yssey_ (COWPER).

The boat was pushed off, the Abyssinian leapt into it; Arthur paused to
pour out his thankfulness to Yusuf, but was met with the reply, 'Hout
awa'! Time enugh for that--in wi' ye.' And fancying there was some
alarm, he sprang in, and to his amazement found Yusuf instantly at his
side, taking the rudder, and giving some order to Fareek, who had taken
possession of a pair of oars; while the waters seemed to flash and
glitter a welcome at every dip.

'You are coming! you are coming!' exclaimed Arthur, clasping the
merchant's hand, almost beside himself with joy.

'Sma' hope wad there be of a callant like yersel' and the wean there
winning awa' by yer lane,' growled Yusuf.

'You have given up all for us.'

'There wasna muckle to gie,' returned the sponge merchant. 'Sin' the
gudewife and her bit bairnies at Bona were gane, I hadna the heart to
gang thereawa', nor quit the sound o' the bonny Scots tongue. I wad as
soon gang to the bottom as to the toom house. For dinna ye trow yersells
ower sicker e'en the noo.'

'Is there fear of pursuit?'

'No mickle o' that. The folk here are what they ca' Cabyles, a douce
set, not forgathering with Arabs nor wi' Moors. I wad na gang among them
till the search was over to-day; but yesterday I saw yon carle, and coft
the boatie frae him for the wee blackamoor and the mule. The Moors at El
Aziz are not seafaring; and gin the morn they jalouse what we have done,
we have the start of them. Na, I'm not feared for them; but forbye that,
this is no the season for an open boatie wi' a crew of three and a wean.
Gin we met an Algerian or Tunisian cruiser, as we are maist like to do, a
bullet or drooning wad be ower gude in their e'en for us--for me, that is
to say. They wad spare the bairn, and may think you too likely a lad to
hang on the walls like a split corbie on the woodsman's lodge.'

'Well, Yusuf, my name is Hope, you know,' said Arthur. 'God has brought
us so far, and will scarce leave us now. I feel three times the man that
I was when I lay down this evening. Do we keep to the north, where we
are sure to come to a Christian land in time?'

'Easier said than done. Ye little ken what the currents are in this same
sea, or deed ye'll soon ken when we get into them.'

Arthur satisfied himself that they were making for the north by looking
at the Pole Star, so much lower than he was used to see it in Scotland
that he hardly recognised his old friend; bu