A CONSPIRACY. 201

that everything went forward quietly and ceremo-
niously till the feast was ended, and the sultan rose
to ascend to his chamber. Not a moment, however,
was then lost. As soon as Touran Chah moved trom
table, Bibars Bendocdar, who carried the sultan’s
sword, struck the first blow, and instantly the others
rushed furiously upon their destined victim. Touran
Chah parried the blow of the Mameluke chief with
his hand; but the weapon. penetrated between two of
his fingers and cut up his arm.

‘ My lords,’ said he, taken by surprise; ‘I make
my complaint against this man, who has endeavoured
to kill me.’ .

‘Better that you should be slain: than live to
murder us, as you intend to do,’ cried all present,
with the exception of an envoy of the caliph, who
had arrived from Bagdad, and appeared much terri-
fied at the scene so suddenly presented.

Touran Chah looked round him in amazement ;
and, as he did so, he was seized with terror. How-
ever, the instinct of self-preservation did not desert
him. With a spring he bounded between the
motionless guards, escaped into the lawn, took refuge
in the tower, and looking from a window demanded
of the conspirators what they really wanted; but
they were not in a humour to spend time in talk.

‘Come down,’ cried they ; ‘you cannot escape us.’

“Assure me of safety, and I will willingly descend,’
said the sultan.

At this stage the envoy of the caliph, having
mounted his horse, came forward as if to interfere:
but the conspirators menaced him with instant death