THE PIE AXES OF SEGNA. 327 



"Of a truth, the Evil One has already tied the 

 three fatal nooses which he hangs over the head of 

 the sleeping believer," replied the old Mahomedan 

 in a lachrymose tone. " He who awakes and forth- 

 with invokes the holy name of Allah, is thereby de- 

 livered from the first noose ; by performing his ablu- 

 tions, the second becomes loosened ; and by fervent 

 prayer he unties the third. Our bonds render it im- 

 possible for us to wash, and the second noose, there- 

 fore, will remain suspended over our devoted heads." 



" Euns it so in the Koran, old man ? " asked the 

 youth. 



" In the Koran ! What Mussulman are you ? It 

 is the hundred and forty-ninth passage of the Suna." 



" The Suna ! " repeated the other, in a tone of in- 

 difference. "If that is all it will not break my 

 slumbers." 



" Allah protect me ! " exclaimed the old man, as 

 he made an attempt to pluck out his beard, which 

 the shackles on his wrists rendered ineffectual. 

 " Allah protect me ! Is it not enough that I have 

 fallen into captivity 1 Am I also doomed to pass the 

 night under the same roof with an unbeliever, even 

 as the Xazarenes are?" 



"May the bolt of heaven fall on thy lying 

 tongue ! " exclaimed the youth, in great wrath. " I 

 an unbeliever ! I, Ibrahim, the adopted son of 

 Hassan, pacha of Bosnia!" 



In deepest humility did the old merchant bow his 



VOL. IV. T 



