"HAVE HEART AND HOPE, MY FRIEND."
Far away up the river Karoon, my children, lies the city of Akwaz, and
it was for this place our three little gunboats, the _Comet_, the
_Planet_, and the _Assyria_, now started.
But for the anxiety that I could not help noticing was depicted on my
dear master's face, this expedition would have been altogether as nice
as a picnic.
We--my master, the priest, Jock and I--went in the _Comet_, with one
hundred Highlanders.
Our whole force did not amount to much over three hundred men, and yet
with this little mite of an army we were going to attack a town, the
size and strength of which we were not even sure of.
I, however, felt no fear, because I heard master say that whatever men
dare, they can do.
Well, in due time we reached the town, and we landed, attacked and
captured it.
Persians are not cowards. They can fight well, and this army of about
nine thousand men would, doubtless, soon have destroyed our bold little
force, had it not been so arranged as to look like three invading
armies.
Then, of course, we had the support of the gunboats, and, as master
said, it was but right to give the Persian general his due. He must
have thought that our troops were but the advance-guard of General
Outram's whole force. And so he and his army ran away.
"Did much fur fly, Shireen?" asked Cracker.
Not much, said Shireen. You see, Cracker, we didn't get so near to the
enemy as you did to the butcher's dog that day you saved life, else
brave Jock McNab and master would have made plenty of fur fly.
From the river, the town of Akwaz and the broad sheet of water, with its
beautiful wooded islands, and the wild and rugged mountains far behind,
formed a scene which was lovely in the extreme.
On the evening after the day on which our gallant force had routed the
enemy, and captured the town with all their stores, the priest and my
master sat long on deck, talking of the past. I sit on the priest's
knee. There was a calm or repose about this man that to me was very
delightful, and as he smoothed me while he talked to master, I purred
and sang with my eyes half closed.