The Pacha of Many Tales

the pacha, taking the pipe from his mouth, as he was indulging in company with Mustapha: "

ill prove a treasury of amusement to your sublime highness," replied Mustapha: "but what are the words of

rds of wisdom,"

ut this evening in search of more, and not

ha, rising from his musnud or carpet of state: "t

apha and the armed slaves as before, again set out

t the door of a fruit-shop, at high words with each other. The pacha held up hi

ible to hear those long stories of

o Mustapha with delight: "the very th

n for ten minutes, without my feeling an inclination to salute your mouth with the hee

them: "to-morrow I will hear both your st

observed one of the

brought before him on the following day: and the vizier, having given them in charge to the slaves who had followed at a distance, returned home wit

had closed, the two men were summo

s," observed he. "Sit down there both of you, and

r be able to listen to this man Ali," obser

Ali, "but more especially from the talking of Hussan,

u dispute in my presence, but to he

errupted Hussan, "that you will

e word more, until you are ordered, you will be rewarded w

ut thirty years ago, you know, t

fted up his ha

highness,

can I know until you tel

ast night, and thirty years, you know is a long period in a man's life. My father was a gardener, and people of his condition, you

but you will oblige me by leaving out all those you knows,

li,' says I, 'if you can only leave out your you knows

the bastinado? there seems to be a pair of you. Ali, go on with the

h some onions, which, you know, are very plentiful; and having laden his ass, he set off, at a good round pace, f

I to be obeyed or not? Now go on, and if you offend again

th her head covered up in an old dark-blue capote; and as he passed by, you-she I mean, held out one of her fingers, and said, 'Ali Baba,' for that was my father's name, 'List

pacha in a rage to Mustapha,

ose who dare to disobey y

ce turned towards the tail; and let the officer who conducts him through the town proclaim, 'Such is the punish

ion the will of the pacha; and as he was dragged away, Huss

your story's not told yet. His highnes

his temper, the pacha addressed the other man-"Now, Hussan, you wi

be otherwise, after the

so; 'Ali,'

story," repeated

us last night, that a young female, who seemed above the common class, came in, followed by a porter. 'I want some melons,' says she. 'I have ver

much finer melons,' says I, 'than you usually can procure;

ws; leave them out, if you please, and proceed with y

lifted up her veil-'I have an idea,' said she, as she allowed me to look up

inest that you have.' I handed some down that would have been admired by the ladies of your highness's harem. 'These, madam,' says I, 'are the best dates that are to be found in Cairo.' She tasted them, and asked the price; I mentioned it. 'They are dear,' replied she, 'but I must have them cheaper;' and again she lifted h

ear no more of your says I's: if you cannot tell you

for you to know what I said, unless I point out to y

e executioner made his appearance. "Now, then, go on with your story; and, exe

, 'if you only knew,' says I, 'how annoying you are! Why there,' says I!" At this moment the blow of the scimitar fell, and the head of Hussan rolled upon the floor; the lips fr

sances I ever encountered, these two men have beat them all. Allah

and little soothed by the remark of Mustapha, without making any answer to it, was about to retire to his harem, when Mustapha, with a low salaam, informed him that the renegade was in attenda

customary obeisance, took his seat, and co

expected, she rounded-to, and laid us by the board. Taken by surprise, and having no arms, we were beaten down below, and in a few minutes the vessel remained in the possession of our assailants. They held a short consultation, and then, opening the hatches, a boatswain pulled out his whistle, and in a tremendous voice roared out, "All hands ahoy!" which was followed by his crying out, "Tumble up there, tumble up!" As we understood this to be a signal for our appearance on deck, we obeyed the summons. When we all came up, we found out that if we had had any ide

ed the boatswain, "come, every man his bird!" and, so saying, he seized upon the captain of the ves

the man he had selected, and putting an end to his life, eit

as all over, the boatswain roared out, "That job's done! Now, Mr Barber, swab up all this here blood, and be d--d to you! an

and mate, and had taken possession of the vessel. As our brig was a much finer craft in every respect, they determined upon retaining

voice was heard at the hatchway, if possible, more than a hundre

heard to rush into every part of the hold. Every body ran on deck astonished with the sound, expecting the vessel immediately to go down, and looking at each othe

ght o'clock in the morning the vessel was free. Still the unaccountable circumstance weighed heavy on the minds of the seamen, who walked the de

hat worse would happen, I had made up my mind to my fate. I thought of Marie, and hopi

struck itself, louder than I ever heard it before; and again the dreadful voice was heard, "All hands ahoy!" again the water rushed in, and again

fore, and even made a jest of the boatswain of the middle watch, as they called him, but at the same time they were worn out with constant fatigue; and one night they declared that they would pump no longer. The water rema

n the deck of the vessel lay the fifteen bloody corpses of my shipmates who had been murdered. We stood aghast; the hair rose straight up from our heads, as we viewed the supernatural reappearanc

cream of agony, which escaped him as he obeyed the summons. Like the trembling bird fascinated by the snake, he fell into the arms of the dead body; which grasping him tight, rolled over and over in convolutions like a serpent, until it gained th

was dark, as if released from a spell, they crawled below, and went into their hammocks: at midnight again the bell struck; again the voice was heard, followed by the shriek; again they repaired on deck: the fourteen remaining bodies lay in a row: another of the murderers was summoned, obeyed, and disappeared: again the flash of lightning burst upon us, and all had van

board of a vessel bound from Mexico to the South of Spain, perceiving the brig lying with her sails torn, and her yards not trimmed, had sent a boat to ascertain whether there was any body remaining in her. I was afraid that if I told them what had happened, they either wo

e, the captain offered to take as many of my goods as he could stow, provided I would allow him the freight. This I wil

hich port she was bound; but a violent gale came on from the N.E. which lasted many days, and drove us over to the Africa

ted a candle before the image of St Antonio, which was fixed on the stern of the vessel, began to call upon him for assistance. Not immediately obtaining their request, th

praying, they had continued at the pumps, we should have done well enou

mage from the mast, and threw it overboard, telling them to go to their pumps if they wished to be saved. The whole crew uttered a cry o

to the pumps. To their astonishment, the vessel made no m

o the cabin, and had a long conversation with the captain. They quitted the ship, and about an hour afterwards I proposed going ashore, but the captain said that he could not permit it until the next morning. While I was expostulating with him as to the reasons for my detention, a boat rowed alongside, from out of which

ons. The next day the familiars appeared, and led me to the hall of judgment, where I was asked whether I confessed my crime. I replied that

ht I might as well avoid unnecessary pa

gated you t

t exactly aware of the nature of my offence

tor, "what! the blessed Virgin desire

e was not what I had anticipated), "she did, and t

e wer

the

id you s

he inquisitors were astonished at my boldness: a consultation was held, as to whether I should be treated as a blasphemer, or the circumstance blazoned into a mirac

as if to a point in the ceiling of the dark hall of judgment, and holding my hands before, as if in amazement-"Holy Virgin," cried I, bending on my knee, "I thank thee for the sign. My Lord,"

they themselves had never for a moment given credence. I was remanded to my dungeon; and the gaoler, who had never before witnessed such boldness in the hall of justice, and was

quays, and proclaimed through every part of the town. It was evident that the Virgin had instigated me to throw over the image, as the only means of stopping the leak. The friars of the nearest convent claimed the image from their propinquity, and came down to the ship in grand procession to carry it to their church. The grand inquisitor, hearing the circumstance, acknowledged to the bishop and heads of the clergy my in

eard him mutter, "either there is such a person as the

ng them good fortune. I received many handsome presents, had divers requests to become a member of the different fraternities of monks, and eventually quitted the town with a large sum o

*

ieve that the Virgin, as you call her, did thrust the he

s vortex. The water pouring into the bottom of the ship is but the vortex of a whirlpool reversed; and the image of the saint, when it was thrown overboard to leeward of the ship

answered the pacha, "but I don't

ttending my second voyage," concluded the

t. Mustapha, give him ten pieces of gold: you will bring him

ha, when the pacha had ret

e, holding out his hand for the money