Страница 886 из 1116

So he quitted the city and fled forth following his face;[FN#693]

but, when he was half way between two towns, the wild Arabs fell

on him and bound him and carried him to their camp, where his

captor proceeded to torture him, saying, "Buy thy life of me with

thy money, else I will slay thee!" My brother began to weep and

replied, "By Allah, I have nothing, neither gold nor silver; but

I am thy prisoner; so do with me what thou wilt." Then the Badawi

drew a knife, broad bladed and so sharp grinded that if plunged

into a camel's throat it would sever it clean across from one

jugular to the other,[FN#694] and cut off my brother's lips and

waxed more instant in requiring money. Now this Badawi had a fair

wife who in her husband's absence used to make advances to my

brother and offer him her favours, but he held off from her.