ON THE OCEAN WAVE 79 



steamer was sure to coal and be gone within a couple 

 of hours. I trained my kodak upon her and turned 

 sorrowfully away. 



A native fair was in full swing at the far end of 

 the town. Amid the snake-charmers and shameless 

 dancers the incident of the morning was soon forgotten. 

 Darkness was falling when I strolled back towards the 

 harbour. At the shop where spitted mutton sold 

 cheaply I halted for supper ; but the keeper had put 

 up his shutters. No doubt he was sowing his year's 

 earnings among the gamblers at the fair. Hungrily 

 I wandered on, turned' into the main street of the 

 European section, and stopped stock still, dumb with 

 astonishment. The vista beyond the canal was still cut 

 off by the vast bulk of the Worcestershire \ 



What an opportunity if once I could get on board ! 

 Perhaps I might. In the terms of the paddock, it 

 was ' a hundred-to-one ' shot ' ; but who could say 

 when better odds would be chalked up? A quarter- 

 master was almost sure to halt me at the gang plank. 

 Some palpable excuse I must offer him for being rowed 

 out to the steamer. If only I had something to be 

 delivered on board, a basket of fruit or shades of 

 Cairo ! a letter of introduction ! 



Breathlessly I dashed into the Home, snatched a 

 sheet of paper and an envelope from the Maltese youth, 

 and scribbled an appeal for employment in any capacity. 

 Having sealed the envelope against the prying eyes 

 of subordinates, I addressed it in a flourishing hand to 

 the chief steward. 



But my knapsack? Certainly I could not carry that 

 on board ! I dumped the contents on the floor and 

 thrust the kodak and my papers into an inside pocket. 



