394) NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 



" Well, lads, I don't mean for to give you a log of what I did 

 every day, 'cause if I did I shouldn't belay my yarn till this day 

 month, and beside one day was pretty much like another ; but how- 

 somnever, I must just tell you what happened the day after my trip 

 up the country with Zuthea and her brother, and then we shall get 

 on a little faster. Well, I got up early in the morning, and strolled 

 out into a little flower garden, the one that I had been told the day 

 before was to be my working place. After looking about me for some 

 time I saw Yarnio and Zuthea coming towards me j when they came 

 the brother asked whether I knew anything of gardening, and how I 

 should like keeping flowers in order ; ' which do you like best,' said 

 he, ' the spade or the sword whether would you rather cultivate a 

 plantation of olives embedded in earth, or a plantation of ropes em- 

 bedded in tar?' ' You may judge/ said I, ' which suits my age best 

 by what you feel you like best yourself.' ( Ah ! no indeed I cannot/ 

 said he, ' few have such a perverted taste as myself to prefer the con- 

 stant bustle and agitation of such an action as we had the other day, 

 to the calm enjoyments of a home with no change to look forward to 

 but the seasons, or to watch with anxiety whether my plants droop 

 their heads with heat, or are beaten down by the rain :' he smiled as 

 he said this, and looked at me for an answer. ' I am/ said I, ' one 

 of the same perverted taste, as yourself; I have been but in one small 

 skirmish, that one in which I became your prisoner, and it has only 

 made me wish to enter another.' ' What/ said he, ' it is revenge 

 then you want upon us ?' ' No, no, indeed it is not ; you took me in 

 fair fight, by a stratagem certainly, but one that is allowable in war, 

 and you have since treated me most kindly, and I shall always feel 

 grateful to you and your excellent sister ; but/ said I, ' if you feel 

 such an ardent wish yourself to be constantly in action, you may 

 judge of my desire to be there also. If, then, you will rely upon my 

 word and give me my liberty, I will, with the first prize-money I 

 get, send you my ransom.' ( No, no/ said he, ' you are very different 

 from the prisoners we usually take, who are a parcel of cowardly 

 Italians, or treacherous Frenchmen, and if I was able I would let 

 you go, not only without any ransom, but with enough to carry you 

 comfortably to your ship ; for I am sure you would not betray us to 

 your captain/ ' Never,' said I. ( No, no, I am sure you would not ; 

 but I can't do what I wish, and what I assure you my sister wishes 

 too. In the fight the other day you killed a favourite slave of my 

 father's, and he was so enraged at it that he swore he would kill you 

 at first, and I and my sister could hardly persuade him not to do so, 

 till she told him she wanted a slave to work in her garden. At last 

 he consented to save your life ; but he will take every opportunity to 

 find fault with you, and if he knew that we tried to make you at all 

 comfortable, he would most likely kill you himself directly ; and as 

 to letting you escape, I am sure you wouldn't wish that when I tell 

 you that my father would immediately put both myself and my sister 

 to death the moment you were gone.' * God forbid/ said I, ' I would 

 rather remain a prisoner all my life than either of you should suffer, 

 and I hope you won't show me any kindness that may make your 

 father dislike either of you.' ' No, no/ said he, f I have chosen you 



