hough he
trusted the Secretary, and would have revealed his own affairs fully to
him, he felt that he had no right to reveal the affairs of his friend to
any one.

Before they reached the palace-yard a loud report was heard. The palace
shook as with an earthquake. Loud cries of soldiery were heard without,
and Mark's heart sank with an undefinable dread.

To account for this report we must go back a little. When Hockins and
Ebony were left, as we have seen, to mix their "powders," the former,
being a reckless man, forgot to put his pipe out, and Ebony being a
careless man, (as regarded himself), did not observe the omission. The
consequence was that the seaman kept on puffing and emitting sage
reflections to his admiring friend while they mixed their compounds in
concert.

"Hand me the powder, Ebony."

"Das good--ha! ha! das awrful good," cried the negro, referring to the
latest sage reflection--as he pushed across the powder canister, which
was a large one.

At that inauspicious moment a spark fell from the pipe! Next moment the
door was burst open, the window blown out, Hockins was laid fiat on his
back, while Ebony went head-over-heels upon the floor!

Slowly and with a dazed look the seaman raised himself on one elbow and
looked round.

"Any--anything of ye left, boy?" he asked, quietly.

"I--I's not kite sure, 'Ockins," replied the negro, slowly passing his
hand down one of his legs without rising from the floor. "'Ow does it
feel wid _you_?"

"All right, I think," replied the seaman, rising and presenting a
remarkable exhibition of singed beard and frizzled locks, "no bones
broke, anyhow."

At that instant Mark rushed into the smoke-filled room in consternation,
followed by the Secretary and a number of soldiers who formed the guard
of the palace, and great was their surprise, as well as their
satisfaction, to find that the two men had received no damage worth
mentioning.

"Well, I _am_ thankful," exclaimed Mark, beginning to pick up the debris
of plates and furniture.

"So am I," remarked the sailor, "thankful to think that I've got it over
at last--so easy too!"

"Why, what do you mean?"

"I means, doctor, that I've gone the whole round o' human possibilities
now--leastwise I think so--and am alive to tell it! I've bin shot, an'
stabbed, an' drownded--all but--an' now I've bin blow'd up!"

"So's I, 'Ockins, so you needn't boast," remarked Ebony, as he tenderly
felt the place where hi