THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 436 
but don’t let the Ras either kill or maim him.” “ Come, 
faid I, let us go to the Ras, and he fhall neither kill, maim, 
nor punifh him, ifI can help it. It is my firft requeft; if 
he refufes me 1 will return to Jidda; come and hear.” 
Ayto had urged the thing home to the Ras in the proper 
light—that of my fafety. ‘ You are a wife man, fays Mi+ 
chael, now perfectly cool, as foon as he faw me and Wellcta 
Selaflé. Itis a man like you that goes far in fafety, which 
is the end we all aim at. I feel the affront offered you more 
than you do, but will not have the punifhment attributed 
to you; this affair fhall turn to your honour and fecurity, 
and in that light only I can pafs over his infolence.” “ Wel- 
leta Selaffé, fays he, falling into a violent paffion in an in- 
ftant, What fort of behaviour is this my men have adop» 
ted with ftrangers? and my frranger, too, and in the king’s 
palace, and the king’s fervant? What! am I dead? or be- 
come incapable of governing longer?” -Welleta Selaflé bow-_ 
ed, but was afraid to fpeak, and indeed the Ras looked like 
a fiend. 
“ Come, fays the Ras, let me fee your head.” I fhewed 
him where the blood was already hardened, and faid it was 
a very flight cut. “A cut, continued Michael, over that 
part, with one of our knives, is mortal.” “ You fee, - 
faid I, I have not even clipt the hair about the wound; 
is nothing. Now give me your promife you will fet oiidbira 
Matcal at liberty; and not only that, but you are not to re- 
proach him with the affair further than that he was drunk, 
not acrime in this country.” “No, truly, fays he, it is 
not; but that is, becaufe it is very rare that people fight with 
_ Knives when they are drunk, I fcarce ever heard of it, ever 
Vv. ill. gg ; in 
