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Yet, in order to appear indifferent and little anxious to conclude the business with any undue haste and precipitancy, Asmut said "To-morrow, however, will be early enough to produce the money. It is now dark and grows late, and besides, whom can you send?" "I have a man whom I can send," said the Caliph, "for my servant will have followed us here, and I will despatch him at once for the money."
Asmut, after a few moments' consideration as to the highest sum he could ask without going beyond what it seemed possible to obtain from this very frank and eager buyer, said
But the Caliph exclaimed with his usual impetuosity "By Allah, there shall be no to-morrow in the matter. I will send for the money at once, and the slaves shall be mine." To this Asmut replied, "By your leave, not so fast. We desired, indeed, that you should set a price on each of the slaves that we might decide our dispute as to which of them is the better.
As the slaves deposited the bags on the floor the slave merchants, as also the Caliph and Giafer, rose and stood by them, Asmut so placing the lamp as that they could all see him count the money as they stood together. He proposed to count the money in one of the bags, and that he should then proceed to weigh the other bags against that which had been counted.
"A good haul for one night's fishing," said Asmut, coolly; "a hundred thousand dinars and five men, who will doubtless sell very well after taking a voyage, that is not so bad." Then ordering some of the slaves to be ready to take the prisoners down to the river as soon as the dawn should appear, Asmut and his partner personally superintended the removal from the room of the bags of gold.
Suddenly Asmut, seizing the empty bag and dashing it on the floor, exclaimed, "I will count no more!" This being the signal, no sooner had he uttered the words than the slaves seized the Caliph and his companions, threw them down, and before they could either struggle or cry out had securely bound and gagged them.
"Asmut," said the merchant to his companion, "did I not tell you that my slave girl was better than yours? And behold this honest merchant offers four times as much for her as for your Indian."
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