ankey'
hisself!"

With that, Larrikins, wrenching the malacca from the unwilling hands of
the old fellow, gave it a shake in the air as if he were going to apply
it to the shoulders of its owner.

"By jingo," I cried out, "there's something chinking in it that sounds
like money, Larry!"

"Lor', it is money, Tom," exclaimed Larrikins, at once giving the stick
a good bash against the side of the wall. "The thunderin' old cheat of
a Maltese scoundrel is a regular take-in, askin' on us fur to help him
and he a-rollin' in gold all the time, the blessed old miser!"

This statement was true enough; for, as the malacca cane came against
the stonework, the head of it flew off, and from the hollow cavity
within that was then disclosed there rolled out, if you please, a string
of gold pieces some twenty at least in number--the result, probably, of
this respectable mendicant's very industrious beggary since he had taken
to the trade, the old rascal carrying his horde about with him for
safety's sake.

He now burst into tears at his secret wealth being thus brought to
light; judging, no doubt, from what he knew of the morals of his own
countrymen, that Larrikins and I were going to appropriate it to our own
use.

But, Larrikins and I were English sailors--not any of your Maltese
riffraff; and so, picking up the scattered gold, we gave it back to the
old impostor, the suspicious scoundrel counting each piece as we dropped
it into his hands to make sure that we did not purloin any.

"Take that, yer old joker," said Larrikins, as we left the scene of the
incident, tendering the old gentleman a parting kick. "That's some
interest, old Bono Johnny, to stick inter yer ditty box along o' yer
shiners!"

We had no further adventure at Malta, beyond finding out that most of
the shopkeepers and other chaps with whom we dealt during our short stay
were as great cheats as our beggar friend of the Nix Mangiare stairs.

Before leaving the port, however, to proceed up the Levant, we heard a
piece of news that gave some of us much satisfaction.

This was, that, instead of the _Mermaid_ having to act for some months
as jackal to the eastern division of the fleet, as had been intended
when we were commissioned, we were now ordered to pass up the
Mediterranean and proceed on through to the Red Sea, the cruiser which
we had been hurriedly despatched to relieve on account of her condenser
being cracked, having had her damages made good in