end their enchantment. With the consent of Sumi,
this was granted, and the Bassa gave Azemi a purse containing a thousand
sequins, as a reward for the services he had already rendered to them.
After this everybody went to his own apartment.

Azemi had never possessed so much money before, and never closed his
eyes for joy the whole night long. Very early he got up and went into
the garden, thinking how he could break the enchantment of the daughters
of Siroco. Suddenly the soft tones of a woman fell on his ear, and
peeping through the bushes he saw Tezila, who was arranging flowers in
her sister's hair. The rustling of the leaves caused Dely to start; she
jumped up as if to fly, but Azemi implored her to remain and begged her
to tell him what happened to them after the death of their lovers, and
how they had come to find the dervish.

'The punishment decreed to us by the Queen Okimpare,' answered Dely,
'was that we were to dance and sing in the midst of our sorrow, at a
great fete which was to be held that very day for all her people. This
cruel command nearly turned our brains, and we swore a solemn oath to
make all lovers as wretched as we were ourselves. In this design we
succeeded so well that in a short time the ladies of the capital came in
a body to Okimpare, and prayed her to banish us from the kingdom, before
their lives were made miserable for ever. She consented, and commanded
us to be placed on board a ship, with our slave Gouloucou.

'On the shore we saw an old man who was busily engaged in drowning some
little black pigs, talking to them all the while, as if they could
understand him.

[Illustration: The Dervish drowning the Pigs]

'"Accursed race," said he, "it is you who have caused all the
misfortunes of him to whom I gave the magic bracelet. Perish all of
you!"

'We drew near from curiosity, and recognised in him the dervish who had
sheltered us on our first escape from the caravan.

'When the old man discovered who we were he was beside himself with
pleasure, and offered us a refuge in the cave where he lived. We gladly
accepted his offer, and to the cave we all went, taking with us the last
little pig, which he gave us as a present.

'"The Bassa of the Sea," he added, "will pay you anything you like to
ask for it."

'Without asking why it was so precious I took the pig and placed it in
my work bag, where it has been ever since. Only yesterday we offered it
to the Bassa, who laughed at us,