TWILIGHT LAND

“They are here,” said the Genie; and as he spoke
there stood eleven more youths before Abdallah, as like
the first as so many pictures of the same person, and
each youth bore in his hands a box like the one that
the monster had given Abdallah. “Will my lord have
anything further?” asked the Genie.

“Let me think,” said Abdallah. ‘Yes; I know the
town well, and that should one so rich as I ride into it
without guards he would be certain to be robbed before he
had travelled a hundred paces. Let me have an escort of
a hundred armed men.”

“It shall be done,” said the Genie, and, waving his
hand, the road ‘where they stood was instantly filled with
armed men, with swords and helmets gleaming and flash-
ing in the sun, and all seated upon magnificently capa-
risoned horses. ‘‘Can I serve my lord further?” asked
the Genie.

“No,” said Abdallah the fagot-maker, in admiration, ‘‘ I
have nothing more to wish for in this world. Thou
mayest go, Genie, and it will be long ere I will have to
call thee again,” and thereupon the Genie was gone like a
flash.

The captain of Abdallah’s troop—a bearded warrior
clad in a superb suit of armour-—rode up to the fagot-
maker, and, leaping from his horse and bowing before him
so that his forehead touched the dust, said, ‘‘ Whither shall
we ride, my lord?”

Abdallah smote his forehead with vexation. ‘If I live
a thousand years,” said he, “‘I will never learn wisdom.”
‘Thereupon, dismounting again, he pressed the ring and
summoned the Genie. ‘I was mistaken,” said he, ‘as to
not wanting thee so soon. I would have thee build me in

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