undering
full five weeks through the soft shore-sand, he was thoroughly convinced
that a mode of progression must be preferable to that; and as soon as
the young Scotchman descended from his seat, he climbed into it.

He had not much climbing to do,--for the well-trained maherry, when any
one wished to mount him, at once knelt down,--making the ascent to his
"summits" as easy as possible.

Just as the sailor had got firmly into the saddle, the moon shone out
with a brilliance that almost rivalled the light of day. In the midst of
that desert landscape, against the ground of snow-white sand, the
figures of both camel and rider were piquantly conspicuous; and although
the one was figuratively a ship, and the other really a sailor, their
juxtaposition offered a contrast of the queerest kind. So ludicrous did
it seem, that the three "mids," disregarding all ideas of danger, broke
forth with one accord into a strain of loud and continuous laughter.

They had all seen camels, or pictures of these animals; but never before
either a camel, or the picture of one, _with a sailor upon his back_.
The very idea of a dromedary carries along with it the cognate spectacle
of an Arab on its back,--a slim, sinewy individual of swarth complexion
and picturesque garb, a bright burnouse steaming around his body, with a
twisted turban on his head. But a tall camel surmounted by a sailor in
dreadnought jacket and sou'-wester, was a picture to make a Solon laugh,
let alone a tier of midshipmen; and it drew from the latter such a
cachinnation as caused the shores of the Saaera to echo with sounds of
joy, perhaps never heard there before. Old Bill was not angry, he was
only gratified to see these young gentlemen in such good spirits; and
calling upon them to keep close after him, he gave the halter to his
maherry and started off over the sand.

For some time his companions kept pace with him, doing their best; but
it soon became apparent, even to the sailor himself, that unless
something was done to restrain the impetuosity of the camel, he must
soon be separated from those following afoot.

This something its rider felt himself incapable of accomplishing. It is
true he still held the halter in his hand, but this gave him but slight
control over the camel. It was not a mameluke bitt--not even a
snaffle--and for directing the movements of the animal the old sailor
felt himself as helpless as if standing by the wheel of a seventy-four
that ha