y kicks as he possibly could, yet not without receiving
now and then one, which his competitors in their eagerness designed for
the ball.

Carathis, Morakanabad, and two or three old vizirs, whose wisdom had
hitherto withstood the attraction, wishing to prevent Vathek from
exposing himself in the presence of his subjects, fell down in his way to
impede the pursuit; but he, regardless of their obstruction, leaped over
their heads, and went on as before. They then ordered the Muezzins to
call the people to prayers, both for the sake of getting them out of the
way and of endeavouring by their petitions to avert the calamity; but
neither of these expedients was a whit more successful: the sight of this
fatal ball was alone sufficient to draw after it every beholder. The
Muezzins themselves, though they saw it but at a distance, hastened down
from their minarets and mixed with the crowd, which continued to increase
in so surprising a manner, that scarce an inhabitant was left in Samarah,
except the aged, the sick confined to their beds, and infants at the
breast, whose nurses could run more nimbly without them. Even Carathis,
Morakanabad, and the rest were all become of the party.

The shrill screams of the females, who had broken from their apartments,
and were unable to extricate themselves from the pressure of the crowd,
together with those of the eunuchs jostling after them, terrified lest
their charge should escape from their sight, increased by the execrations
of husbands urging forward and menacing both, kicks given and received,
stumblings and overthrows at every step; in a word, the confusion that
universally prevailed rendered Samarah like a city taken by storm and
devoted to absolute plunder.

At last the cursed Indian, who still preserved his rotundity of figure,
after passing through all the streets and public places, and leaving them
empty, rolled onwards to the plain of Catoul, and traversed the valley at
the foot of the mountain of the Four Fountains.

As a continual fall of water had excavated an immense gulf in the valley,
whose opposite side was closed in by a steep acclivity, the Caliph and
his attendants were apprehensive lest the ball should bound into the
chasm, and, to prevent it, redoubled their efforts, but in vain. The
Indian persevered in his onward direction, and, as had been apprehended,
glancing from the precipice with the rapidity of lightning, was lost in
the gulf below.

Vathek woul