“Good,” said a voice—­it was that of one of the brethren, but which he could not tell, for even to those who knew them best they seemed to be the same.  “Good; then it is settled.  To-morrow, at the hour arranged, you bring the princess to the place agreed upon, disguised as you have said.  In payment for this service I hand you the Luck of Hassan which you covet.  Take it; here it is, and swear to do your part, since otherwise it will bring no luck to you, for I will kill you the first time we meet—­yes, and the other also.”

“I swear it by Allah and his prophet,” answered Abdullah in a hoarse, trembling voice.

“It is enough; see that you keep the oath.  And now away; it is not safe that you should tarry here.”

Then came the sound of a man leaving the tent.  Passing round it cautiously, he halted, and opening his hand, looked at its contents to make sure that no trick had been played upon him in the darkness.  Mesrour screwed his head round to look also, and saw the light gleam faintly on the surface of the splendid jewel, which he, too, desired so eagerly.  In so doing his foot struck a stone, and instantly Abdullah glanced down to see a dead or drunken man lying almost at his feet.  With a swift movement he hid the jewel and started to walk away.  Then bethinking him that it would be well to make sure that this fellow was dead or sleeping, he turned and kicked the prostrate Mesrour upon the back and with all his strength.  Indeed, he did this thrice, putting the eunuch to the greatest agony.

“I thought I saw him move,” Abdullah muttered after the third kick; “it is best to make sure,” and he drew his knife.

Now, had not terror paralysed him, Mesrour would have cried out, but fortunately for himself, before he found his voice Abdullah had buried the knife three inches deep in his fat thigh.  With an effort Mesrour bore this also, knowing that if he showed signs of life the next stroke would be in his heart.  Then, satisfied that this fellow, whoever he might be, was either a corpse or insensible, Abdullah drew out the knife, wiped it on his victim’s robe, and departed.

Not long afterwards Mesrour departed also, towards the Sultan’s house, bellowing with rage and pain and vowing vengeance.

It was not long delayed.

That very night Abdullah was seized and put to the question.  In his suffering he confessed that he had been to the tent of the brethren and received from one of them the jewel which was found upon him, as a bribe to bring the princess to a certain garden outside the camp.  But he named the wrong garden.  Further, when they asked which of the brethren it was who bribed him, he said he did not know, as their voices were alike, and their tent was in darkness; moreover, that he believed there was only one man in it—­at least he heard or saw no other.  He added that he was summoned to the tent by an Arab man whom he had never seen before, but who told him that if he wished for what he most desired and good fortune, he was to be there at a certain hour after sunset.  Then he fainted, and was put back in prison till the morning by the command of Saladin.