which come with
fruit from Sicily, sail in the night for Palermo, and then we'll have a
cruise for a fortnight, and when the money is all gone we'll come back."

"That's a capital idea, Ned, and the sooner we do it the better. I will
write to the captain, begging him to get me off from being hung, and
telling him where we have fled to, and that letter shall be given after
we have sailed."

They were two very nice lads--our hero and Gascoigne.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

IN WHICH OUR HERO SETS OFF ON ANOTHER CRUISE, IN WHICH HE IS NOT BLOWN
OFF SHORE.

Gascoigne and our hero were neither of them in uniform, and they
hastened to Nix Mangare stairs where they soon picked up the padrone of
a speronare. They went with him into a wine-shop, and with the
assistance of a little English from a Maltese boy, whose shirt hung out
of his trousers, they made a bargain, by which it was agreed that, for
the consideration of two doubloons, he would sail that evening and land
them at Gergenti or some other town in Sicily, providing them with
something to eat and gregos to sleep upon.

Our two midshipmen then went back to the tavern from which they had set
off to fight the duel, and ordering a good dinner to be served in a back
room, they amused themselves with killing flies, as they talked over the
events of the day, and waited for their dinner.

As Mr Tallboys did not himself think proper to go on board till the
evening, and Mr Biggs also wished it to be dark before he went up the
ship's side, the events of the duel did not transpire till the next
morning. Even then it was not known from the boatswain or gunner, but
by a hospital mate coming on board to inform the surgeon that there was
one of their men wounded under their charge, but that he was doing very
well.

Mr Biggs had ascended the side with his face bound up.

"Confound that Jack Easy," said he, "I have only been on leave twice
since I sailed from Portsmouth--once I was obliged to come up the side
without my trousers, and show my bare stern to the whole ship's company,
and now I am coming up, and dare not show my figure-head." He reported
himself to the officer of the watch, and hasting to his cabin, went to
bed, and lay the whole night awake from pain, thinking what excuse he
could possibly make for not coming on deck next morning to his duty.

He was, however, saved this trouble, for Mr Jolliffe brought the letter
of Gascoigne up to Mr Sawbridge, and the captain h