Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/271

241 wall, an old man, whose eyes sparkled with anger, holding a stone in his right hand and swaying to and fro, like a lion preparing for a spring. He cast the stone at my stallion, and it struck him in a vital part and killed him. When I saw the stallion drop dead beside me, live coals of anger were kindled in my heart; so I took up the stone and throwing it at the old man, it was the cause of his end: thus his own wrongful act returned against him and the man was slain of that wherewith he slew. When the stone struck him, he cried out with a terrible great cry, and I hastened from the spot; but these young men hurried after me and laying hands on me, carried me before thee.’

Quoth Omar, (may God the Most High accept of him), ‘Thou hast confessed thy crime and acquittal is impossible; for [the law of] retaliation is imperative and there is no time of escape.’ ‘I hear and obey the judgment of the Imam,’ answered the Bedouin, ‘and am content to submit me to the requirement of the law of Islam; but I have a young brother, whose old father, before his death, appointed to him great store of wealth and much gold and committed his affair to me, saying, “I give this into thy hand for thy brother; keep it for him with thy might.” So I took the money and buried it; nor doth any know of it but I. Now, if thou adjudge me to die forthright, the money will be lost and thou wilt be the cause of its loss; wherefore the little one will sue thee for his due on the day when God shall judge His creatures. But, if thou wilt grant me three days’ delay, I will appoint one to undertake the boy’s affair, in my stead, and return to answer my debt; and I have one who will be my surety for this my word.’

The Khalif bowed his head awhile, then raised it and looking round upon those present, said, ‘Who will be surety to me for his return?’ The Bedouin looked at the

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