AN EGYPTIAN CAPITULATION. BY CAPTAIN BASIL TAYLOUR, R.N. "No," replied Barkly, "I wouldn't if I were you. Since I have acquired discretion and a circumference I have had to relinquish the more violent forms of exercise and leave the futtock rigging to the upper yardmen and to little boys who cultivate a waist and a habitual disrespect for their elders. Don't you know, you exiguous epitome, that the 'lubber's hole' is reserved for those who have attained the respectable age of forty?" "I'm getting sick of this," formances of a fly on the declared Barkly, First Lieu- ceiling.) tenant of the Menelaus. "Here we've been lying for nearly a fortnight doing nothing, and those wretched forts ashore there nobly following our example. I don't believe there is a soul there except that old chap in a green turban and a dirty nightshirt who comes up every morning and evening on to the ramparts and says his prayers so ostentatiously. Ship's grub for a fortnight. I ask you! And all the other ships round at Alexandria and Port Said and Ismailia living on the fat of the land-a land flowing with milk and honey or ashore playing at soldiers and spoiling the Egyptians. Look here, can't we do something? Get up a regatta, or a seining partythat beach looks as if there ought to be lots of fish to be caught. Or 'Follow my Leader' aloft 66 Why, Number One, you couldn't get through the lubber's hole," interpolated the Commander. "There isn't room for that circumference of yours." "Exactly. And that is why I now offer myself as umpire in a race over the main topmast head between you and the Paymaster. He's older than you, but he's skinnier. Who'll back the Commander against Old Pay?" "I wouldn't back you at that, Number One, though I'd give a fiver to see you going "Mister Old Pay, please," over the futtock rigging,' rigging," retorted the Paymaster with laughed the junior Lieutenant, dignity. "When a man has Johnson by name, irreverently. passed the age of forty-five he The First Lieutenant was dis- is entitled to the prefix. Do tinctly not one of Pharaoh's you really imagine, First Lieulean kine. (It should, perhaps, tenant, that I am going to be explained that in "going risk life and limb by going over the futtock rigging aloft? After thirty years at one has to emulate the per- sea I have more sense." "I thought I'd get a draw from one of you," laughed Barkly. "What about you, Commander? " The Commander gave no answer. He didn't like such pleasantries directed at him, and pretended he didn't hear. "I'll tell you what, Number One," exclaimed the Captain of Marines, "I'll make you a sporting offer. I bet you a fiver you won't go and land under the forts and bathe." "Done along o' you," replied Barkly. "Splendid idea. But I must have some one with me to pull me ashore in the skiff. It would be wanting in dignity for a man of my perimeter to man the oars. I'm very good at the tiller, but I find that pulling anything but the foreand-aft oar detracts from my imposing presence. Besides, as British representative on a foreign shore, I must have a staff and retinue with me." superfluous spirits in serving the Egyptians."" "If I were quite sure Number One wouldn't come back, I'd get up a petition to the skipper begging him to send them all on duty," said Jones, the Second Lieutenant, who thought he was getting too senior for watch-keeping, and wanted the First Lieutenant's job. "My dear Barkly," said the Commander testily, "you really are not contemplating such a mad project, are you?" And why not?" retorted Barkly. "Anything to do away with this monotony. But seriously, sir, I'll come with you to your cabin and argue the point with you." They both rose from the table and made for the wardroom door. “They daren't touch us, you see; they know well enough that our guns could knock their rotten forts to smithereens in ten minutes, and we know there are none of the black artillerymen here; they were all put "I'll come," shouted Johnson and the junior Doctor in chorus. "What's that?" demanded out of action at Alexandria the Commander. "Barkly says he wants to go ashore and wash himself-his tub on board is not big enough for his imposing presence," interjected the Fleet Surgeon. "And my mate and the 'Worm' want to go with him and sand and canvas him under the Gippy forts. Better let them go, Commander. We can spare them all. They're so full of energy that they make me tired. Let the Gippies catch them and make them work off their last month. And besides—" The door closed behind his portly figure. "Number One's going to win that fiver of yours, Soldier," jeered the "Worm." "He always manages to get round the bugs. Do you want to hedge? I can't afford any fivers, but I'll bet you ten bob we all get back all right and have a jolly good bathe into the bargain." "I don't see the use of that to me," replied the Marine dolefully. "If you win, you'll get your ten bob all right; but if you lose, I'll have to whistle for mine, for you'll be languishing in Arabi's pet gaol with a bow-string round your neck, or something equally encouraging." "All right, I'll leave it to you in my will," declared Johnson. And then there was a general move from the mess to the smoking circle on deck, where Barkly shortly joined them, meditatively filling his pipe. 66 Well, what about it, Number One?" asked the Marine. "Oh, it's all right," anright," answered the First Lieutenant. "We go in the skiff after evening quarters. The skipper thinks it rather a sound notion, but he says you ought to come too." "Oh, if that's so I'm quite willing to go, though I'm not much of a swimmer," said the unsuspecting Sea-Soldier, with an air of condescension. "But why does he pitch on me?" "Because your ugly face would frighten Arabi himself," replied the irrepressible joker. The Menelaus was lying in Aboukir Bay, whither she had been sent after the strategical move from Alexandria to Port Said had been made in August 1882, in order to take Arabi Pasha's army in the rear. She was to watch the Aboukir forts until they surrendered, and in the meantime to contain "them. But hitherto there had been no signs on their part of surrender or of any other action. Indeed, the forts 66 appeared to be deserted, and the Captain of the Menelaus rather welcomed this insane expedition, in the hope that it would force the garrison to show themselves. But he gave orders that the skiff was to be closely watched, that one battery of heavy guns was to be ready to open fire if necessary, and a machine-gun (Gardner) also prepared to fire upon any armed party which should appear and show signs of aggression. Jones volunteered to take charge of the latter weapon, in order to see what sort of execution it could make, for he was scornfully hostile to machineguns-the Gardner had only just been brought into the Service-and declared that they were sure to jam before they had fired a dozen rounds. Barkly raised another laugh by declaring that what Jones really wanted to do was to create a vacancy for himself by mistaking the skiff for a party of the enemy, and opening fire on it, "in the hope of bagging me. But you couldn't hit a haystack at a hundred yards, much less me at a thousand." Immediately after evening quarters, at 4 P.M., the three adventurers got into the wardroom skiff, and, dismissing the crew of one, shoved off for the shore, Barkly in the stern sheets, the "Worm" and the young Doctor manning the oars. The port upper deck battery was at the same time manned, cast loose, and loaded. They were 7-inch muzzle-loaders, but the six of them were sufficient to knock the forts to bits in a suddenly exclaimed, "Hulloa! very short time. Who are those beggars coming along the beach? ' They looked at the shore, and there, having obviously just emerged from the sallyport, was a party of men, about ten in number, marching towards the skiff in military formation, with an officer in charge of them. The boat made for the nearest point of the shore, where a nice clean strip of sand, about 30 to 40 yards wide, showed between the frowning walls of the fort and the water's edge. Not a man was to be seen in the forts. Barkly carefully scanned the battlements and the sallyport some 300 to 400 yards to the westward, but all was quiet, deserted. There was nothing to prevent their land- the doctor. ing. They beached the boat, hauled her up on the sand, and proceeded to undress. Still not a sign from the forts. Johnson was the first to don his birthday suit, and he lost no time in dashing into the water, which he pronounced to be just right, neither too cold nor too hot. The Doctor followed him immediately, and together the two splashed and swam out into deep water. Barkly, more deliberate in his movements, took some minutes longer before he joined them, but then he, too, swam away from the beach, but more slowly, until he was some 200 yards out. "They're after the boat!" yelled Johnson. "And our clothes," added "Dig out, you cripples," puffed Barkly. "Let's see if we can't get there before them." Their game of leap-frog had brought them closer to the shore, and they were but little more than 100 yards from the beach, while the others, who were stumbling over the loose sand and making slow progress, had at least 350 yards to go. The Navy might do it. Away went the two young men, neck and neck. They were both fast swimmers, and they both intended to save their clothes, at least, if not the boat also, from the clutches of the Gippies. Barkly, though a good, was but a slow swimmer at his best, and just now he was rather breathless and pumped from the exertion of the constant diving called for in water leapfrog, so he was left hopelessly in the rear. Johnson and the doctor reached the boat while the squad was still 40 yards away, and, without waiting to use their towels, they proceeded to huddle on their clothes with companions that they should address the new-comers. But the Egyptian spoke first. all haste. Barkly was still lations clearly indicated to his some distance out, but swimming all he knew and puffing and blowing like a grampus. The two already on shore were decently arrayed-they at least had trousers and a shirt onwhen the Egyptian party arrived. The latter were unarmed, except for the officer, who wore a sword, a very dissipated appearance, and a three days' growth on his chin. "Eef you pliss, sare, seniore offisare," a circular movement of the hand and an interrogative eyebrow obviously denoting that he wished to know which of the three was "It." The "Worm "waved him towards the First Lieutenant, who had continued to advance into shallower water, and now stood revealed, up to his knees in water, but otherwise clad only in his manly beauty. Just as this apparition reached the boat, the First Lieutenant got into his depth and started wading to the shore, but paused for breath when still immersed to his waist or where his waist should have been. He was drink-champagne-bot no eat. still speechless, but his gesticu- We rendare de fort." "De Colonel 'e say, nous nous rendons. We 'ave not a manger-eat. We 'ave plenty |