unhurt, the folk flocked round me and I acquainted them with my
adventure. Now as Destiny decreed, the Chief of Police was
passing through the market-street; so the people told him what
was to do and he made for the door and bade raise it off its
hinges. We entered with a rush and found the thieves, as they had
thrown my friend down and cut his throat; for they occupied not
themselves with me, but said, "Whither shall yonder fellow wend?
Verily, he is in our grasp." So the Wali hent them with the
hand[FN#89] and questioned them of their case, and they confessed
against the woman and against their associates in Cairo. Then he
took them and went forth, after he had locked up the house and
sealed it; and I accompanied him till he came without the first
house. He found the door bolted from within; so he bade raise it
and we entered and found another door. This also he caused pull
up, enjoining his men to silence till the doors should be lifted,
and we entered and found the band occupied with new game, whom
the woman had just brought in and whose throat they were about to
cut. The Chief released the man and gave him back whatso the
thieves had taken from him; and he laid hands on the woman and
the rest and took forth of the house a mint of money, with which
they found the purse of the Turkoman sheep-merchant. They at once
nailed up the thieves against the house-wall, whilst, as for the
woman, they wrapped her in one of her mantillas and nailing her
to a board, set her upon a camel and went round about the town
with her. Thus Allah razed their dwelling-places and did away
from me that which I feared from them. All this befel, whilst I
looked on, and I saw not my friend who had saved me from them the
first time, whereat I wondered to the utterest of wonderment.
However, some days afterward, he came up to me, and indeed he had
renounced the world and donned a Fakir's dress; and he saluted me