3^2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



with my own hand." Upon this he took up his fword, that 

 was lying at the head of his fofa, and, drawing it with a 

 bravado, threw the fcabbard into the middle of the room ; 

 and, tucking the flecve of his fhirt above his elbow like a 

 butcher, faid, " I wait your anfwer." 



I NOW flept one pace backwards, and dropt the burnoofe 

 behind me, holding the little blunderbufs in my hand, with- 

 out taking it off the belt. I faid, in a firm tone of voice, 

 " This is my anfwcr : I am not a man, as I have told you 

 before, to die like a beail by the hand of a drunkard ; on 

 your life, I charge you, ftir not from your fofa." I had no 

 need to give this injundtion ; he heard the noife which the 

 clofing the joint in the ftock of the blunderbufs made, and 

 thought I had cocked it, and was inftantly to fire. He let 

 his fword drop, and threw himfelfonhis back on the fofa, 

 crying, " For God's fake, Hakim, I was but jelling." At the 

 fame time, with all his might, he cried, *' Brahim f Maho- 

 met ! Elcoom! El coom*i" — " If one of your fervants ap- 

 proach me, faid I, that inllant I blow you to pieces ; not 

 one of them lliall enter this room till they bring in my fer- 

 vants with them ; I have a number of them armed at your 

 gate, who will break in the inllant they hear me fire. 



The women had come to the door. My fervants were 

 admitted, «ach having a blunderbufs in his hand and piilols 

 at his girdle. We were now greatly an overmatch for 

 the Shekh, who fat far back on the fofa, and pretended 

 that all he had done was in joke, in which his fervants 



joined, 



f £1 cooni, that 'u, all bis fervatits. 



