"Why don't you have a straight one?—it would reach farther," I went on, "and it is really curious why so many of the Eastern nations prefer—"
I was interrupted. He tried to cut my head off, and if he had used a straight sword would have succeeded. I dodged him. remarking, without loss of dignity, "You see, now, that illustrates what—"
My niece here pulled me by my robe, and I dropped the subject. They rolled up the gate, a kind of portcullis, and we entered. I should like to describe the courtyard in detail, but as I had left my spectacles at home, having forgotten them in our hasty embarkation, I could not see anything but a confused blur of colors.
Going up some very tiresome stairways, we were led into a vast audience-room and brought before a kind of king or something—one of those men who sit on fancy chairs and order people around.
"Whom have you brought before us?' asked this very consequential individual.
"Lord of—" began the captain in a second-tenor voice.
"Tut, tut!" said the King. "Who are they?"
"Royal and Imperial—" said the captain.
"And so forth," rejoined the monarch; "thanks! Who are they?"
"I don't know," said the captain.
"Where from?" said the King.
"I don't know," said the captain.
"What do they want?" asked the King.
"I don't know," answered the officer.
"Enough," said the King, hastily; "we are satisfied that your specialty is honest ignorance. We appoint you Court Historian."
The captain bowed low.
"Return to your post for the present; and forget as much as you
