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with me?” asked he, and they answered, “We know not.” Quoth he, “Who gave the king news of me?” “We went to draw water,” answered they, “and found a man by the water. So we questioned him of his case, but he would not acquaint us therewith; wherefore we carried him perforce to King Zuheir, who questioned him of his case and he told him that he was going to Akil. Now Akil is the king’s enemy and he purposeth to betake himself to his camp and make prize of his offspring and cut off his traces.” “And what,” asked El Abbas, “hath Akil done with King Zuheir?” And they replied, “He engaged for himself that he would bring the king every year a thousand dinars and a thousand she-camels, besides a thousand head of thoroughbred horses and two hundred black slaves and fifty slave-girls; but it hath reached the king that Akil purposeth to give nought of this; wherefore he is minded to go to him. So hasten thou with us, ere the king be wroth with thee and with us.”
Then said El Abbas to them, “O youths, sit by my arms and my horse till I return.” But they answered, saying, “By Allah, thou prolongest discourse with that which beseemeth not of words! Make haste, or we will go with thy head, for indeed the king purposeth to slay thee and to slay thy comrade and take that which is with you.” When the prince heard this, his skin quaked and he cried out at them with a cry that made them tremble. Then he sprang upon his horse and settling himself in the saddle, galloped till he came to the king’s assembly, when he cried out at the top of his voice,
