The boy darted away. In a few minutes donkeys began gathering, their young masters prodding the lazy beasts, urging them along with shrill shouts and sundry twists of the animal's tails.
"Look at the donkeys," shouted the jackies. "What's going on here?"
"You are all going to take a ride with me," announced Dan Davis. "We'll wind up the evening with a parade; then we'll pipe up hammocks."
"Hurrah for Little Dynamite!" howled the men.
"Let's form a cavalry company and charge the town."
"The town will do all the charging, and then some more," laughed Dan. "Mount."
With shouts of mirth the jackies swung themselves to the backs of the donkeys.
"Forward, march!" commanded Dan.
The grotesque procession started away, while the sides of the narrow streets were lined with natives and foreigners, all laughing at the ludicrous spectacle.
It was harmless fun, the pent-up spirits of the sailor boys being given full play after weeks at sea.