal man's coat in the shooting gallery, and with both
shut could bring down a wildebeeste. The mission of the Alley and its
fate now lie in the "womb of time," and we must not hustle its destiny
but calmly await developments.

MALTA

We left for Malta, which was reached in two days, and cast anchor in
the harbor of Valetta, the capital. The island is celebrated as the
home of the Knights of Malta, the original birth-place of the Maltese
cat, and the spot where the Maltese cross was invented--but not
patented. This island was conquered by the Romans 259 B.C.; afterward
by Napoleon, from whom it was taken by England in 1800, and now indeed
it's "quite English, you know." Oh my! how English it is, to be sure!
It's nothing but Tommy Atkins here, and Files-on-parade there;
battle-ships "beyant," and cruisers in the "offin'," mixed up with
gunboats and bumboats and "gund_u_las," till you would think you were
standing on the pier at "Suthampton."

The marine bands mostly play _Rule Britannia_, but some of them essay
_Annie Laurie_, and when these airs get mixed, it would try the soul of
Richard Wagner to stand the discord without resorting to profanity.
Anyway, Mr. Bull has this island all to himself. Its fortifications
and harbor are the finest to be found on the globe, but how sad to
think they have been rendered useless by the modern battle-ship with
the long guns. (I was going to say the "long greens," as they and
battle-ships always go together, no matter who pays the taxes.) But
still it charms the visitor with its fine climate and gay people. It
was Carnival Day when we arrived, and the motley crowds in the street,
in variegated raiment, pelted the "Corks" with all kinds of flowers
with the utmost good humor.

There is a church on the water-front that is lined with the s