g, and they
'll pull in when they hear my whistle. Ain't it provoking,--ain't it
enough to make a man swear?"

"I have no words for what I feel, Rogers," said I, bustling about to
collect my stray articles through the room. "If I ever chance upon that
Governor--he has only five years of it--I believe--"

"Come along! I see the boat coming round the point yonder." And with
this we slipped noiselessly down the stairs, down the street, and gained
the Jetty.

"Steam up?" asked the skipper, as he jumped into the gig.

"Ay, ay, sir; and we're short on the anchor too." In less than half
an hour we were under weigh, and I don't think I ever admired a land
prospect receding from view with more intense delight than I did that,
my last glimpse of Malta.

CHAPTER XLVIII. FINAL ADVENTURES AND SETTLEMENT

Our voyage had nothing remarkable to record; we reached Constantinople
in due course, and during the few days the "Cyclops" remained, I had
abundant time to discover that there was no trace of any one resembling
him I sought for. By the advice of Rogers, I accompanied him to Odessa.
There, too, I was not more fortunate; and though I instituted the most
persevering inquiries, all I could learn was that some Americans were
employed by the Russian Government in raising the frigates sunk at
Sebastopol, and that it was not impossible an Englishman, such as I
described, might have met an engagement amongst them. At all events, one
of the coasting craft was already at Odessa, and I went on board of her
to make my inquiry. I learned from the mate, who was a German, that they
had come over on rather a strange errand, which was to convey a corps of
circus people to Balaklava. The American contractor at that place, being
in want of some amusement, had arranged with these people to give some
weeks' performances there, but that, from an incident that had just
occurred, the project had failed. This was no less than the elopement of
the chief dancer, a young girl of great beauty, with a young prince of
Bavaria. It was rumored that he had married her, but my informant gave
little credence to this version, and averred that he had bought,
not only herself, but a favorite Old Arab horse she rode, for thirty
thousand piastres. I asked eagerly where the others of the corps were to
be found, and heard they had crossed over to Simoom, all broken up
and disjointed, the chief clown having died of grief after the girl's
flight.

If I heard thi