idence in His
assistance.

By the light of the candle, which was still burning, he examined the
immense cave which served him as a prison. He thought he perceived at
the bottom a passage, the path of which could not be followed without
stooping. He approached it with his light, but there came from it so
strong a wind that it was instantly extinguished. Far from lessening
his hopes, this accident increased them. So violent a wind announced
to him a passage outward. He entered it with great difficulty, and
almost creeping in the darkness. As he advanced he heard a hollow
noise, the murmur of which presaged to him some singular event. He
soon perceived that he dipped his hands and his knees in a spring of
running water. He raised his head, and finding that he could take some
rest, he sat down upon a stone which he had met with, amid the murmurs
of many other streams which flowed from these deep caves. He filled
the hollow of his hand with the water, which was fresh and delicious.
He drank of it, and after having recruited his strength, he continued
this fatiguing journey. But these little streams, which thus far had
only run upon the ground, had here hollowed out a bed for themselves.
He was obliged to enter it, and the farther he advanced the more the
danger increased, till at last he began to swim. The darkness around
him at length began to be dissipated. The cavern grew wider and
higher, and admitted a feeble ray of light, which seemed to announce
that the outlet was near. The strength of the swimmer increased with
his hopes; and he soon found himself under the vault of heaven, at the
moment when the sun was ceasing to adorn it, and the goddess of the
night was succeeding to her task.

Abaquir might now repose without fear, and his strength was exhausted.
He laid himself upon the ground, and, overcome with fatigue, soon fell
asleep. He had but few of the wet clothes which he had received from
the magician to put off, for the rubbing of the flints had carried
away part of them, and the remainder were but shreds.

The singing of birds announced the return of morning, and the first
rays of the sun awakened Abaquir. The young Prince, on opening his
eyes, recollected the dangers from which he had just escaped. He
retraced the most trifling circumstances of them in his memory. He
thought he remembered to have seen, in the frightful cavern he had
traversed, the carcasses of many who had fallen victims to the avarice
of the