them. 'The Battle of Khrysoko' is the last chapter of
the story, and for the present at least, and I hope forever, has removed
all danger from our path."

By this time the entire party were all attention. The captain began his
review of the incidents of the voyage at Mogadore. He used the time
judiciously, but it took him a full hour to bring the history down to
the final event. Whatever had been dark and mysterious in the past was
made plain. The discovery of the plot made by Louis in the cafe at
Gallipoli made a tremendous impression, and Dr. Hawkes had to attend to
Mrs. Belgrave, she became so excited and nervous.

The stirring events in the bay were given very cautiously by the
speaker, though he told the whole truth. He stated enough of the
nautical situation to enable the party to understand the affair; and he
warmly commended Captain Scott for the decisive act by which he had
finished the encounter, after he had used every effort to escape a
conflict.

"And did that wicked pirate actually fire cannon-balls into the Maud
while Louis was on board of her?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, very much
excited.

"He put one shot through her, though Louis was on the upper deck, firing
his rifle into the enemy, and he was in no danger," replied the
commander.

It was midnight when the narrative and the comments upon it were
finished. The doctor attended to his patient in the cabin, and then to
the other in the hospital. Mazagan felt better, and wanted to talk; but
Dr. Hawkes would not permit him to do so. The party retired with enough
to think about.

At the time stated by the commander, the Guardian-Mother and the Maud
were off the red light on the end of the breakwater at the entrance to
the Suez Canal.

CHAPTER XVIII

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SUEZ CANAL

The sea was quite smooth when the Guardian-Mother and her tender arrived
off Port Said. There was about thirty feet of water off the breakwater;
and though there was an extensive basin at the town, the commander
preferred to anchor outside for purposes he had in view. The trip to
Cyprus had interrupted the educational work of the tourists, and this
was the grand object ever uppermost in his mind.

Though this instructive element of the cruise around the world had been
prominent in his thoughts before the steamer sailed from New York, it
was rather indefinite in its details, so that he had failed to make some
preparations for the work which the experience of a y