Atthecryof”Guard！”notasoulappeared；thesentrywasnottobefound。Atlength，afterasearch，heturnedupinthewrongplace，lookingconfused，andconfessedthathehadbeenasleep，butawakenedbythesoundofashot。Bythistimeanumberofnon-commissionedofficershadarrived，whohadbeenalarmedbythepistol-shotandthecryof”Guard！”Thesentrywasputunderarrest。Asearchwasmadeeverywhere，butnotraceofthethiefcouldbefound。Onmakinganexaminationofthepremises，wefoundadirtyshirtthatthethiefhadinhishurryleftbehindhim；thiswasevidentlyintendedtoreceivethespoilinlieuofabag。Icouldnotfindthetraceofabullet-markeitherupontheplanksorupontheVenetianblinds，therefore，Iconsideredthatthethiefmusthavebeenhit，orifmissed，theballmusthavepassedoutashepushedtheblindsasidewhenintheactofspringingthrough。
Isuspectedthesentry，whowasanEgyptianbelongingtothe”FortyThieves。”Hewasstrippedandexamined，buttherewasnowound。Alltheshirtswerealike，thereforetheshirtinmypossessionwasnoclue。Mywifehadbeenstartled，butshequicklyrecoveredherself；thesentrywasflogged，andtherethematterended；wehadnoLondondetectives。
CHAPTERVI。
THESTART。
December11——Thefirstdivisionofthefleet，composedofeightvessels，hadstarted，accordingtomypreviousarrangement，on1stinst。