here in the heat of the day. No good depend on it,' with a hearty laugh, at the many reminiscences of Sam's tricks which darted across. King Tom's brain, as his palanquin approached nearer and nearer to the bungalow.

“Well, Master Sam,' exclaimed his Excellency, as Sam alighted from his palanquin, 'what the devil brings ye here man, in the heat of the sun?' Sam then related how that on the way between Colombo and the Mount he had met the Paymaster-general, who had expressed himself to be highly pleased with the purchase at an auction of a second-hand buggy and harness, and could not resist telling Sam of his good fortune. 'Why, Sandy,' said I, ‘It is worth ten times what you gave for it, and I am allowed to be a very good judge. All you want is a quiet, good horse.' That's the very thing,' replied he, that's the very thing I was desirous of talking with ye about, Sam. King Tom's grey might do very well, Sam, for my purpose.-You understand me.' 'Ergo, Sam,' rejoined his Excellency, 'you intend to rig him out with auld Robin.' Sam, glad to give the Governor an opportunity of enjoying a joke at Sandy's expense, acknowleged that his Excellency's opinion, was the thing itself, and repeating the gift of the grey, King Tom told Sam 'that black salt and bullock's heads would soon fatten Robin,' and, said his Excellency; he'll be assistance to ye yet Sam!'

Sam often called on his friend Sandy during the three weeks that the grey was under the black salt regimen, and managed matters so well, that Sandy was not aware that 'friend Sam' succeeded in getting the grey on his first application to the Governor.

After enumerating all Robin's good qualities, and that quietness was the chief; a quality, that Sandy had particularly impressed the necessity of, in fact a sine qua non with him, Sam was requested, if the grey really possessed such good qualities, to send him any day he pleased by nine or a little after nine in the morning for trial; was sorry he could not invite Sam to breakfast; for all his servants had gone on leave for a month, to some weddings in the interior of the district, leaving only the housekeeper at home.'

"This news was music to Sam's ears, having fixed the next day for

trying the follows:

and about a quarter past nine o'clock the next morning Sam despatched his horsekeeper with the grey to Sandy's compound, following shortly after on a little fleet which pony

a

friend had lent him.

Alighting from his pony, Sam directed the horsekeeper to keep a good look-out for him, and to keep close to the outer gate, as he should require the pony in less than twenty minutes; knowing full well that the public offices did not open till ten o'clock, and that it would be only loss of time to present a cheque earlier.

"Sandy was, as Sir Richard Strachan expressed himself when he fell in with Dumanior's squadron, delighted at the appearance of the grey, and begged Sam to mount, and put him through his paces; which Sam readily did, mounting and dismounting a dozen times, to show how quiet the grey was.

"Sandy admitted that the grey would do mighty well, provided they could agree about the price. Sam considered such an animal above all price; that as they were old friends, and having himself paid nothing for the grey, he would readily give him to Sandy if he would merely lend him the small sum he had chequed for: then drawing the cheque from his pocket he showed it to the astounded Sandy-Three thousand rupees! two hundred pounds, Sam; d'ye think I'm a pagoda-tree, that ye can pull, and pull, and pull again?' 'But, my good Sandy, recollect, if I have pulled, as you call it, no fruit has ever yet dropped to my share; sign it, my good fellow, and the grey is yours.' 'It's verra easy, Sam, to say sign, but I can tell ye it's not so easy to pay.' 'The latter I can vouch for, as to myself,' replied Sam; but you, Sandy, keep the goose that lays the golden eggs.'

"Sam had determined to succeed, and succeed he must: walking into the verandah, whilst Sandy was surveying the grey's points, he supplied himself with pen and ink, and returned to the charge-with the very earnest entreaty, Sign, my dear fellow; A. C. will be sufficient.'

6

"No, Sam, I'm not to be caught; easy got, easy go, is not my motto.' At length Sam got tired of soliciting, and agreed to name his price after Sandy should have mounted and tried the grey himself. To mount was a very easy matter, and would cost nothing. Sandy placed his foot in the stirrup, and had but scarcely seated himself in the saddle, when, all at once, the very nature of the grey seemed changed-no longer the quiet animal, that a child might ride, but a very devil, a kicker, plunger,-every vice that horse was liable to seemed to have got hold of him.

"Sam had overdone the job. He had placed cotton saturated with vitriol and cayenne pepper and ginger in the hollow of a

amboo rod, and touching the grey under the tail, the animal plunged into the midst of the cocoa-nut tope, and, coming in contact with a cocoa-nut tree, Sandy was thrown to the ground and his left arm broken. Sam instantly ran to his friend's assistance; but so intent was he on his purpose that he could not help exclaiming, Thank God, Sandy, it is not your right arm! In unutterable anguish Sam despatched the only Lascareen in attendance to the Fort (about a mile off) for medical aid, and assisted his friend Sandy to a seat on the grass, with his back against a cocoa-nut tree. This done, after a few minutes' pause, Sam renewed his request. have the 'dom'd animal' in a present, and could not lend the money. calling out to Sam to help him on his legs, for that he was in excruciating pain. Sam then threw himself into a theatrical attitude, and called out 'Sign!' Sandy, however, steadfastly refused, till Sam called his attention to the increasing swelling of the broken arm, and talked of locked-jaw, and other ills to be dreaded in that hot climate; and declared if Sandy would sign the cheque, he would instantly ride to the 2d Ceylon lines for the Surgeon.

66

Sandy would not

Sandy's pain did not drive calculation from his head-to die of locked-jaw was dreadful indeed. Considering, therefore, that if he did sign, and that Sam, as promised, rode off to the 2d Ceylon lines for the Surgeon (which road was in an opposite direction to that in which his servant had been sent), the servant would be back in time to return to the Fort to stop payment of the cheque, before that Sam could possibly get there, he agreed to sign it, as matter of especial favour to Sam. Sam placed his hat before Sandy, laid the cheque on it, held the pen and ink-when, with a sigh which seemed to come from his very soul, as no doubt it did, 'Alexander C. was signed, and Sam's object attained! Having fulfilled his agreement by assisting Sandy to the house, and having placed him on a couch, Sam proceeded to the compound* gate, where the horsekeeper, strictly attentive to his instructions, held out the ready stirrup to his facetious master ; but Sam had scarcely mounted his pony than he observed the Surgeon of the 2d Ceylon regiment

* A lawn is called a "compound" in India.

within hail, to whom having communicated poor Sandy's deplorable accident, Sam rode off to realize the cheque, whilst the medical gentleman went to proffer his best aid to the suffering Sandy.

"Sam soon collared the coin, as he, according to the local fashion of the day, called receiving money, and hastened to claim his winnings on the occasion (from His Excellency three thousand rupees, and minor sums from other friends), having fairly won every bet. Having been paid in cash by some, and with I. O. U.'s by others, Sam went back to inquire for his dear friend Sandy, and having returned him the three thousand rupees, which made Sandy's eyes brighten up, and induced him to exclaim, 'You are a very honourable fellow, Sam, but as you have won so much, I hope you'll not forget the Doctor;' Sandy forgave Sam for the trick he had played him, and faithfully promised never to refuse him a trifle again. Sam presented his excellent friend the Paymaster-general with a silver salver, value one hundred guineas, on which was engraven the very catastrophe, in Sam's own exquisite and humorous style; not even the horse, the original cause of all his good luck, was forgotten, but laid up in ordinary, with a handsome allowance for life; and even the appo was well rewarded for his temporary loss of wind by a present of a hundred rupees; the Doctor too had a gift of a splendid hookah from Sam, which was one of the good Governor's numerous presents to this most amusing Ranger of the Woods and Forests."

Of all the stories that had been related this received the most of the general applause; and the third Saturday night at sea since their commencement closed in mutual good humour. All wishing each other good night, retired to that rest for which all were ready and prepared to enjoy, as "the watches" to some, and "all right in" to others, permitted them, after that the sixth Lieutenant had nominated the senior second Lieutenant of the Royal Jollies as President for the next Saturday night at sea.