art of the earth
filled with industrious robbers, whose minds are hourly on the stretch
to invent new plagues to torment each other. Of these mortals many are
settled on the sea-coasts of our southern provinces, whom I shall
persuade through the instigation of that god whom they worship, to
join the forces of Ahubal."

"Hast thou, then, mighty enchanter," answered the Prince Ahubal, "the
gods of Europe in thy power?"

"The Europeans," said Ollomand, "acknowledge one God, who, they
pretend, doth inhabit the heavens, but whom _we_ find buried in the
entrails of the earth: gold, O Prince, is their god, for whose sake
they will undertake the most daring enterprises, and forsake the best
of friends. To these shalt thou send presents, and future promises of
wealth; and, by their machinations, fear not but Misnar shall yield to
thy superior address."

"What need of the arms or the persons of Europeans," answered the
Prince Ahubal, "while my friend has an army of such gigantic slaves,
ten of whom are more than sufficient to destroy the puny armies of my
brother the Sultan?"

"Alas!" said Ollomand, "the slaves of enchantment cannot fight against
the sons of the Faithful. Though we deny Mahomet, and will not adore
him, yet we cannot control a power that must overrule us. As Misnar's
troops are in possession of the country, we will transport ourselves
to Orixa in the disguise of merchants, and there endeavour to forward
the destruction of Misnar, the tame Sultan of the East."

As Ollomand spake these words he stamped with his feet, and a
chariot, drawn by four dragons, arose from the pit in the centre of
the court, which Ahubal and the enchanter ascended, and were conveyed
in a dark cloud to the woods behind the city of Orixa.

When Ollomand's chariot alighted on the ground, he touched the dragons
with his wand, and they became four camels laden with merchandise, and
the chariot was converted into an elephant. Ahubal became like a
merchant, and the enchanter appeared as a black slave.

They entered the town in the evening, and the next morning exposed
their goods in the market-place.

The bales of Ahubal, the sham merchant, being opened, were found to
contain chiefly materials for clothing the officers of the army.

The troops of Misnar, hearing this, were his chief customers; and as
Ahubal sold his wares very cheap, he soon got acquainted with all the
officers at Orixa.

In all his conversations with them, the enchan