keep on good terms with his destined victim, was persuaded
very easily to exchange me for another horse offered him by the Rajah
and ten pieces of silver. I thus passed once more into the possession
of the cruel and vindictive Sojah.

"This filled me with despair, and I looked forward with dread to a
repetition of the barbarous treatment I had before endured at her
hands. But time had apparently softened her resentment, and changed
her feelings towards me. Perhaps she thought that the misery I had
undergone during more than two years would render me more complaisant
and ready to yield to her desires; at any rate, she received me with
joy and treated me with kindness, and, taking an opportunity that same
evening to come alone to the place where I was picketed with the other
horses, she stooped down, and taking a handful of dust she threw it
over me, pronouncing the same magical formula as before, and then bade
me leave that form of a horse and resume my own proper shape as a man.

"Immediately the transformation took place. But, well knowing that the
Rajah and his whole party were doomed to almost inevitable destruction
by the large gang of Thugs in whose company they then were, I perceived
that my only chance of escape lay in turning the magical art of this
vile woman against herself. Therefore, no sooner had I resumed my
natural shape, and stood before her once more in the form of a man,
than I bowed low as though to salute her with the greatest deference,
and suddenly seizing a handful of dust I threw it over her, pronounced
the magical words: 'Kahoothie Kaventho,' and said, before she could
recover from her surprise, 'Quit the shape of woman of which you are
unworthy and take that of a mare.' What the nature of the charm might
be, or by the aid of what demon the change took place, I know not; at
any rate the incantation was effectual, and as I pronounced the words,
Sojah disappeared and a beautiful mare stood before me.

"Without the loss of a moment I saddled and bridled her, and rode off,
at first slowly and quietly, but afterwards as fast as possible along
the road we had just come, and in the opposite direction to that which
was to be taken early next morning by the Rajah and my late master,
Jowahir.

"I had been riding for more than an hour, and was still proceeding very
rapidly, when my mare suddenly stumbled and threw me over her head on
to the ground. I fell heavily and must have remained a long tim