the slightest suspicion. Behold
thyself now on a level with the vilest of mortals. Thou hast met with
no more than thy desert."

As he rendered this terrible justice to himself, he perceived in the
air a vulture, which hovered above the prison in the court of which
he was walking. He instinctively took a flint, and threw it with great
force at the bird, which avoided the stroke; but, in falling, the
stone accidentally struck the same Prince Tirkan who formerly had
carried off his ear by the stroke of an arrow. It wounded him exactly
on the ear, but not so severely as Baharkan had been. Pain forced a
cry from the young Prince, which brought all his courtiers around him.
Surgeons were sent for, who soon cured this slight wound.

The King ordered a search to be made, in order to discover the person
who had thrown the stone. Baharkan was accused by his fellow-prisoners
of picking up and throwing it. He was brought before the monarch, who
condemned him to lose his head, since, besides this, he believed him
to be the murderer of the man who had been assassinated near the
churchyard. The executioner of justice had already taken off the
turban which covered him, and was drawing the sword from its scabbard,
when the King, examining attentively the head which had just been
uncovered, perceived that it wanted an ear.

"It appears," said he to the criminal, "that this is not your first
offence. For what crime have you been already condemned to lose an
ear?"

Baharkan, having assumed a manly spirit since his misfortunes,
replied, with boldness, "Sire, if I have committed crimes, I owe no
account of them but to Heaven; and till it should have determined to
punish me, human justice had no right to inflict it. I have been, in
one word, your equal--I was a King. The ear which I want was
unfortunately carried off by an arrow, which escaped from the bow of
one of my officers, whose name was Tirkan. Impelled by the first
emotion of anger, I condemned him to death. He besought my pardon, and
obtained it. My name is Baharkan."

Tirkan, without giving him time to finish, had already thrown himself
into his arms. He recognized at once his ancient master and his
deliverer. Baharkan, far from being punished, was treated as a King,
and an unfortunate one. He related the adventure which had landed him
in the dominions of Tirkan's father. The latter communicated to him
his own, and especially the unfortunate accident which had wounded
Bahar