The Days of Mohammed

as at their

pon the r

around the

preludes, 'W

nny

etid odor of its air, he pined away. A low fever had rendered him exceedingly weak; he could not eat the wretched food of the prison

ys; he could catch the occasional glint of a bright wing as a dove or a swallow flit

are, preyed upon his mind, almost shaking the trust which had upheld him so long. It wa

t he could accomplish was to pay the attendant for carrying one brief messa

usiest streets, Yusuf saw, at some distance, a little man walking along with a pack on his bac

ferret out a mystery, it is Abraham the peddler. If I can once set hi

ing sight of him in the crowd, now catching a glimpse of his little bobbi

d. "You come on a man like the poison-wind, as quickly if not

ever, but Yusuf did not r

id, in his kindliest tone, "on business in which I am sure Abr

he peddler, "and

ill tongue when it

ers on his lips, rolled up

of Amzi the benevolent,-my Mec

and intimated that Abraham's wandering life and the numberless throngs of people with whom his trade threw

on a lotus-bud carved on the cornice. Only once did he turn

elian stone, when his eye fell upon one of the numerous rings upon the Jew's fat fingers. There, in the c

his feet in the excit

the Jew, not

d Yusuf. "For the present-ha

a tray on which were

ndship's sake, to eat with him; but

Mecca in the hot season is not wise. Abraham, do

manuscript from a man at Oman to your friend Amzi, here. It seems that Amzi had once lived with him at Oman, but the man-I forget his name-went inland to Teheran, or some other place in Persia, and Amzi, after traveling

look in your

between the stitches. I h

had that r

has not been off my pe

you would n

s shoulders, and looked

how much money

"but I have a friend who, I am convinced, would appreciate that o

g. The peddler immediately closed the bargain and handed th

bosom and slipped it into the cavity. It fitted exactly. He the

d with a smile. "Saw y

exclaimed the peddler.

sure it i

e is not another such stone in Arab

se to him. "That stone," he said, "was found in the house o

His guilt showed in his face

t, he attempted to escape, but the

and that right speedily. The innocent must no longer suffer in your rightful place. Come, Az

rs and saucy boys following in the wake of the trio. Once or twice again he made a quick and sudden movement to elude the grasp of his captors, but the priest's grip was firm and his muscle like steel. Justice was in Yusuf'

the evidence afforded by the ring was so conclusive that the order

lay with his head buried on his knee. An unusual clamor sounded outside of the door. The h

too much for him, and he could only lie, like a littl

. "Come, there's room outside!" he said.

epart, may I ask you to deal leniently with that poor wretch?" and

en unfeelingly. "The officers will be here prese

d, "if you have a drop of mercy in your heart, if you hope for mercy for yo

gh the loose skin. "There," he said, "let that touch your heart, if heart you have, and spare him. Poor

o bestow a look of hate a

ver did air seem so pure and sweet; never did swallows twitter so gladly; never did the peak of Abu Kubays s

ord delivereth him out of them all.' 'Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.' 'I had fainted unless I had bel

hich was once more filled with "joy and gladness, thanksgiving and the voice of melody." Before leav

, on the third day after his imprisonment, his agility suddenly returned. He managed in some inexplicable way known only to himself to work free of his fetters, and wh

im; then, darting like an arrow between the astonished guards without, he was off. A hue and cry was rai