Part 27 (1/2)
He considered an instant, and conceived that she was right None could blaave him And there would be profit in it, clearly--ay, and it would be sweet to outbid that dog Tsamanni and send him empty-handed home to face the wrath of his frustrated master He spread his hands and salaamed in token of complete acquiescence
CHAPTER X THE SLAVE-MARKET
At the sok-el-Abeed it was the hour of the outcry, announced by a blast of tru of tom-toms The traders that until then had been licensed to ply within the enclosure now put up the shutters of their little booths The Hebrew pedlar of ge the steps about the well clear for the most prominent patrons of theit and facing outwards, whilst the rest of the croas ranged against the southern and western walls of the enclosure
Caro water-carriers in white turbans with aspersers round and lay the dust against the tramp of slaves and buyers The trumpets ceased for an instant, then wound a fresh imperious blast and fell perht and left, and very slowly and stately three tall dalals, dressed from head to foot in white and with immaculate turbans wound about their heads, advanced into the open space They ca wall, the chief dalal standing slightly in advance of the other two
The chattering of voices sank upon their advent, it beca whisper, then a faint drone like that of bees, and then utter silence
In the sole almost sacerdotal, so that when that silence fell upon the crowd the affair took on the aspect of a sacrament
The chief dalal stood forward a moment as if in an abstraction with downcast eyes; then with hands outstretched to catch a blessing he raised his voice and began to pray in athe Pitiful Who created man from clots of blood! All that is in the Heavens and in the Earth praiseth Allah, Who is the Mighty, the Wise! His the kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth He s
He is the first and the last, the seen and the unseen, and He knoweth all things”
”Ameen,” intoned the crowd
”The praise to Hiive the world the True Belief, and curses upon Shaitan the stoned ages war upon Allah and His children”
”As of Allah and our Lord Mahomet upon this market and upon all who may buy and sell herein, and th of days in which to praise Him”
”Ameen,” replied the crowd, as with a stir and rustle the close ranks relaxed froht elbow-rooether, whereupon the curtains were drawn aside and the huddled slaves displayed--so three several pens
In the front rank of theRosa Nubians, sleek and muscular, who looked on with completest indifference, no whit appalled by the fate which had haled theh the usual course was for a buyer to indicate a slave he was prepared to purchase, yet to the end that good beginning should be promptly made, the dalal himself pointed out that stalwart pair to the corsairs who stood on guard In coht forth
”Here is a noble twain,” the dalal announced, ”strong ofof li to separate Who needs such a pair for strong labour let hiive”
He set out on a slow circuit of the well, the corsairs urging the two slaves to follow hiht see and inspect theate stood Ali, sent thither by Othmani to purchase a score of stout fellows required to aleasse of Sakr-el-Bahr He had been strictly enjoined to buy naught but the stoutest stuff the aleasse they wanted no weaklings ould trouble the boatsith their swoonings Ali announced his business forthwith
”I need such tall fellows for the oars of Sakr-el-Bahr,” said he with loud i upon hi hi looks bestowed upon one of the officers of Oliver-Reis, one of the rovers ere the pride of Islae to the infidel
”They were born to toil nobly at the oar, O Ali-Reis,” replied the dalal in all soleive for them?”
”Two hundred philips for the twain”
The dalal paced sole in his wake
”Two hundred philips am I offered for a pair of the lustiest slaves that by the favour of Allah were ever brought into this market Who will say fifty philipsblue selham rose from his seat on the step of the well as the dalal ca here a buyer, and preferring any service to that of the galleys hich they were threatened, came each in turn to kiss his hands and fawn upon hinified he ran his hands over the their muscles, and then forced back their lips and examined their teeth and mouths
”Two hundred and twenty for the twain,” he said, and the dalal passed on with his wares, announcing the increased price he had been offered