Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/330

300 So he went up to him and setting down his sack, laid the tray of sweetmeats thereon and said, ‘What dost thou want?’ ‘Marchpane and sugar-almonds,’ answered the cadi and taking some in his hand, said, ‘These are adulterated.’ Then he brought out sweetmeats from his sleeve and gave them to the sweetmeat-seller, saying, ‘Look at this ware; how excellent it is! Eat it and make the like.’ So he ate and fell down senseless, for the sweetmeats were drugged, whereupon the sham cadi, who was none other than Hassan Shouman, bundled him into the sack and made off with him, tray and chest and all, to the barrack of the Forty. Now the reason of this was as follows. When Ali had been gone some days in quest of the robe and they heard no news of him, Ahmed ed Denef said to his men, ‘O lads, go and seek for your brother Ali.’ So they sallied forth in quest of him and among the rest Hassan Shouman, disguised in a cadi’s habit. He came across the sweetmeat-seller and knowing him for Ahmed el Lekit [Delileh’s grandson,] suspected him of having played some trick upon Ali; so he drugged him and did as we have seen.

Meanwhile, the other forty went about, making search in different directions, and amongst them Ali Kitf el Jemel, who, seeing a crowd of people, made towards them and found Quicksilver Ali lying drugged and senseless in their midst. So he revived him and he came to himself and said, ‘Where am I?’ ‘We found thee lying here drugged,’ answered El Jemel, ‘but know not who drugged thee.’ Quoth Ali, ‘It was a certain sweetmeat-seller who drugged me and took the gear from me: but where is he gone?’ ‘We have seen nothing of him,’ replied his comrades; ‘but come, rise and go home with us.’ So they returned to the barrack, where they found Ahmed ed Denef, who greeted Ali and enquired if he had brought the robe. Quoth he, ‘I was coming hither with it and the Jew’s head and what not