He then made a sign to me, and I struck up Jack's favourite hornpipe; the Moors, old and young, black beards and grey, short and long, forming a circle round him. Up he jumped, and, with arms akimbo, commenced his dance. If he had before shuffled, and kicked, and capered, he now redoubled his efforts, snapping his fingers, clapping his hands, turning and twisting in every conceivable way. Scarcely ever before was such a hornpipe danced. It drew forth rounds of applause from even the gravest of the spectators. The chief was delighted. Turning to one of his attendants, he gave an order, which I did not then comprehend. Mr Vernon had kept outside the circle, to be ready for any emergency which, as Jack hinted, might occur. I, meantime, played away a variety of other tunes, till Jack, jumping up from the spot where he had thrown himself, made a sign to me to begin another hornpipe. This time he even outdid either of his former attempts; indeed, before, I believe that he was only shamming being tired; for my fingers and elbows began to ache before his legs or breath gave any signs of his wish to end the dance. "Change the tune, Mr D'Arcy. Wallop-ahoo-aboo! I'll just give them an Irish jig to keep them staring." A jig I played, and a jig he danced, with agility enough to win the heart of any Nora Creina in old Ireland. Then I tried a Scotch reel, and he almost outdid the jig: nor did he cease till he saw Mr Vernon rejoin the circle. "Now if we haven't bamboozled the old gentleman famously, my name's not Jack Stretcher!" he exclaimed with a loud laugh, slapping his thigh; an action which was naturally supposed by his audience to mark the _finale_ of his barbaric dances. Exclamations of wonder broke from the lips of all around; and I, having played a few more airs, we were dismissed, graciously, to our dormitory. Mr Vernon then told me that, while Jack was dancing, he had managed to speak both to Major Norman and his daughter, the chief having sent for the inmates of his harem to witness the strange seaman's dancing. It was arranged that we should the following night try to communicate with the frigate's boats; and if they could manage to send a party on shore, that we should scale the walls of the harem, and carry off Miss Norman--they being ready to support us. She, at at all events, would be prepared for the emergency.