t man proposes, but God disposes.

We soon recovered from our fatigues and hardships, and got into fine
health and spirits. The crews of the two brigs were allowed a
considerable amount of liberty, and did not fail to take advantage of
it. Altogether we had a good deal of fun on shore. Charley and I were
generally together. We had not much money between us, but we contrived
to muster enough to hire a horse now and then; and as we could not
afford to have one a-piece, we used to choose a long-backed old nag,
which carried us both, and off we set in high glee into the country.
The grave old Turks looked on with astonishment, and called us mad
Giaours, or some such name; and the little boys used to throw stones at
us, or spit as we passed, but we did not care for that; we only laughed
at them, and rode on. Once we rode into a village, and seeing an
odd-looking building, we agreed that we should like to have a look
inside. We accordingly tied up our long-backed horse to a tree, and as
there was no one near of whom to ask leave, in we walked. It was a
building with a high dome, and lamps burning, which hung down from the
ceiling, and curtains, but there was not much to see, after all.
Presently some old gentlemen in odd dresses appeared at the further end,
and as soon as they saw us standing and looking as if we did not think
much of the place, they made towards us with furious gestures, so we
agreed that the sooner we took our departure the better. When we turned
to run, they came on still faster, and as we bolted out of the mosque--
for so we found the building was called--they almost caught us. We ran
to our horse; while Charley leaped on his back, I cast off the tow-rope,
and then he caught my hand and helped me up behind him, and away we
galloped as hard as we could go through the village. The old gentlemen
could not run fast enough to overtake us, but they sang out at the top
of their voices to some men in the street, and they called out to
others, and very soon we had the whole population after us with sticks
in their hands, heaving stones at our heads, and shouting and shrieking
at us. Luckily the hubbub frightened the old horse, and he went faster
than he had done for many a day, and amid the barking of dogs, the
shouts of boys, the crying of children, and the shrieking of women, we
made our escape from the inhospitable community. I had a good thick
stick with which I belaboured the poor beast to urge him