LITTLE HUNCH-BACKE. 203

articles—this merchant, I say, having sat up all night
drinking, stepped, at that instant, out of his house to go to
bathe. Though he was drunk, he was sensible the night was
far spent, and that the people would quickly be called to their
morning prayers, at break of day: therefore he quickened his
pace to get in time to the bath, for fear any Mussulman,
meeting him on his way to the mosque, should carry him to
prison fora drunkard. As he came to the end of the street,
he brushes up against the little Hunch-back, who was there
Teaning against the wall. ‘The merchant, thinking it was a
robber that came out to attack him, knocked him down with a
ig box on the ear, and after redoubling his blows, cried
out “ Thieves!" The outcry alarmed the watch, who came up
immediately, and finding a Christian beating a Mussulman,
(for Hunch-back was of that religion)—* What reason have
you,” said he, “to abuse a Mussulman after this rate ?’—“ He
would have robbed me,” replied the merchant.—“‘ If he did,”
said the watch, “ you have revenged yourself sufficiently ; come,
get off him.” At the same time he stretched out his hand to
help little Hump-back up; but observing he was dead,—“Oh!"
said he, “is it thus that a Christian dares to assassinate a
Mussulman ?” So saying, he laid hold of the Christian, and
carried him to the house of the lieutenant of the police, where
he was kept till the judge was stirring, and ready to examine
him, In the mean time, the Christian merchant grew sober,
and the more he reflected upon his adventure, the less could he
conceive how such single blows of his fist could kill the man.
The judge, having heard the report of the watch, and viewed
the corpse, which they had taken care to bring to his house,
interrogated the Christian merchant upon it, and he could not
deny the crime, though he had not committed it. But the
judge, considering that little Hump-back belonged to the
sultan, for he was one of his buffoons, would not put the