ce gave himself up for lost; which was doubly bitter, just
when he had begun to consider that the danger was past. But even then,
he was determined to fight to the last.

"One moment," he said. "Of course, if you've set your heart on pitching
me over, you must. Only--I may be quite mistaken--but I don't quite see
how you are going to manage the rest of your programme without me,
that's all."

"O deficient in intelligence!" cried the Jinnee. "What assistance canst
thou render me?"

"Well," said Horace, "of course, you can get into the bottle
alone--that's simple enough. But the difficulty I see is this: Are you
quite sure you can put the cap on yourself--from the _inside_, you
know?" If he can, he thought, "I'm done for!"

"That," began the Jinnee, with his usual confidence "will be the easiest
of--nay," he corrected himself, "there be things that not even the Jinn
themselves can accomplish, and one of them is to seal a vessel while
remaining in it. I am indebted to thee for reminding me thereof."

"Not at all," said Ventimore. "I shall be delighted to come and seal you
up comfortably myself."

"Again thou speakest folly," exclaimed the Jinnee. "How canst thou seal
me up after I have dashed thee into a thousand pieces?"

"That," said Horace, with all the urbanity he could command, "is
precisely the difficulty I was trying to convey."

"There will be no difficulty, for as soon as I am in the bottle I shall
summon certain inferior Efreets, and they will replace the seal."

"When you are once in the bottle," said Horace, at a venture, "you
probably won't be in a position to summon anybody."

"_Before_ I get into the bottle, then!" said the Jinnee, impatiently.
"Thou dost but juggle with words!"

"But about those Efreets," persisted Horace. "You know what Efreets
_are_! How can you be sure that, when they've got you in the bottle,
they won't hand you over to the Lord Mayor? I shouldn't trust them
myself--but, of course, you know best!"

"Whom shall I trust, then?" said Fakrash, frowning.

"I'm sure I don't know. It's rather a pity you're so determined to
destroy me, because, as it happens, I'm just the one person living who
could be depended on to seal you up and keep your secret. However,
that's your affair. After all, why should I care what becomes of you? I
shan't be there!"

"Even at this hour," said the Jinnee, undecidedly, "I might find it in
my heart to spare thee, were I but sure that thou wouldst be