ak a word of the
language, to wander about outside the regular streets. There will
be plenty for you to see, without going further."

As Bob was a good deal impressed with the narrow escape he had had
from capture, he was by no means inclined to run any risk of
getting into a scrape, and perhaps missing his passage out. He
therefore strictly obeyed the captain's instructions; and
when--just as he was going down to the landing stage, where the
boat was to come ashore for him--he came upon a party of half
drunken sailors, engaged in a vigorous fight with a number of
Portuguese civil guards, he turned down a side street to avoid
getting mixed up in the fray--repressing his strong impulse to join
in by the side of his countrymen.

On his mentioning this to the captain, when he reached the brig,
the latter said:

"It is lucky that you kept clear of the row. It is all nonsense,
talking about countrymen. It wasn't an affair of nationality, at
all. Nobody would think of interfering, if he saw a party of
drunken sailors in an English port fighting with the constables. If
he did interfere, it ought to be on the side of the law. Why, then,
should anyone take the part of drunken sailors, in a foreign port,
against the guardians of the peace? To do so is an act of the
grossest folly.

"In the first place, the chances are in favour of getting your head
laid open with a sword cut. These fellows know they don't stand a
chance against Englishmen's fists, and they very soon whip out
their swords. In the second place, you would have to pass the night
in a crowded lockup, where you would be half smothered before
morning. And lastly, if you were lucky enough not to get a week's
confinement in jail, you would have a smart fine to pay.

"There is plenty of fighting to be done, in days like these; but
people should see that they fight on the right side, and not be
taking the part of every drunken scamp who gets into trouble,
simply because he happens to be an Englishman.

"You showed plenty of pluck, lad, when the balls were flying about
the other day; and when I see your uncle, I am sure he will be
pleased when I tell him how well you behaved, under fire; but I am
equally certain he would not have been, by any means, gratified at
hearing that I had had to leave you behind at Lisbon, either with a
broken head or in prison, through getting into a street row, in
which you had no possible concern, between drunken sailors and the
Portugu