one hand extended,
as though he were pointing with it, and on it was an inscription, which
the sheykh read, and lo, it contained these words:--Turn the pin that is
in the middle of the front of the horseman's body twelve times, and then
the gate will open. So he examined the horseman, and in the middle of
the front of his body was a pin, strong, firm, well fixed; and he turned
it twelve times; whereupon the gate opened immediately, with a noise
like thunder; and the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad entered. He was a learned
man, acquainted with all languages and characters. And he walked on
until he entered a long passage, whence he descended some steps, and he
found a place with handsome wooden benches, on which were people dead,
and over their heads were elegant shields, and keen swords, and strung
bows, and notched arrows. And behind the [next] gate were a bar of iron,
and barricades of wood, and locks of delicate fabric, and strong
apparatus. Upon this, the sheykh said within himself, Perhaps the keys
are with these people. Then he looked, and lo, there was a sheykh who
appeared to be the oldest of them, and he was upon a high wooden bench
among the dead men. So the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad said, May not the keys
of the city be with this sheykh? Perhaps he was the gate-keeper of the
city, and these were under his authority. He therefore drew near to him,
and lifted up his garments, and lo, the keys were hung to his waist. At
the sight of them, the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad rejoiced exceedingly; his
reason almost fled from him in consequence of his joy: and he took the
keys, approached the gate, opened the locks, and pulled the gate and the
barricades and other apparatus which opened, and the gate also opened,
with a noise like thunder, by reason of its greatness and terribleness,
and the enormousness of its apparatus. Upon this, the sheykh exclaimed,
God is most great!--and the people made the same exclamation with him,
rejoicing at the event. The Emeer Moosa also rejoiced at the safety of
the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad, and at the opening of the gate of the city;
the people thanked the sheykh for that which he had done, and all the
troops hastened to enter the gate. But the Emeer Moosa cried out to
them, saying to them, O people, if all of us enter, we shall not be
secure from some accident that may happen. Half shall enter, and half
shall remain behind.

The Emeer Moosa then entered the gate, and with him half of the people,
who bore their