American boys afloat : $b or, Cruising in the Orient — John Shaqi
American boys afloat : $b or, Cruising in the OrientOptic, Oliver
General
American boys afloat : $b or, Cruising in the Orient
Optic, Oliver
Voyages and travels -- Juvenile fiction
"But the large steam-yacht of His Highness, Ali-Noury Pacha, is not
here, and we know that she passed through the strait and went to sea;
and that is what makes me think the craft is not the Salihé," added
Scott, who had been for a short time in the service of the Pacha, and
had made the voyage in the little steamer from Funchal.
"I suppose Ali-Noury could not very well take her with him on his trip
up the Mediterranean, and he left her here," suggested Louis.
"If that were true, the Pacha would not have had her painted black,"
reasoned Scott; and there seemed to be a good deal of force in the
argument.
"Where is Philopena?" demanded Felix. "Sure, he ought to know the
shtaymer if he's acquainted wid his own fadther, for he was ingineman
of the craft."
Felipe Garcias, a young Spaniard of eighteen, had been the engineer
of the Salihé in the service of the Pacha, and being ill-treated by
his Mohammedan employer, he had run away from Mogadore with the small
steam-yacht. The steam-launch which was the subject of the conversation
was coming out from the dockyard inside of the New Mole, and
approaching the Guardian-Mother. Felipe, who was now an oiler on board
of the steamer, was called by Morris, and his attention was directed to
the approaching steam-yacht. He looked her over very carefully; but the
change of color evidently perplexed him at first, though a little later
he came to his conclusion.
"Salihé!" he exclaimed.
When Felipe came on board of the Guardian-Mother, he could not speak
a word of English; but in the time that had since elapsed he had made
good progress in acquiring it, though he was not yet fluent in the use
of it.
"Are you sure of it, Phil?" asked Louis, who had translated his Spanish
name into English, and then abbreviated it.
"Ver sure," replied Felipe decidedly. "I see some things what I know."
"She was white when we brought her here," added Louis.
"She has become black now; but I know some marks," persisted Felipe;
and he proceeded to mention and point them out; but he spoke in Spanish
to Louis, who had become tolerably fluent in the language by this time.
"Why don't ye's shpake to the man forninst her poilot-house,"
suggested Felix. "Perhaps he knows somephwat about her."
"That's a bright idea of yours, Felix; he would be likely to know
something about her," laughed the owner of the Guardian-Mother.
The Salihé was making a course within twenty feet of the side of the
steamer, and it was not a difficult matter to hail her. The man in the
little box that was dignified with the name of pilot-house was the only
person that could be seen on board of the little steamer, though there
was doubtless another in the engine-room. The boat was moving along
very slowly, and the pilot seemed to be looking about him all the time
and in every direction.
"Salihé, ahoy!" shouted Louis.
"On board the steamer!" replied the man at the wheel, as he threw it
over so as to direct the boat towards the gangway.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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