upted by a slave who at the moment approached the bower and
said that a man wanted to see Peter the Great.

"To see Ben-Ahmed, you mean," said Peter.

"No--to see yourself," returned the slave.

"Sen' 'im here," said the negro, with a magnificent wave of the hand.

In a few minutes the slave returned accompanied by a negro, who limped
so badly that he was obliged to use a stick, and whose head was bandaged
up with a blue cloth. Arrived at the bower, he stood before Peter the
Great and groaned.

"You may go," said Peter to the slave, who lingered as if anxious to
hear the news of the visitor. When he was out of hearing, Peter turned
to the lame man, looked him sharply in the face, and said--

"You's bery black in de face, my frind, but you's much blacker in de
h'art. What business hab you to come here widout washin' your white
face clean?"

"Well, you're a pretty smart chap for a nigger. An' I dare say you'll
understand that I'd have had some difficulty in fetchin' this here port
at all if I'd washed my face," answered the lame man, in excellent
nautical English.

While he spoke, Foster ran towards him, laid a hand on his shoulder, and
looked earnestly into his face.

"You are the British sailor," he said, "who rescued Hes--Miss Sommers
from the janissaries?"

"That's me to a tee," replied the sailor, with a broad grin.

"Is Miss Sommers safe?" asked the middy anxiously.

"Ay! safe as any woman can be in this world. Leastwise, she's in a cave
wi' three o' the toughest sea-dogs as any man could wish to see--one o'
them bein' a Maltese an' the other two bein' true-blue John Bulls as
well as Jack Tars. But Miss Sommers gave me orders to say my say to
Peter the Great, so if this nigger is him, I'll be obleeged if he'll
have a little private conversation wi' me."

"Did Miss Sommers say that I was not to hear the message?" asked the
middy, in some surprise.

"She made no mention o' _you_, or anybody else at all, as I knows on,"
returned the sailor firmly, "an' as my orders was to Peter the Great,
an' as this seems to be him, from Sally's description--a monstrous big,
fine-lookin' nigger, with a lively face--I'll say my say to him _alone_,
with your leave."

"You may say it where you is, for dis yar gen'lem'n is a frind ob mine,
an' a hofficer in the Bri'sh navy, an' a most 'tickler friend of Hester
Sommers, so we all frinds togidder."

"You'll excuse me, sir," said the seaman, touching his forelock, "