powder-monkey. My great difficulty arose from no one understanding a word I said, nor could I understand anybody. Still, we got on very well under ordinary circumstances by signs. At last I happened to go forward and to utter a few words of English. One of the men forthwith pricked up his ears. "`Beg pardon, sir, you'd find an interpreter convenient, I think,' he said, touching his cap. "`What, are you not a Turk?' said I. "`I am not and I am,' he answered; `I have become a Turk.' "`You are a renegade, in truth,' said I. "`Your honour has hit it,' he replied. "I am sorry to say he was an Irishman. "`But I'm ready to serve a countryman, and I think I can help you at a pinch.' "`I shall be much obliged to you,' I answered; and from that time forward Pat Hoolan became my interpreter and right-hand man. "He was a great ragamuffin, and I did not trust him more than I could help; but he was very useful to me, and I believe faithfully interpreted the orders I issued through him. I learned also from him some of the politics of the ship. The captain was a great rascal according to our notions. He cheated the crew of their pay and their rations, and his government of the stores and provisions, and indeed anything on which he could lay his hands; while he had been tampered with by some of Mehemet Ali's emissaries, and was only waiting an opportunity to carry his ship into Alexandria. Such was the state of affairs when we put to sea. He had just before found out that his treachery had been discovered, and that another Turkish ship had been sent in pursuit of him. He tried to get to Alexandria but could not, so we knocked about running from our own shadow till you hove in sight. He then did what he had long resolved to do, ran the ship on shore. He and most of the officers and some of the men escaped in the boats, leaving me with the remainder to be blown up as a reward for my services. No thanks to them I escaped, and that's the end of my story." Two days after this a brig of war hove in sight. She signalised "Important news", "The war has begun." The frigate made sail towards her. The two men-of-war, as they drew near each other, hove-to, and the commander of the brig came on board the frigate. It was soon known that the _Racer_ was to join the squadron of Sir Robert Stopford. All sail was immediately made on both ships, and together they steered a course for the coast of Syria. CHAPTER SEVEN. TO SAVE THE FLAG. "I say, Jack, can you tell me what all this row is about between us and these wide-breeched, red-capped niggers, the Egyptians?" asked Adair, as he stood by the side of Jack Rogers on the quarter-deck of the _Racer_, while the latter, with his spyglass under his arm, was doing duty as signal midshipman. The outlines of many a picturesque hill and white stone stronghold, famed in ancient and modern history, rose in the distance on the Syrian coast out of the blue glittering ocean.