Hardly had the doubter gathered up his slippers, and backed out from the
presence, when the pacha and his minister were, with an honest rivalry,
endeavouring to remove at once their doubts and their thirst; and were
so successful in their attempts, that they, in a short time, exchanged
their state of dubiety into a very happy one of ebriety.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER ONE.

The next morning the pacha and his minister, after the business of the
divan, with their heads aching from the doubts of Hudusi, or the means
that they had taken to remove them, in not the best humour in the world
listened to the continuation of them, as follows:--

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have heard it observed, continued Hudusi, that the sudden possession
of gold will make a brave man cautious, and he who is not brave, still
more dastardly than he was before. It certainly was the case with me;
my five hundred pieces of gold had such an effect, that every thing in
the shape of valour oozed out at my fingers' ends. I reflected again,
and the result was, that I determined to have nothing more to do with
the business, and that neither the sultan nor the pacha should be the
better for my exertions. That night we made a sally; and as I was
considered a prodigy of valour, I was one of those who were ordered to
lead on my troop. I curled my moustachios, swore I would not leave a
janissary alive, flourished my scimitar, marched out at the head of my
troop, and then took to my heels, and in two days arrived safely at my
mother's house. As soon as I entered, I tore my turban, and threw dust
upon my head, in honour of my father's memory, and then sat down. My
mother embraced me--we were alone.

"And your father? Is it for him that we are to mourn?"

"Yes," replied I, "he was a lion, and he is in Paradise."

My mother commenced a bitter lamentation; but of a sudden recollecting
herself, she said, "but, Hudusi, it's no use tearing one's hair and good
clothes for nothing. Are you sure that your father is dead?"

"Quite sure," replied I. "I saw him down."

"But he may only be wounded," replied my mother.

"Not so, my dearest mother, abandon all hope, for I saw his head off."

"Are you sure it was his body that you saw with the head off?"

"Quite sure, dear mother, for I was a witness to its being cut off."

"If that is the case," replied my mother, "he can nev