We cannot appeal to any sentiment of good in these wretches. Greed is their actuating passion, and by the same passion can they as well as other men be circumvented.”
The Jew then sought out a straight slight sapling of oak. It was not readily found, but after considerable search one sufficient for his purpose was discovered. The bark was all stripped off carefully, leaving the white surface of the inner sapwood smooth—and shining. It was cut to about five feet in length. Then advancing cautiously through the woods towards the contentious crowd, the Jew suddenly walked up to the nearest group, waving his wand with the air of a necromancer. Being too intent on their own disputes to notice the approach of the strangers, the rufans stood astonished. The Jew promptly drew a circle around the group on the ground with his wand; then pointing with the wand towards the east, and drawing circles through the air, he muttered half aloud some Arabic jargon wholly unintelligible to his auditors. Astonishment and curiosity strongly mingled with superstitious fear produced perfect quiet. Again waving his wand over the heads of the crowd, and bringing it near to one and another without permitting it to touch, and pointing to the plunder lying around, he signified by gestures that they must allow it to remain where it was until the distribution could be accomplished by divination. At this moment a luckless dog approached from the, road. The dog was still more luckless in being black. Pointing to the wretched, starving quadruped
