Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/186

162 me, and saw him by such a water and gave him spending-money and sent him towards the land of the Greeks, near his mother, for that we feared for him, lest his uncle Belehwan should kill him.’ Then he told him all that had passed between them, whereupon the eunuch’s countenance changed and he said to the cavalier, ‘Assurance!’ ‘Thou shalt have assurance,’ answered the other, ‘though thou come in quest of him.’ And the eunuch rejoined, saying, ‘Truly, that is my errand, for there abideth no repose for his mother, lying down or rising up, and she hath sent me to seek news of him.’ Quoth the cavalier, ‘Go in safety, for he is in a [certain] part of the land of the Greeks, even as I said to thee.’

The eunuch thanked him and blessed him and mounting, returned upon his way, following the trace, whilst the cavalier rode with him to a certain road, when he said to him, ‘This is where we left him.’ Then he took leave of him and returned to his own city, whilst the eunuch fared on along the road, enquiring of the youth in every village he entered by the description which the cavalier had given him, and he ceased not to do thus till he came to the village where the young Melik Shah was. So he entered and lighting down therein, made enquiry after the prince, but none gave him news of him; whereat he abode perplexed concerning his affair and addressed himself to depart. Accordingly he mounted his horse [and set out homeward]; but, as he passed through the village, he saw a cow bound with a rope and a youth asleep by her side, with the end of the halter in his hand; so he looked at him and passed on and took no heed of him