صفحة 854 من 1116

these marks are the manifest signs of thy guilt!" They carried

him before the Governor, whilst he said to himself, "I am now

punished for my sins and none can deliver me save Allah

Almighty!" The Governor addressing my brother asked him, "O

villain, what led thee to enter their house with intention to

murther?"; and my brother answered, "I conjure thee by Allah, O

Emir, hear my words and be not hasty in condemning me!" But the

Governor cried, "Shall we listen to the words of a robber who

hath beggared these people, and who beareth on his back the scar

of his stripes?" adding, "They surely had not done this to thee,

save for some great crime." So he sentenced him to receive an

hundred cuts with the scourge, after which they set him on a

camel and paraded him about the city, proclaiming, "This is the

requital and only too little to requite him who breaketh into

people's houses." Then they thrust him out of the city, and my

brother wandered at random, till I heard what had befallen him;

and, going in search of him, questioned him of his case; so he

acquainted me with his story and all his mischances, and I

carried him secretly to the city where I made him an allowance

for his meat and drink.