a volunteer, in order that I might be free to leave, at
any time, if I received an order from my uncle to join him at
Chittagong.

"I could give an order on him, but I do not know where he is to be
found. I have with me some uncut rubies; though I have no idea what
they are worth, for I have not even looked at them yet; but they
should certainly be good security for 50 pounds."

"We can settle that presently, Mr. Brooke. I will write an order on
the paymaster for 500 rupees; and we can talk the matter over,
afterwards. I am afraid that you will have to pay rather high for
the clothes, for almost everyone here has worn out his kit; and Mr.
Hitchcock only joined us a fortnight before his death, so that his
are in very good condition. Of course, they are all uniform--he was
on my staff--but that will not matter. You could hardly be going
about in civilian clothes, here.

"I shall be very glad if you will dine with me, at six o'clock this
evening. Have a talk with your man before that, and see what he
wants to do. If he is a sharp fellow, he might be very useful to
us."

The general wrote the order on the paymaster, and Captain Cooke
took Stanley across to the office and obtained the cash for it.
Making inquiry, he found that the sale was to come off in a quarter
of an hour.

"I will do the bidding for you, if you like, Brooke," Captain Cooke
said. "I dare say you would rather not be introduced, generally, in
your present rig."

"Much rather not, and I shall be much obliged by your doing it."

"All right. I will make your money go as far as I can. Of course,
the poor fellow brought no full-dress uniform with him, or anything
of that sort."

"You will find me here with my Burman," Stanley said. "We will
stroll round the place for half an hour, and then come back here
again."

There was very little to see in the town. Meinik was astonished,
when they mounted the river bank and had a view of the ships lying
at anchor. For a time he was too surprised to speak, never having
seen anything larger than the clumsy cargo boats which made a
voyage, once a year, up the river.

"It is wonderful!" he said at last. "Who would have thought of such
great ships? If the emperor could but see them, I think that he
would make peace. It is easy to see that you know many things more
than we do. Could one go on board of them?"

"Not as I am, at present, Meinik; but when I get English clothes on
again, and rid myself from some of t