Tales of the Caliph | Page 2

although many suspected persons had been punished
and dismissed, yet the thefts had not been certainly traced to any one.
These great sacks contained, therefore, without doubt, all kinds of
valuable property from the palace, and Abbas Bey was the traitor who
had delivered it to the thieves. The anger of the Caliph, who was a man
prone to the fiercest bursts of passion, could scarcely be restrained.
Nevertheless, he managed to preserve silence and a calm demeanour,
the more especially since he desired to learn what would next be done.
He had not long to wait, for, some wine having been given to the men
who brought the sacks, the captain ordered them to go at once on board,
as he should set sail that very night. The Caliph hearing this, whispered
to Giafer that he should go out with the men as they left with the sacks,
and that he should instantly proceed to the nearest guard-house and
fetch a company of soldiers, with whom he should surround the house

and take all within prisoners. Giafer, doing as he was bid, left the house
with the men as they came out again with the sacks, and hastened to
fetch the guard as the Caliph had ordered.
Unluckily, it happened that the captain of the pirates--for such they
were--being more alert and observant than his men, had noticed the
presence of the two strangers, and had remarked the Caliph whisper to
his companion, and the departure of the latter. Instantly divining that
their proceedings had been discovered, and that the man who went out
had gone to betray them to the authorities, the captain whispered an
order to the two or three who sat nearest to him, and immediately they
rose, fell upon the Caliph, gagged and bound him; and all so suddenly
and swiftly that he had no time to offer any kind of resistance. Then the
captain, commanding his men to bring their prisoner in the midst of
them, proceeded at once to their vessel, which lay at no great distance.
The night was dark, and that band of well-armed, resolute men could
not easily have been overpowered, even had there been any to attempt
such a thing. But, in fact, they met no one on their short journey from
the caravanserai to the waterside. In a few minutes, therefore, after the
departure of the trusty Giafer, the Caliph found himself lying bound
and helpless on board a ship, which at once set sail and carried him he
knew not whither.
The next day one of the crew came and removed the cloth they had tied
over his mouth to gag him, and brought him some food. Then the
unhappy Caliph declared to the man who he was, and demanded that
the captain should be brought before him. But the fellow only laughed,
and going afterwards to the captain, said: "The merchant you have
taken has lost his wits, and he proclaims himself to be the Commander
of the Faithful, and says that we are but his slaves." The captain
laughed heartily and said, "Nevertheless, he is stout and strong, and
may be sold for a fair price when we come to the port we are bound
for."
Leaving the Caliph to proceed on the voyage he had begun so
unwillingly, we must return to the Grand Vizier, who, as soon as he
found himself outside the caravanserai, had hastened to the nearest

guard-house, and, calling the captain of the guard, had ordered him to
assemble his men and accompany him immediately.
When he got back to the caravanserai he posted his men so that none of
the inmates should escape, and then, entering with the captain and ten
soldiers, was aghast to find the place empty. At once he hastened with
his whole force to the waterside; but too late! Nothing could be seen of
the pirate ship, which was already lost in the darkness.
Fortunately the Vizier, always a reticent and prudent man, had not
mentioned the Caliph, and he now ordered the company to return to
their guard-house, merely remarking that the robbers had for this time
escaped him.
Returning to the palace, he was for some time lost in doubt as to the
best course for him to pursue under the circumstances. That the Caliph
should escape from the clutches of the desperate gang who had carried
him off seemed little likely. And yet so many and such strange
adventures had been experienced by them both, and they had found
their way out of so many dangerous scrapes into which the Caliph's
curiosity and daring had involved them, that no good fortune seemed
impossible.
Moreover, he reflected that Haroun had at this time no son old enough
to succeed him, while Ibrahim, his half-brother, and