Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/366

338 you fall into his hands, he will kill you. The Sultan hath despatched forty swordsmen against you and I counsel you flee ere evil overtake you.’ Then Senjer put his hand to his pouch and finding there forty dinars, took them and gave them to Noureddin, saying, ‘O my lord, take these and journey with them. If I had more, I would give them to thee; but this is no time to take exception.’ So Noureddin went in to the damsel and told her what had happened, at which she wrung her hands. Then they went out at once from the city, and God let down the veil of His protection over them, so that they reached the river-bank, where they found a ship about to sail. Her captain stood in the waist, saying, ‘Whoso has aught to do, whether in the way of victualling or taking leave of his friends, or who has forgotten any necessary thing, let him do it at once and return, for we are about to sail.’ And every one said, ‘O captain, we have nothing left to do.’ Whereupon he cried out to his crew, saying, ‘Ho, there! cast off the moorings and pull up the pickets!’ Quoth Noureddin, ‘Whither bound, O captain?’ ‘To the Abode of Peace, Baghdad,’ replied he. So Noureddin and the damsel embarked with him, and they launched out and spread the sails, and the ship sped forth, as she were a bird in full flight, even as says right well the poet:

Meanwhile the King’s officers came to Noureddin’s house and breaking open the doors, entered and searched the whole place, but could find no trace of him and the damsel; so they demolished the house and returning to the Sultan, told him what they had done; whereupon he said, ‘Make search for them, wherever they are!’ And they answered, ‘We hear and obey.’ Then he bestowed