صفحة 528 من 1116

[FN#378] Then, being determined to travel afar and Allah having

written safety in his fate, he set out again, wending without

wotting whither he was going; and, having fallen in with certain

couriers, he stinted not travelling till he had reached

Bassorah-city albeit he knew not what the place was. It was dark

night when he alighted at the Khan, so he spread out his

prayer-carpet and took down the saddle-bags from the back of the

mule and gave her with her furniture in charge of the door-keeper

that he might walk her about. The man took her and did as he was

bid. Now it so happened that the Wazir of Bassorah, a man shot in

years, was sitting at the lattice-window of his palace opposite

the Khan and he saw the porter walking the mule up and down.