fficulty.
Orbasan was the first to emerge, and then assisted the others. Being
now all in the court-yard, they examined the side of the castle which
lay before them, in order to find the door which had been described.
But they could not agree as to which it was, for on counting from the
right tower to the left, they found one door which had been walled up,
and they knew not whether Fatima had included this in her calculation.
But Orbasan was not long in making up his mind: "My good sword will
open to me this gate," he exclaimed, advancing to the sixth, while the
others followed him. They opened it, and found six black slaves lying
asleep upon the floor; imagining that they had missed the object of
their search, they were already softly drawing back, when a figure
raised itself in the corner, and in well-known accents called for
help. It was the little man of the robber-encampment. But ere the
slaves knew what had taken place, Orbasan sprang upon the little man,
tore his girdle in two, stopped his mouth, and bound his hands behind
his back; then he turned to the slaves, some of whom were already
half bound by Mustapha and the two others, and assisted in completely
overpowering them. They presented their daggers to the breasts of the
slaves, and asked where Nurmahal and Mirza were: they confessed that
they were in the next chamber. Mustapha rushed into the room, and
found Fatima and Zoraida awakened by the noise. They were not long in
collecting their jewels and garments, and following my brother.

Meanwhile the two robbers proposed to Orbasan to carry off what they
could find, but he forbade them, saying: "It shall never be told of
Orbasan, that he enters houses by night, to steal gold." Mustapha, and
those he had preserved, quickly stepped into the aqueduct, whither
Orbasan promised to follow them immediately. As soon as they had
departed, the chieftain and one of the robbers led forth the little
man into the court-yard; there, having fastened around his neck a
silken cord, which they had brought for that purpose, they hung him on
the highest point of the fountain. After having thus punished the
treachery of the wretch, they also entered the aqueduct, and followed
Mustapha. With tears the two maidens thanked their brave preserver,
Orbasan; but he urged them in haste to their flight, for it was very
probable that Thiuli-Kos would seek them in every direction.

With deep emotion, on the next day, did Mustapha and the res