I found no difficulty in reaching the Bazaar, and, once there, soon found out Mustapha.  I did not like the look of the man at all.

He was a fawning, obsequious little man, with shifting eyes which never looked you straight in the face.

He stood bowing and smiling and rubbing his hands when I entered the shop and asked to see the crystal.

“Ah yea—­very fine crystal—­for those who know how to use it.  Very vallyble—­lot money.  You know this?  You got?” and he gave me a searching glance with his little bead-like eyes.

“Oh yes, I can pay for it if I want it,” I said, “but what do you call a lot of money?  How much do you want for it?”

[Illustration]

He named a price which I knew to be very excessive, and I shook my head decidedly.

“No! too much!” I declared.

“Oh! but see!  Beautiful crystal!” he argued.

“No,” I replied, “too much!  I’ll give you half,” and I began to walk unconcernedly out of the shop.

“And you give me little present besides?” pleaded Mustapha.

“Not a penny,” said I.

The man gave a little sigh.

“Oh well, you take him,” he said.  “Not enough money, but Mustapha very poor, must sell him.  I wrap him up for you, see!”

I paid him the money and hurried out of the shop, for I must confess that I had taken a great dislike to the little man with his smooth, oily manner.

However, I had got the crystal, and that was the main thing.

I hastened back to the prison, and after a long argument with the authorities, I managed to gain permission to see the prisoner once more.

I found Shin Shira all eagerness to know if I had secured the crystal, and when he saw it in my hand, his joy knew no bounds.

“Now it is all easy,” said he, “and I shall soon be free.  This is a Magic Crystal, and by wishing very hard to see any particular object and gazing at it steadily for a moment or two, you will see just what you wish to see reflected in it.  Now I’m just going to wish to—­er—­to—­er—­er—­o—­o-h!  I’m going to vanish!  To think that I’ve been here all this time hoping every day that I should be able to disappear, and now, just as I was about to get myself free—­I—­good-bye—!”

And to my horror, the little Yellow Dwarf suddenly faded away, and I was left alone in the dungeon.

I say to my horror, for what was I to say when the jailer appeared?  How was I to account for the prisoner’s escape?  I was just puzzling about these things when the door opened and the jailer hurriedly came to tell me the time allowed for my visit was up.

He saw at once that Shin Shira was not there, and in a great state of excitement plied me with questions.

I felt, however, that the best thing to do was to preserve silence:  it would at least gain time; so I shook my head and pretended not to understand a word of what he was saying in his broken English.