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.