e
pains of purgatory on her already. I shall go and talk to Mesty."

"How can Mesty help you?"

"I don't know, but you can't; so, for want of better advice, I'll try
the Ashantee."

Our hero went to Mesty, and laid the difficult affair open to him.

"I see," said Mesty, showing his filed teeth, "you want him skull."

"No, I don't, Mesty; but I want him out of the way."

"How dat possible, Massa Easy?--ship sail day after to-morrow. Now
'pose I ab time, I soon manage all dat. Stop a little."

"Confound it! but there's no stopping," replied Jack.

"Suppose, Massa Easy, you get leave go on shore--not come off again."

"That will be deserting, Mesty."

"By holy poker, I ab it--you go on shore and break your leg."

"Break my leg!--break my leave, you mean?"

"No, Massa Easy--you break your leg--den captain leave you shore, and
leave me take care of you."

"But why should I break my leg, and how am I to break my leg?"

"Only pretend break leg, Massa Easy. Go talk Massa Don Philip, he
manage all dat.--Suppose man break his leg in seven pieces, it is not
possible to take him board."

"Seven pieces, Mesty! that's rather too many. However, I'll think of
this."

Jack then went back and consulted Gascoigne, who approved of Mesty's
advice, and thought the scheme feasible.

"If we could only pretend that we were thrown out of a caricola, you
break your leg, a compound fracture of course--I break my arm--both left
on shore at sick quarters, with Mesty to take care of us."

"Capital indeed," replied Jack; "I really would not mind it if it really
took place; at all events we'll overturn the caricola."

"But shall we get leave the last day?"

"Yes, it's two days since I have been on shore, for I have not liked to
go to Don Rebiera's since what Agnes told me. Besides, my clothes are
all on shore, and that will be an excuse for a few hours."

Our two midshipmen applied for leave the next morning to be off in the
afternoon. The first lieutenant gave them permission. They hastened to
the hotel, sent for Don Philip, and made him a party to their plan. He
readily promised his assistance, for he had resolved that our hero
should marry his sister, and was fearful of the effect of his absence,
coupled with Friar Thomaso's influence over his mother. He went to the
surgeon of his regiment, who immediately entered into the scheme.

Our two midshipmen got into a caricola, rattled up and down the streets,
and perce