thus, behold, there came in upon us, by the door at which we had
entered, four naked men, with girdles of leather about their
middles, and made for my friend. He ran at them and dealing one
of them a buffet, overthrew him, whereupon the other three fell
all upon him. I seized the opportunity to escape, what while they
were occupied with him, and espying a door by my side, slipped
into it and found myself in an underground chamber, without
window or other issue. So I gave myself up for lost and said,
'There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the
Supreme!' Then I looked to the top of the vault and saw in it a
range of glazed lunettes; so I clambered up for dear life, till I
reached the lunettes, and I distracted [for fear]. I made shift
to break the glass and scrambling out through the frames, found a
wall behind them. So I bestrode the wall and saw folk walking in
the road; whereupon I cast myself down to the ground and God the
Most High preserved me, so that I reached the earth, unhurt. The
folk flocked round me and I acquainted them with my story.

As fate would have it, the chief of the police was passing
through the market; so the people told him [what was to do] and
he made for the door and burst it open. We entered with a rush
and found the thieves, as they had overthrown my friend and cut
his throat; for they occupied not themselves with me, but said,
'Whither shall yonder fellow go? Indeed, he is in our grasp.' So
the prefect took them with the hand[FN#129] and questioned them,
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 locked from within;
so he bade break it open and we entered and found another door.