Asking him how he proposed to accomplish this end, he replies: 

“’Tis as easy as kiss your hand.  First, do you accept Haroun’s offer?”

“I have,” says I.

“Good!” says he, rubbing his hands, and speaking thick with joy.  “You may be sure that Mohand will suffer no one to interfere with your getting aboard, to the achievement of his design.  When is it to be?”

I hesitated a moment, lest I should fall into another trap, trying to escape from the first; but, seeing he was an Englishman, I would not believe him capable of playing into the Turks’ hands for our undoing, and so I told him our business was for midnight on the feast of Ramadah.

“Sure, nought but Providence could have ordered matters so well,” says he, doubling himself up, as if unable to control his joy.  “We shall be there, we nine sturdy men.  Some shall hide in the canes, and others behind the rock; and when Haroun rows to shore, four of us will get into his boat (muffled up as you would be to escape detection), and as soon as they lay themselves to their oars, their business shall be settled.”

“As how?” asks I, shrinking (as ever) from deeds of violence.

“Leave that to us; but be assured they shall not raise a cry that shall fright your lady.  Oh, we know the use of a bow-string as well as any Turk amongst them.  We have that to thank ’em for.  Well, these two being despatched, we return to shore, and two more of our men will get in; then we four to the felucca, and there boarding, we serve the others as we served the first two; so back comes one of us to fetch off our other comrades and you four.  Then, all being aboard, we cut our cable, up with our sail, and by the time Mohand comes, in the morning, to seek his game on the sand-bank, we shall be half way to Elche, and farther, if Providence do keep pace with this happy beginning.  What say you, friend?” adds he, noting my reflective mood.

Then I frankly confessed that I would have some assurance of his honesty.

“I can give you none, Master,” says he, “but the word of a good Yorkshireman.  Surely, you may trust me as I trust you; for ’tis in your power to reveal all to Haroun, and so bring us all to the galleys.  Have you no faith in a poor broken Englishman?”

“Yes,” says I; “I’ll trust you.”

Then we rose, clapping hands, and he left me, with tears of gratitude and joy in his eyes.  Telling my friends I had something of a secret nature to impart, we went out to the end of the mole, where we were secure from eavesdroppers, and there I laid the whole story before them, whereupon we fell debating what we should do, looking at this matter from every side, with a view to our security; but, slavery lying before us, and no better means of escaping it coming to our minds, we did at last unanimously agree to trust Joe Groves rather than Haroun.

The next day there fell a great deluge of rain, and the morrow being the feast of Ramadah, we regarded this as highly favourable to our escape; for here when rain falls it ceases not for forty-eight hours, and thus might we count upon the aid of darkness.  And that evening as we were regarding some merchandise in a bazaar, a fellow sidles up to me, and whispers (fingering a piece of cloth as if he were minded to buy it):