ards
found, on the island. Rats can't do without water; and I thought I
should have them there. I filled up the spring, all but a hole which I
sat on the top of. When the rats came again, I filled my mouth with
water, and held it wide open; they ran up to drink, and I caught their
heads in my teeth, and thus I took as many as I wished.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Aferin, excellent!" cried the pacha, as soon as this was explained.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, at last a vessel took me off, and I wasn't sorry for it, for raw
rats are not very good eating. I went home again, and I hadn't been on
shore more than two hours, when who should I see but my first wife, Bet,
with a robin-redbreast in tow. "That's he!" says she. I gave fight,
but was nabbed and put into limbo, to be tried for what they call
_biggery_, or having a wife too much.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How does he mean? desire him to explain," said the pacha, after
Mustapha had conveyed the intelligence. Mustapha obeyed.

"In our country one wife is considered a man's allowance; and he is not
to take more, that every Jack may have his Jill, I had spliced two; so
they tried me, and sent me to Botany Bay for life."

This explanation puzzled the pacha. "How--what sort of a country must
it be, when a man cannot have two wives? Inshallah! please the Lord, we
may have hundreds in our harem! Does he not laugh at our beards with
lies? Is this not all _bosh_, nothing?"

"It is even so, as the Frank speaketh," replied Mustapha. "The king of
the country can take but one wife. Be chesm, on my eyes be it, if it is
not the truth."

"Well," rejoined the pacha, "what are they but infidels? They deserve
to have no more. Houris are for the faithful. May their fathers'
graves be defiled. Let the Giaour proceed."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I was started for the other side of the water, and got there safe
enough, as I hope one day to get to Heaven, wind and weather permitting:
but I had no idea of working without pay, so one fine morning, I slipt
away into the woods, where I remained with three or four more for six
months. We lived upon kangaroos, and another odd little animal, and got
on pretty well.

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