ved both life and fortune to me; for with it I was able to continue
my journey, and reach my friends. We are all the children of the true
God; and it is our duty to assist one another. I will have a talk with
your masters."

The old pilgrim then turning to the three merchants, said,--

"My friends, you have promised to take these Christian slaves to
Swearah, where they will be redeemed. Are you bad men who fear not God,
that your promise should be thus broken?"

"We think they have deceived us," answered one of the merchants, "and we
are afraid to carry them within the emperor's dominions for fear they
will be taken from us without our receiving anything. We are poor men,
and nearly all our merchandise we have given for these slaves. We cannot
afford to lose them."

"You will not lose the value of them," said the old man, "if you take
them to Swearah. They belong to a country the government of which will
not allow its subjects to remain in bondage; and there is not an English
merchant in Swearah that would not redeem them. A merchant who should
refuse to do so would scarce dare return to his own country again. You
will make more by taking them to Swearah than anywhere else."

"But they can give themselves up to the governor when they reach
Swearah," urged one of the merchants, "and we may be ordered out of the
country without receiving a single cowrie for all. Such has been done
before. The good sheik here knows of an Arab merchant who was treated
so. He lost all, while the governor got the ransom, and put it in his
own pocket."

This was an argument El Hajji was unable to answer but he was not long
in finding a plan for removing the difficulty thus presented.

"Do not take them within the Empire of Morocco," said he, "until after
you have been paid for them. Two of you can stay with them here, while
the other goes to Swearah with a letter from this young man to his
friends. You have as yet no proof that he is trying to deceive you; and
therefore, as true men, have no excuse for breaking your promise to him.
Take a letter to Swearah; and if the money be not paid, then do with
them as you please, and the wrong will not rest upon you."

Bo Muzem, one of the merchants, immediately seconded the pilgrim's
proposal, and spoke energetically in its favor.

He said that they were but one day's journey from Agadeez, a frontier
town of Morocco; and that from there Swearah could be reached in three
days.

The merchants