did not I tell you this would happen for murdering the-
Aga?”
O u r people had come to fee what had paiTed', and: t
fent the women away, ordering them to be kept feparate;
out o f the hearing o f one another, to judge i f in their an-
fwers they did not prevaricate. The woman defired to have
her child with her, which I granted. The little creature,
inftead o f being frightened, crowed, and held out its little
hands as it palled me. We- fattened the Arab with the chain
o f the camels, and fo- far was w e ll; b u t ftill we did not
kn ow how near the Bifhareen might be, nor who thefe
were, nor-Whether they had fent o ff any intelligence in-the-
night. Until we were informed o f this, our cafe was little -
mended. Upon the man’s appearing, all-my people declared,
with one general voice, that no time was to be loft, but
that they fliould all be put to death as foon as the camels,
were loaded, before we fet out on our journey ; and, indeed,
at firft view-of the things felf-prefervationj the firft
law o f nature,Teemed ftrongly to require itt Magi Ifmaei'
was fo determined on the execution that he was already
feeking a knife iharper than his own. “ We w ill ftay,Hagi
Ifmàel, faid I, till we fee i f this thief is a liar. alfo. If he pre-~
varicates in thé anfwers he gives to my queftions, you ihall
then cut his head off, and we w ill confign him with the-
lie in his mouth, foul and body tohell, to his matter whom
he ferves.” Ifmaei anfwered. “ The truth is the truth.; i f
he lies, he can deferve no better.
The reader w ill eafily underftand the neceffity o f my
fpeaking at that moment in terms not only unufual for a--
Chrittian, but even in any fociety or converfation ;. and i f theferocity
ferocity and brutality o f the difcourfe ihould fliock any;
efpecially my fair readers, they w ill remember, that thefe
were intended for a good and humane purpofe, to produce
fear in thofeUpon whom we had no other tie, and thereby
extort a corifefiion o f the truth-; which might anfwer two
purpofes, the faving the effufion o f their blood, and providing
for our own prefervation. “ You fee, faid I, placing the
man upon his knees, your time is ihort, the fword is now
drawn which is to make an end o f you, take time, anfwer
diftindlly and deliberately, for the firft trip or lie that you
make, is the laft word that you w ill utter in this world. Your
wife lhall have her fair chanee likewife, and your ch ild ; you
and all ihall go together, unlefs you tell me the naked
truth. Here, Ifmaei, ftand by him, and take my fword,-. it.
is, I believe,..the fliarpeft iu.the,company.”
“ Now I afk- you; at your peril; Who was the good man -
your wife .reproached you with having murdered? where
was it, and when, and who were-your accomplices? He-
anfwered trembling, and indiftinftly, through fear, “ It was
a black, an Aga from Ghendi.” “ Mahomet Towafh, fays Ifmaei
;, Ullah Kerim ! God is m e rc ifu l!” “ T he fame,” fays
die Bifhareen. He then related.the particulars o f his death
in the manner in which I ihall have occafion to ftate afterwards.
“ Where are the Bifhareen? continued I ; whereis-
Abou Bertran ?- how focm w ill a ligh t camel and meffenger
arrive where he now is ?” “ In lefs than two days ; perhaps,
fays he, in a day and- a half, i f he is very diligent and the
Gaxnel good.” “ Take care,faid l, you are in danger. Wherej
did you and your women come from, and when ?” “ From -
Ahou Bertran, fays he; .we arrived here at noon on the 5th