Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/31

long my Days. I went groping about with my Noſe ſtopt for the Bread and Water that was in my Coffin, and took ſome of it. Tho’ the Darkneſs of the Cave was fo great, that I could not diſtinguiſh Day and Night, yet I always found my Coffin again, and the Cave ſeem’d to be more ſpacious and fuller of Corps than it appear’d to me at firſt. I liv’d for ſome Days upon my Bread and Wine, which being ali ſpent, at laſt I prepar’d for Death. At theſe words Scheherazade left off but reſum’d the Story next Night thus.

AS I was thinking of Death, continued Sindbad, I heard the Stone lifted up from the Mouth of the Cave, and immediately the Corps of a Man was let dowyn. When Men are reduc’d to Extremities, it’s natural for them to come to extream Reſolutions. While they let down the Woman, I approach’d the Place, where her Coffin was to be put, and as ſoon as I perceiv’d they were covering again the Mouth of the Cave, I gave the unfortunate Wretch two or three great Blows over the Head with a large Bone that I found, which ſtunned, or to ſay the Truth kill’d her. I committed this inhuman Action meerly for the fake of her Bread and Water that was in her Coffin, and thus I had Proviſions for ſome Days more. When that was ſpent, they let down another dead Woman, and a live Man; I kill’d the Man in the ſame manner; and, as good Luck would have it for me, there was then a ſort of Mortality in Town, ſo that by this Means I did not want for Proviſions.

One Day, as I had diſpatch’d another Woman, I heard ſomething walking, and blowing or panting as it walked. I advanc’d towards that ſide from whence I heard the Noiſe, and upon my Approach the thing puffed and blew harder, as if it had been running away from me. I followed the Noiſe, and the thing ſeem’d to ſtop ſometimes, but always fled and blew as I approach’d. I follow’d it ſo long, and ſo ſar, till at laſt I perceiv’d a Light, reſembling a Star. I went on towards that Light, and ſometimes loſt ſight of it, but always found it again, and at laſt dilcover’d that it