oto, and Niani found themselves embraced by the other Arabs
in turn, and Sultan bin Ali's slaves, hearing who they were, came
rushing up by the dozen to embrace their friends, whom they had given up
as lost for ever, on that fearful day, when four hundred Arabs and their
people met with such a sad fate.

But Sultan bin Ali, seeing them thus engaged, turned to his slaves, and
bade them prepare the best at once for food, and then ushered Selim and
Abdullah to his own cosy, carpeted room, and, inviting them to rest a
moment, hastened out again to an Arab of middle age, named Soud bin
Sayd, who was seated on his verandah, and said to him:

"Soud bin Sayd, thou hast two sons of the same age as these boys.
Hasten, my friend, bring two dresses for these children--the best thou
hast--name thy price for them, but bring them."

"Do not name price. Sheikh, thou hast them. I will but mount thy
riding-ass and be back before thou canst say, Bismillah!" and the
good-hearted man hurried off as he said it.

Then Sultan bin Ali called to his barber, and bade him bring his basin
and razors directly to him, then joined the young. Arab boys, who had
been weeping continually for joy, fast locked in each other's arms.

The barber soon came, and Sultan told him to shave off the boys' hair,
which was grown almost to their shoulders. Before the depilatory
process was completed, Soud bin Sayd had returned with two complete
dresses--shirts, handsome embroidered dishdashehs (robe), and
embroidered skull-caps, two fine blue cloth damirs (jackets),
wide-flowing linen drawers, and slippers.

Then, excusing the barber of the kind-hearted Soud, Sultan ushered the
boys into the lavatory with their new dresses, where there was abundance
of water, soap, and towels for them; and after telling them, when
dressed, to come out to him and his friends on the verandah, he closed
the door on them, and joined the Arabs, who were still in a high state
of excitement, consequent upon the unexpected appearance of the Arab
boys, and their marvellous escape from slavery.

"Sultan, son of Ali," said Soud bin Sayd, "this is a great day."

"Thou mayst well say so. How rejoiced the widows of Amer and Mohammed
will be, and Leila, who is to be Selim's wife when he gets old enough!
My friends, ye must join me in eating the noon-day meal with the poor
children, that they may feel that they are among kinsmen and friends
once more. Poor boys! what they must have suff