ht commence at once."

Tinker received a scimitar from the hands of Mr. Figgins, and
flourished it gaily round his head.

Bosja, who could not afford to pay for a substitute, made a great
effort to pull himself together for the strife, but he looked very
white, and his teeth chattered audibly.

"Now, slaves, begin," exclaimed the judge.

Tinker gave a semi-savage yell, just to encourage his opponent, and
then, with a most ferocious grin on his dark face, he sprang forward.

Bosja, scared out of his wits, struck wildly at random.

His scimitar came in contact with nothing but air, whilst Tinker gave
him a slight prod with his sabre's point in the region of his baggy
breeches.

Bosja felt it, and believing himself seriously wounded, uttered a
doleful howl.

The crowd applauded.

Tinker hopped round him as nimbly as a tomtit or a jackdaw, and
presently gave him another little taste of his steel.

[Illustration: "TINKER HOPPED ROUND HIM NIMBLY, AND GAVE HIM
ANOTHER TASTE OF THE STEEL."--TINKER. VOL. II.]

Bosja, fully impressed with the idea that he was bleeding to death,
began to grow desperate.

Grasping his scimitar more firmly, he rushed in at his sable antagonist,
but Tinker, by a skilful manoeuvre, locked his hilt in that of his
foe's weapon, and wrested it from his hand, following up his advantage
with a smart tap on Bosja's skull with the flat of his blade.

This was a settler for the Turk, who, under the pleasing conviction
that his brains were knocked out, uttered a piteous groan, and fell
fainting on the ground.

The spectators did not appear to relish the defeat of their countryman,
and loud murmurs of discontent burst forth, in the midst of which the
bashaw rose.

"Stop the fight, and arrest the murderer," he cried.

Several of the soldiers and a few of the spectators advanced with
alacrity to obey the order, but Tinker suddenly delivered one of his
startling war whoops and flourished a glittering scimitar in each of
his hands.

Everyone stopped.

It seemed prudent to do so, for the negro grinned and gnashed his teeth
like a dark demoniac, as he sharpened his weapons one upon the other,
preparatory to some deadly work of destruction.

Having performed this operation, he cried--

"Now de amputashun goin' to begin!" and uttering another terrible yell,
dashed in amongst the guards.

The soldiers, astonished and appalled, dropped their weapons and fled
from the court, calling up