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"Six hundred," replied Tsamanni, still unmoved. And now such was the general hubbub provoked by these unprecedented prices that the dalal was forced to raise his voice and cry for silence. When this was restored Ayoub at once raised the price to seven hundred. "Eight hundred," snapped Tsamanni, showing at last a little heat. "Nine hundred," replied Ayoub.
In a passion at that indignity Lionel writhed in the grip of his guards, until one of the corsairs struck him a light blow with a whip in earnest of what to expect if he continued to be troublesome. "Consider him now," said the dalal, pointing to that white torso. "And behold how sound he is. See how excellent are his teeth." He seized Lionel's head and forced the jaws apart.
"One thousand and five hundred," screamed Ayoub, thus reaching not only the limit imposed by his mistress, but the very limit of the resources at her immediate disposal. Gone, too, with that bid was all hope of profit to himself. But Sakr-el-Bahr, impassive as Fate, and without so much as deigning to bestow a look upon the quivering eunuch, said again "Another hundred, O dalal."
With a shrug the dalal began his circuit of the well, the corsairs thrusting Lionel after him. Here one rose to handle him, there another, but none seemed disposed to purchase. "Five philips is the foolish price offered me for this fine young Frank," cried the dalal. "Will no True-Believer pay ten for such a slave? Wilt not thou, O Ayoub? Thou, Hamet ten philips?"
By the Koran, they are worth three hundred at the least. Wilt say three hundred?" "Two hundred and thirty," was the answer. Back to the Moor went the dalal. "Two hundred and thirty I am now offered, O Hamet. Thou wilt give another twenty?" "Not I, by Allah!" said Hamet, and resumed his seat. "Let him have them." "Another ten philips?" pleaded the dalal. "Not another asper."
But the dalal stiffened with increasing dignity. Some of that laughter seemed to touch himself, and he was not a person to be made the butt of mirth. "'Tis a jest, my master," said he, with a forgiving yet contemptuous wave. "Behold how sound he is."
"She is dead!" he bleated. "I am defrauded. Give me back my gold!" "Are we to give back the price of every slave that dies?" the dalal questioned him. "But she was not yet delivered to me," raved the Jew. "My hands had not touched her. Give me back my gold." "Thou liest, son of a dog," was the answer, dispassionately delivered. "She was thine already. I had so pronounced her.
"One thousand and six hundred philips!" cried the dalal, more in amazement than to announce the figure reached. Then controlling his emotions he bowed his head in reverence and made confession of his faith. "All things are possible if Allah wills them. The praise to Him who sends wealthy buyers."
The chief dalal stood forward a moment as if in an abstraction with downcast eyes; then with hands outstretched to catch a blessing he raised his voice and began to pray in a monotonous chant: "In the name of Allah the Pitying the Pitiful Who created man from clots of blood! All that is in the Heavens and in the Earth praiseth Allah, Who is the Mighty, the Wise!
Hamet showed himself angry that his original bid should so speedily have been doubled. "By the Koran, I have purchased three sturdy girls from the Sus for less." "Wouldst thou compare a squat-faced girl from the Sus with this narcissus-eyed glory of womanhood?" scoffed the dalal. "Two hundred and ten, then," was Hamet's sulky grunt.
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