66 THE THIRD VOYAGE OF

that our flesh should be roasted with fire. But
we found not for us a place in which to hide
ourselves; and the evening overtook us. So we
returned to the pavilion, by reason of the violence
of our fear, and sat there a little while; and, lo,
the earth trembled beneath us, and that black
approached us, and, coming among us, began to
turn us over, one after another, as on the former
occasion, and to feel us, until one pleased him ;
whereupon he seized him, and did with him as
he did with the master of the ship the day before.
He roasted him, and ate him upon that mastabah,
and ceased not to sleep that night, making a noise
with his throat like a slaughtered animal; and
when the day came, he arose and went his way,
leaving us as usual. Upon this we assembled
together and conversed, and said, one to another,
“By Allah, if we cast ourselves into the sea and
die drowned, it will be better than our dying
burnt ; for this mode of being put to death is
abominable!” And one of us said, “ Hear my
words. Verily, we will contrive a stratagem against
him and kill him, and be at ease from apprehen-
sion of his purpose, and relieve the Muslims from
his oppression and tyranny.” So I said to them,
“Hear, O my brothers. If we must kill him,
we will transport this wood, and remove some