"Wallah! that is true. Let him finish his story."

But the Greek slave remained with his face on the ground; and it was not
until a renewal of the promise, sworn upon the holy standard made out of
the nether garments of the prophet, by the pacha, who had recovered his
temper, and was anxious for the conclusion of the story, that he could
be induced to proceed, which he did as follows:--

* * * * *

As soon as I had bunged up the cask, I went down to the yard where the
aga had left his horse, and having severely wounded the poor beast with
his sword, I let it loose that it might gallop home. The noise of the
horse's hoofs in the middle of the night, aroused his family, and when
they discovered that it was wounded and without its rider, they imagined
that the aga had been attacked and murdered by banditti when he had
followed his troop. They sent to me to ask at what time he had left my
house; I replied, an hour after dark--that he was very much intoxicated
at the time--and had left his sabre, which I returned. They had no
suspicions of the real facts, and it was believed that he had perished
on the road.

I was now rid of my dangerous acquaintance, and although he certainly
had drunk a great quantity of my wine, yet I recovered the value of it
with interest, from the flavour which I obtained from his body and which
I imparted to the rest of my stock. I raised him up alongside of the two
other casks; and my trade was more profitable and my wines in greater
repute than ever.

But one day the cadi, who had heard my wine extolled, came privately to
my house; I bowed to the ground at the honour conferred, for I had long
wished to have him as a customer. I drew some of my best--"This,
honourable sir," said I, presenting the glass, "is what I call my aga
wine: the late aga was so fond of it, he used to order a whole cask at
once to his house, and had it taken there in a litter."

"A good plan," replied the cadi, "much better than sending a slave with
a pitcher, which gives occasion for remarks: I will do the same; but,
first, let me taste all you have."

He tasted several casks, but none pleased him so much as the first which
I had recommended. At last he cast his eyes upon the three casks raised
above the others.

"And what are those?" inquired he.

"Empty casks, sir," replied I; but he had his stick in his hand, and he
struck one.

"Greek, thou tellest me these casks are empty, but t