e would retire from the field
without making a bigger effort than he has put forth so far."

"Then, you think he is after me?"

"Don't we know that he is? Not one of the 'Big Four' is so indifferent
and careless about the matter as you are yourself, Louis," replied the
captain with a good deal of energy. "I still think you ought not to
have come with us on this perilous cruise; and I wonder with all my
might that Captain Ringgold did not keep you on board of the
Guardian-Mother."

"He desired to do so; but I would not stand it. I have not the slightest
fear of the Pacha and all his blackguards and pirates," protested Louis.

"Not since Mazagan got his paw upon you, and you slipped out of it only
by a lucky chance?" demanded the captain, more as an argument than as a
question to be answered. "You got off by the skin of your teeth; and you
may thank your stars that you are not shut up at this moment in some
dungeon in Mogadore, where they don't ask hard questions as to what has
become of troublesome Christians. If the shop had not been invaded by
creditors, you would have been conveyed to Rosetta, and taken away on
board the pirate. The rest of the party would not have known what had
become of you; for we could not find you when we searched for you in
Cairo."

"That is all very nice, Captain Scott," replied Louis, laughing out
loud. "I would not have given two cents to have the guard of sailors who
made things so sad for the Arabs at Gizeh in the cellar with me. Make as
much fuss as you may over my danger at this time, I was master of the
situation all the while," answered Louis very decidedly.

"Master of the situation!" exclaimed the captain. "You might as well
call the trout the master of the situation after he has the hook in his
gills. I don't see it in that light."

"I had fired one shot from my revolver, and wounded Mazagan's assistant
in the outrage; and I had five balls more in the weapon. I think the
pirate counted upon the custom-house officers to deprive me of the
pistol, or he would not have gone to work just as he did. My shot
demoralized the wounded man, and scared his brother the shopkeeper out
of his wits. My next shot was for Mazagan; and if he had taken another
step in his programme he would not have been in command of that steamer
just now."

"Perhaps there were some chances for your aim or your calculations to
fail," suggested Scott; "though Flix says you never miss your mark when
you shoot.