e
unconscious, for when I came to myself I found myself lying on a soft
rug in a small apartment in which two other men were sitting. These
men, as I afterwards discovered, were priests of one of the heathen
religions of that country, and the house in which I now lay was close
to the temple containing the idol or image of the god whom they
worshipped. The name of the older of these priests was Soobulda, and
that of the younger, Esuree; and although idolaters, they saved my
life, and showed me as long as I was with them no little kindness.

"They had found me lying senseless on the road, and had carried me to
their house which was close by, and on my recovering consciousness they
invited me to stay for some days until I should desire to resume my
journey. I accepted their invitation all the more gladly because I had
no money and knew not where to go.

"But what chiefly troubled me, as it would have done your Majesty or
any true believer, was to see these men prostrate themselves before the
wooden image which was their idol.

"One night, therefore, while Soobulda and Esuree slept, I went into the
temple and threw down the idol.

"Next morning early, Soobulda came to me and said, 'A great calamity
has befallen us, for the god is wroth, and his image is cast down and
lies upon the floor of the temple.'

"Then I answered, comforting Soobulda, and said, 'It is no matter, only
take the image and put it in its place again, and all will be well.'

"Three times I threw down the image, and three times Soobulda came in
the morning, and told me what had been done. The third time Soobulda
and Esuree came both of them together, and accused me of having thrown
it down.

"Then I said: 'Why, what sort of a feeble creature must this god of
yours be, if these three times I can cast down his image, and he remain
unable to prevent me or to punish me?'

"After that I told them of Allah, the true God, and of Mohammed, the
Prophet of God. And the two priests believed, and left the idol lying
on the ground where I had thrown it down.

"Fearing to remain any longer in that part of the country, Soobulda and
Esuree left their house a few days afterwards, and agreed to go with me
to visit my Uncle Amanoolla, whom I had not seen for a long time, and
whose daughter Bebee I had not forgotten.

"We travelled slowly, stopping from time to time at various towns on
our way, in some of which I got work at my craft, and thus earned money
to