it. That is the second lie, you
shameless young fellow!"

Pale with anger, Said tried to interrupt the wicked little man, but the
merchant talked still louder, and gesticulated wildly with his arms.
"And the third lie, you audacious liar, is the story of your life in
Selim's camp. Selim's name is well known by every body who has ever
seen an Arab, but Selim has the reputation of being the most cruel and
relentless robber on the desert, and you pretend to say that you killed
his son and was not at once hacked to pieces; yes, you even pushed your
impudence so far as to state the impossible,--that Selim had protected
you against his own tribe, had taken you into his own tent, and let you
go without a ransom, instead of hanging you up to the first good tree;
he who has often hanged travellers just to see what kind of faces they
would make when they were hung up. O you detestable liar!"

"And I can only repeat," cried the youth, "that by my soul and the
beard of the Prophet, it was all true!"

"What! you swear by your soul?" shouted the merchant, "by your
black, lying soul? Who would believe that? And by the beard of the
Prophet,--you that have no beard? Who would put any trust in that?"

"I certainly have no witnesses," continued Said; "but did you not find
me bound and perishing?"

"That proves nothing to me," replied the merchant. "You were yourself
dressed like a robber, and it might easily have happened that you
attacked some one stronger than yourself, who conquered and bound you."

"I should like to see any one, or even two," returned Said, "who could
floor and bind me, unless they came up behind me and flung a noose over
my head. Staying in your bazar as you do, you cannot have any notion of
what a single man is able to do when he has been brought up to arms.
But you saved my life, and my thanks are due you. What would you have
me do? If you do not support me I must beg; and I should not care to
ask a favor of any one of my station. I will go to see the caliph."

"Indeed!" sneered the merchant, "you will ask assistance of no one but
our most gracious master? I should call that genteel begging! But look
you, my fine young gentleman! access to the caliph can be had only
through my cousin Messour, and a word from me would acquaint him with
your capacity for lying. But I will take pity on your youth, Said. You
shall have a chance to better yourself, and something may be made out
of you yet. I will take you into m