her wars will become simply tournaments
therewith."

"It may be so," said Nicholas gaily, as he led the way to his quarters.
"It may be that extremes shall meet at last, and we shall be reduced by
sheer necessity to universal peace."

"That would be glorious indeed," said I, "though it would have the
uncomfortable effect of leaving you without employment."

"Well, in the meantime," he rejoined, "as you are without employment
just now, you must consider yourself my prisoner, for of course you
cannot remain among us without passport, profession, purpose, or
business of any kind. To be shot for a spy is your legitimate due just
now. But we shall want surgeons soon, and newspaper correspondence is
not a bad business in these times; come, I'll see what can be done for
you."

CHAPTER NINE.

IN WHICH LANCEY IS TRIED, SUSPECTED, BLOWN UP, CAPTURED, HALF-HANGED,
DELIVERED, AND ASTONISHED.

We must turn now to poor Lancey, from whom I parted in the waters of the
Danube, but with whose fate and doings I did not become acquainted until
long afterwards.

As I had anticipated, he missed the vessel of the Turkish flotilla
towards which he had struck out, but fortunately succeeded in grappling
the chain cable of that which lay next to it, and the crew of which, as
the reader will recollect, I had roused by a shout in passing.

Lancey soon let the Turks know where he was. A boat being lowered, he
was taken on board, but it was clear to him that he was regarded with
much suspicion. They hurried him before the officer in charge of the
deck, who questioned him closely. The poor fellow now found that his
knowledge of the Turkish language was much slighter than, in the pride
of his heart, while studying with me, he had imagined. Not only did he
fail to understand what was said to him, but the dropping of h's and the
introduction of r's in wrong places rendered his own efforts at reply
abortive. In these circumstances one of the sailors who professed to
talk English was sent for.

This man, a fine stalwart Turk, with a bushy black beard, began his
duties as interpreter with the question--

"Hoosyoo?"

"Eh? say that again," said Lancey, with a perplexed look.

"Hoosyoo?" repeated the Moslem, with emphasis.

"Hoosyoo," repeated Lancey slowly. "Oh, I see," (with a smile of sudden
intelligence,) "who's you? Just so. I'm Jacob Lancey, groom in the
family of Mrs Jeff Childers, of Fagend, in the county of Devonshire,