in the sand. I knew not which way to proceed;
I was struck with despair, tore my garments, threw
off my turban, and cried aloud; but neither human voice
nor echo answered me. The silence was dreadful.
I had tasted no food for many hours, and I now became
sick and faint. I recollected that I had put a
supply of opium into the folds of my turban; but, alas!
when I took my turban up, I found that, the opium
had fallen out. I searched for it in vain on
the sand, where I had thrown the turban.
“I stretched myself out upon the ground, and
yielded without further struggle to my evil destiny.
What I suffered from thirst, hunger, and heat, cannot
be described! At last I fell into a sort of trance,
during which images of various kinds seemed to flit
before my eyes. How long I remained in this state
I know not; but I remember that I was brought to my
senses by a loud shout, which came from persons belonging
to a caravan returning from Mecca. This was a
shout of joy for their safe arrival at a certain spring,
well known to them in this part of the desert.
“The spring was not a hundred yards from the
spot where I lay; yet, such had been the fate of Murad
the Unlucky, that he missed the reality, whilst he
had been hours in pursuit of the phantom. Feeble
and spiritless as I was, I sent forth as loud a cry
as I could, in hopes of obtaining assistance; and
I endeavoured to crawl to the place from which the
voices appeared to come. The caravan rested for
a considerable time whilst the slaves filled the skins
with water, and whilst the camels took in their supply.
I worked myself on towards them; yet, notwithstanding
my efforts, I was persuaded that, according to my usual
ill fortune, I should never be able to make them hear
my voice. I saw them mount their camels!
I took off my turban, unrolled it, and waved it in
the air. My signal was seen! The caravan
came towards me!
“I had scarcely strength to speak: a slave
gave me some water; and, after I had drunk, I explained
to them who I was, and how I came into this situation.
“Whilst I was speaking, one of the travellers
observed the purse which hung to my girdle: it
was the same the merchant, for whom I recovered the
ring, had given to me; I had carefully preserved it,
because the initials of my benefactor’s name,
and a passage from the Koran, were worked upon it.
When he gave it to me, he said that, perhaps, we should
meet again in some other part of the world, and he
should recognize me by this token. The person
who now took notice of the purse was his brother;
and when I related to him how I had obtained it, he
had the goodness to take me under his protection.
He was a merchant, who was now going with the caravan
to Grand Cairo: he offered to take me with him,
and I willingly accepted the proposal, promising to
serve him as faithfully as any of his slaves.
The caravan proceeded, and I was carried with it.”
CHAPTER II.
Copyrights
Tales and Novels — Volume 02 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
