Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/32

and rich Apparel perfectly ſurpriz’d him; he got up as ſoon as he ſaw her. The Lady with a ſmiling Countenance pray’d him to ſit down again, and placed herſelf by him; ſhe told him ſhe was very glad to ſee him; and after having ſpoke ſome engaging Words to him, ſays, we don’t ſit here at our Conveniency. Come, give me, your Hand; at theſe Words ſhe preſented him hers, and carried him into an inner Chamber, where ſhe entertain’d him for ſome Time: Then ſhe left him, bidding him ſtay, ſhe would be with him in a Moment. He expected her; but inſtead of the Lady, came in a great black Slave, with a Scimiter in his Hand, and looking upon my Brother with a terrible Aſpect, ſays to him fiercely, What have you to do here? Alnaſchar was ſo full of Fear at Sight of the Slave, that he had no Power to anfwer. The Black ſtripp’d him, carried off his Gold, and gave him ſeveral Cuts with his Scimiter. My unhappy Brother fell to the Ground, where he lay without Motion, tho’ he had ſtill the Uſe of his Senſes. The Black thinking him to be dead, ask’d for Salt; the Greek Slave brought him a Baſon full: They rubb’d my Brother’s Wounds with it, who had ſo much Command of himſelf, notwithſtanding the intolerable Pain it put him to, that he lay ftill without giving any Sign of Life. The Black, and the Greek Slave being retir’d, the old Woman who drew my Brother into the Snare, came and dragged him by the Feet to a Trap-Door, which he opened, and threw him into a Place under Ground, among the Corps of ſeveral other People that had been murdered. He perceived this as ſoon as he came to himſelf; for the Violence of the Fall had taken away his Senſes. The Salt rubb’d into his Wounds preſerv’d his Life, and he recovered Strength by Degrees, ſo as he was able to walk, After two Days, he opened the Trap during the Night, and finding a proper Place in the Court to hide himſelf, continued there till break of Day, when he ſaw the curſed old Woman open the Gate, and go out to ſeek another Prey. He ſtayed in the Place ſome time after ſhe went out, that ſhe might not ſee him, and then came to me for Shelter, and told me all his Adventures.