had a long beard on his chin. "One good turn deserves another,"

says he. "I am a magician out of the Arabian Nights, and this

mat that I have under my arm is the original carpet of

Mohammed Ben Somebody-or-other. Say the word, and you

can have a cruise upon the carpet." "You don't mean to say this

is the Travelling Carpet?" I cried. "You bet I do," said he.

"You've been to America since last I read the Arabian Nights,"

said I, a little suspicious. "I should think so," said he. "Been

everywhere. A man with a carpet like this isn't going to moulder

in a semi-detached villa." Well, that struck me as reasonable.

"All right," I said; "and do you mean to tell me I can get on

that carpet and go straight to London, England?" I said,

"London, England," captain, because he seemed to have been

so long in your part of the world. "In the crack of a whip," said

he. I figured up the time. What is the difference between Papeete

and London, captain?'

'Taking Greenwich and Point Venus, nine hours, odd minutes and

seconds,' replied the mariner.

'Well, that's about what I made it,' resumed Herrick, 'about

nine hours. Calling this three in the morning, I made out I would

drop into London about noon; and the idea tickled me

immensely. "There's only one bother," I said, "I haven't a

copper cent. It would be a pity to go to London and not buy the

morning Standard." "O!" said he, "you don't realise the

conveniences of this carpet. You see this pocket? you've only got

to stick your hand in, and you pull it out filled with

sovereigns."

'Double-eagles, wasn't iff inquired the captain.

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