After that,
events happened which again sent me to sea. Such, your highness, is the
history of my Fourth Voyage.
* * * * *
"Well," observed the pacha, "I never heard of so large a snake before;
did you, Mustapha?"
"Never, your highness; but travellers see strange things. What is to be
the extent of your highness' bounty?"
"Give him ten pieces of gold," said the pacha, rising from the throne,
and waddling behind the curtain.
Mustapha told out the sequins. "Selim, if I might advise you, it would
please his highness better, if you continued more at sea, and dealt a
little more in the marvellous. That wife of yours, Cerise, as you call
her, is rather a bore."
"Well, I'll get rid of her to-morrow; but I can tell you, vizier, that I
deserve all my pay, for it's rather fatiguing work--besides, my
conscience."
"Holy prophet! hear him--his conscience! go, hypocrite, drown it in wine
to-night, and it will be dead to-morrow; and don't forget to kill your
wife."
"Allow me to observe, that you Turks have very little taste;
nevertheless, I will get rid of her after your own fashion, for she
shall go to the bottom of the sea--Bashem ustun, on my head be it."
Chapter XI
The next morning the pacha hurried over the business of the day, for
Mustapha had intimated that the renegade considered his fifth voyage to
be one of great marvels. Selim was introduced as before, and commenced
the narrative.
FIFTH VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK.
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