hundred masses said for his soul?" inquired Mustapha.

"Upon my salvation! I never thought of it to this moment," replied the
renegade.

"Such, your highness are the adventures of my fifth voyage; and I trust,
that the narration of them has afforded you entertainment."

"Yes," observed the pacha, rising, "that was some thing like a voyage.
Mustapha, give him thirty pieces of gold. Huckaback, we will hear your
sixth voyage to-morrow"--and the pacha retired behind the screen, and,
as usual, went into the apartment of the women.

"Pray, Selim, was there any truth in that history of the princess? I
thought at first that it was all invention; but when you wept--"

"That was for the sake of effect," answered the renegade: "when I get
warmed with my story, I often work myself up to a degree that I almost
believe it myself."

"Holy Prophet! what a talent!" rejoined Mustapha. "What an excellent
prime minister you would have made in your own country! Here's your
money; will your next voyage be as good?"

"I'll try, at all events; as I find that the _principal_ increases with
the _interest_," said the renegade, chinking the sequins in his hand.
_Au revoir_, as we say in France--and the renegade quitted the divan.

"Allah--what a talent!" muttered the vizier to himself, as the renegade
disappeared.

VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER FIVE.

On the ensuing day, after the usual business of the divan had been gone
through, the renegade was called in, and taking his seat, commenced the
narrative of his sixth voyage.

SIXTH VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK.

May it please your highness:--

It was my intention to have remained quietly on shore, after so many
hairbreadth escapes and singular adventures; but I found France so
changed, that I was disgusted with my own country. Every thing was
upside down--the nobles, the wealthy, the talented, either were
murdered, or living in abject poverty in other countries, while the
lower classes had usurped their place, and governed the land. But what
decided me once more to go to sea, was that the continual demands for
fresh levies to recruit the republican armies, convinced me that I had
no chance of long remaining in quiet. Of two evils I preferred what I
considered to be the least; and rather than die in a ditch on shore, I
preferred the dangers which might be incurred afloat. I bought a large
ship, and fitted her for a voyage of speculation to Lima in South
America. As the English cruisers co