As soon as cruel Behram saw the ten men of war, he did not doubt but it was queen Margiana’s squadron in pursuit of him; and upon that ordered Assad to be bastinadoed, which he did every day, and had not once missed treating him go barbarously since he left the port of the city of the magicians.  On sight of these ships, he treated him more cruelly than before.  He was very much puzzled what to do when he found he was encompassed.  To keep Assad was to declare himself guilty; to kill him was as dangerous, for he feared some token of it might be seen; he therefore commanded him to be unfettered, and brought from the bottom of the hold where he lay.  When he came before him, It is thou, said he, who art the cause of my being pursued; and upon that he flung him in the sea.

Prince Assad, knowing how to swim, got safe to shore.  The first thing he did, after landing, was to thank Heaven, who had delivered him from so great a danger, and once more rescued him out of the hands of the adorers of fire.  He then stripped himself, and wringing the water out of his clothes, he spread them on a rock, where, by the heat of the sun and the rock together, they soon dried; after which, he lay down to rest, deploring his miserable condition, not knowing in what country he was, nor where to turn himself.  He refreshed himself as well as he could with wild fruits and fair water, and then went on his way, keeping as near the sea-side as he could.  At last he came to a sort of path, which he followed, and travelled ten days through a country not inhabited, still living on herbs, plants, and fruits.  On the eleventh he approached near a city, which be knew to be that of the magicians, where he had been so ill used, and where his brother Amgrad was grand vizier.  He was very glad of it, resolving not to come near anyone of the adorers of fire, but only to converse with Mussulmen; for he remembered having seen some the first time he entered the town.  It being late, and seeing the shops were already shut, and few people in the streets, he resolved to stay in a churchyard near the city, where several tombs were built in the form of mausoleums.  Finding the door of one open, he entered it, with an intention to pass the night there.

We must now return to Behram’s ship, which was soon surrounded on all sides by queen Margiana’s squadron, after throwing prince Assad overboard.  Queen Margiana’s ship, in which she was in person, first boarded; and Behram, being in no condition of defence against so many, lowered his sails as a token of yielding.

The queen herself came on board him, and demanded where the clerk was whom he had the boldness to take away from her out of her very palace.  Behram replied, 0 queen, I swear before your majesty, that he is not in my ship; you will, by searching it, see my innocence.

Margiana ordered the ship to be searched as narrowly as possible; but she could not find the man whom she so passionately longed to recover, as well out of love to him, as out of that generosity which was her distinguishing character.  She was going to kill Behram with her own hand, which she, however, did not; contenting herself with seizing his ship and cargo, and turning him and his men on shore.