that I must part with a single camel-load of coins and gems; withal I reflected that the other three-score and nineteen camel-loads would contain riches to my heart’s content.  Accordingly, as I wavered in mind, at one moment consenting and at the next instant repenting, the Darwaysh noting my greed and covetise and avarice, replied, “Not so, O my brother:  one camel doth not suffice me that I should shew thee all this hoard.  On a single condition only will I tell thee of the place; to wit, that we twain lead the animals thither and lade them with the treasure, then shalt thou give me one half thereof and take the other half to thyself.  With forty camels’ load of costly ores and minerals forsure thou canst buy thousands more of camels.”  Then, seeing that refusal was impossible, I cried “So be it!  I agree to thy proposal and I will do as thou desires";” for in my heart I had conned the matter over and well I wist that forty camel-loads of gold and gems would suffice me and many generations of my descendants; and I feared lest an I gain say him I should repent for ever and ever having let so great a treasure slip out of hand.  Accordingly, giving full consent to all be said, I got together every one of my beasts and set me a-wayfaring along with the Fakir.[FN#253] After travelling over some short distance we came upon a gorge between two craggy mountain-walls towering high in crescent form and the pass was exceeding narrow so that the animals were forced to pace in single file, but further on it flared out and we could thread it without difficulty into the broad Wady below.  No human being was anywhere to be seen or heard in this wild land, so we were undisturbed and easy in our minds nor feared aught.  Then quoth the Darwaysh, “Leave here the camels and come with me.”—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

          The end of the Six Hundred and Eighth Night.

Then said she:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, that the blind man Baba Abdullah pursued his tale on this wise:—­I did as the Darwaysh had bidden me; and, nakhing[FN#254] all the camels, I followed in wake of him.  After walking a short way from the halting-place he produced a flint and steel and struck fire therewith and lit some sticks he had gotten together; then, throwing a handful of strong-smelling incense upon the flames, he muttered words of incantation which I could by no means understand.  At once a cloud of smoke arose, and spireing upwards veiled the mountains; and presently, the vapour clearing away, we saw a huge rock with pathway leading to its perpendicular face.  Here the precipice showed an open door, wherethrough appeared in the bowels of the mountain a splendid palace, the workmanship of the Jinns, for no man had power to build aught like it.  In due time, after sore toil, we entered therein and found an endless treasure, ranged in mounds with the utmost ordinance and regularity.  Seeing a heap of Ashrafis I pounced upon it as a vulture