50 THE SECOND VOYAGE OF

with its talons, and flew up with it into the air,
with me attached to it; and it ceased not to soar
up until it had ascended with it to the summit of
the mountain, when it alighted with it, and was
about to tear off some of it. And thereupon a
great and loud cry arose from behind that vulture,
and something made a clattering with a piece of
wood upon the mountain; whereat the vulture
flew away in fear, and soared into the sky.

I therefore disengaged myself from the
slaughtered animal, with the blood’ of which
my clothes were polluted; and I stood by its
side. And, lo, the merchant who had cried out
at the vulture advanced to the slaughtered
animal, and saw me standing there. He spoke
not to me; for he was frightened at me, and
terrified; but he came to the slaughtered beast,
and turned it over; and, not finding anything
upon it, he uttered a loud cry, and said, “ Oh, my
disappointment! ‘There is no strength nor power
but in God! We seek refuge with God from
Satan the accursed!” He repented, and struck
hand upon hand, and said, “Oh, my grief!
What is this affair?” So I advanced to him,
and he said to me, “ Who art thou, and what is
the reason of thy coming to this place?” I
answered him, ‘‘Fear not, nor be alarmed; for