he animal belongs to me?"

"Don't you think that when he sees us two,--you with your strong
straight limbs, which Allah has given you for the purpose of walking,
and I with my weak legs and distorted feet,--he will decree that the
horse shall belong to him who has most need of him?"

"Should, he do so, he would not be the _just_ Cadi," said Bou-Akas.

"Oh! as to that," replied the cripple, laughing, "although he is just,
he is not infallible."

"So!" thought the Scheik to himself, "this will be a capital opportunity
of judging the judge." He said aloud, "I am content--we will go before
the Cadi."

Arrived at the tribunal, where the judge, according to the eastern
custom, was publicly administering justice, they found that two trials
were about to go on, and would of course take precedence of theirs. The
first was between a _taleb_ or learned man, and a peasant. The point in
dispute was the _taleb's_ wife, whom the peasant had carried off, and
whom he asserted to be his own better half, in the face of the
philosopher who demanded her restoration. The woman, strange
circumstance! remained obstinately silent, and would not declare for
either; a feature in the case which rendered its decision excessively
difficult. The judge heard both sides attentively, reflected for a
moment, and then said, "Leave the woman here, and return to-morrow." The
_savant_ and the laborer each bowed and retired; and the next cause was
called. This was a difference between a butcher and an oil-seller. The
latter appeared covered with oil, and the former was sprinkled with
blood.

The butcher spoke first:--"I went to buy some oil from this man, and in
order to pay him for it, I drew a handful of money from my purse. The
sight of the money tempted him. He seized me by the wrist. I cried out,
but he would not let me go; and here we are, having come before your
worship, I holding my money in my hand, and he still grasping my wrist.
Now, I swear by the Prophet, that this man is a liar, when he says that
I stole his money, for the money is truly mine own."

Then spoke the oil-merchant:--"This man came to purchase oil from me.
When his bottle was filled, he said, 'Have you change for a piece of
gold?' I searched my pocket, and drew out my hand full of money, which I
laid on a bench in my shop. He seized it, and was walking off with my
money and my oil, when I caught him by the wrist, and cried out
'Robber!' In spite of my cries, however, he would