Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/51

My Fears were not in vain; for, after the Elephants had ſtar’d upon me ſometime, one of the largeſt of them put his Trunk round the Root of the Tree, and pull’d ſo ſtrong, that he pluck’d it up and threw it on the Ground; I fell with the Tree, and the Elephant taking me up with his Trunk, laid me on his Back, where I ſat more like one dead than alive, with my Quiver on my Shoulder: He put himſelf afterwards at the Head of the reſt, who followed him in Troops, and carried me to a Place where he laid me down on the Ground, and retir’d with all his Companions. Conceive, it you can, the Condition I was in, I thought my ſelf to be in a Dream, at laſt, after having lain ſome time, and ſeeing the Elephants gone, I got up and found I was upon a long and broad Hill, cover’d, all over with the Bones and Teeth of Elephants. I confeſs to you, that this Object furniſh’d me with abundance of Reflections. I admired the Inſtinct of thoſe Animals, I doubted not but that was their Burying Place, and that they carried me thither on purpoſe to tell me that I ſhould forbear to proſecute them, ſince I did it only for their Teeth: I did not ſtay on the Hill but turned towards the City, and, after having travell’d a Day and a Night I came to my Patron; I met no Elephant in my way, which made me think, they had retir’d further into the Forreſt, to leave me at Liberty to come back to the Hill without any Obſtacle.

As ſoon as my Patron ſaw me; Ah poor Sindbad, ſays he, I was in great Trouble to know hat was become of you. I have been at the Forreſt where I found a Tree newly pull’d up, and a Bow and Arrows on the Ground, and, after having ſought for you in vain, I deſpair’d of ever ſeeing you more. Pray tel! me what befel you, and by what good Hap thou art ſtill alive: I ſatisfied his Curioſity, and going both of us next Morning to the Hill, he found to his great Joy, that what I told him was true. We loaded the Elephant upon which we came, with as many Teeth as he could carry, and when we were returned, Brother, ſays my Patron for I will treat you no more as a Slave, after having made ſuch a Diſcovery as will enrich me, God bleſs you with all Happineſs and Proſperity. I declare before him that I give you your Liberty. I conceal’d from you what I am no going to tell you.