Bid up. Only thirty! He is worth
more. Bid up, Arabs. Thirty, thirty, thirty. Going,--going,--going,--
gone!" and the auctioneer nodded to the factor.

The factor walked up, counted thirty dollars in American gold to the
auctioneer, who laughed as he put the money in his pouch, and said:

"My friend, this slave will murder thee the first time he catches thee
asleep. Be wary of him; I should hate to hear some morning that thy
throat is cut from ear to ear." ear.

"Fear not for me, my friend. I have seen worse than he is tamed.
Release his neck from the chain. Let go his hands."

"Art thou mad?" asked the auctioneer.

"Not at all. Let him go free," replied the factor.

The neck-chain slipped off, and the hands were about to be freed, when
the factor nodded to Simba, who sprang through the bystanders like a
very lion, and while the hands were being freed, uttered, with his deep
voice, the magic name--

"Kalulu!"

The slave, still on the stand, turned round at the sound of the word.
He saw the unmistakable face of Simba, and behind him, advancing slowly,
two Arab boys, well-dressed, whom he did not know, but he recognised
Moto and Niani. He reeled as one struck, but the great strong arms of
Simba were round him; they lifted him up from the stand, carried him on
the run towards the two Arab boys, and he was placed face to face with
the tallest of them.

"See, Kalulu, dost thou not know Selim?" asked Simba.

The astonished boy looked at the face one moment. He saw him advance--
with his old smile towards him, and he sprang at him, and thus it was
how the two friends had met after so many months. Abdullah, Simba,
Moto, Niani, were embraced one after another, to the astonishment of the
bystanders, who could not conceive how such Arab boys could degrade
themselves so low as to hug a slave that a few minutes ago was in
chains, and sold for the cheap sum of thirty dollars!

Are not all bystanders in all parts of the world always wondering why
such and such things happen? Is not the world for ever in a maze, and
deeming many things of like nature to be incomprehensible? When was the
world not shocked at an exhibition of nature?

But our friends paid no heed to the surprise of the bystanders or to
their remarks; they left the marketplace arm in arm, and proceeded
towards a shop where "long clothes" were sold. An Arab shirt thrown
over him, and a piece of white cloth folded around his head, made a
wonder