third stripped me of my clothes; after which a forth came and
bound my hands behind my back with his belt. Then they all took
me up, pinioned as I was, and casting me down, fell a-haling me
towards a sink-hole that was there and were about to cut my
throat, when suddenly there came a violent knocking at the door.
As they heard the raps, they were afraid and their minds were
diverted from me by affright; so the woman went out and presently
returning, said to them, "Fear not; no harm shall betide you this
day. 'Tis only your comrade who hath brought you your dinner."
With this the new-comer entered, bringing with him a roasted
lamb; and when he came in to them, he asked, "What is to do with
you, that ye have tucked up sleeves and bag-trousers?" Replied
they, "This is a head of game we've caught." As he heard these
words, he came up to me and peering in my face, cried out and
said, "By Allah, this is my brother, the son of my mother and
father! Allah! Allah!" Then he loosed me from my pinion-bonds and
bussed my head, and behold it was my friend who used to borrow
silver of me. When I kissed his head, he kissed mine and said, "O
my brother, be not affrighted;" and he called for my clothes and
coin and restored all to me nor was aught missing. Also, he
brought me a porcelain bowl full of sherbet of sugar, with lemons
therein, and gave me to drink; and the company came and seated me
at a table. So I ate with them and he said to me, "O my lord and
my brother, now have bread and salt passed between us and thou
hast discovered our secret and our case; but secrets with the
noble are safe." I replied, 'As I am a lawfully-begotten child
and a well-born, I will not name aught of this nor denounce you!"
They assured themselves of me by an oath; then they brought me
out and I went my way, very hardly crediting but that I was of
the dead. I lay ill in my house a whole month; after which I went