an tongue, which meant,

"O my most beloved father, mother, and other relatives, have no fear.
Though things look very black, remember the vision of the holy Tanofir,
who doubtless allows these things to happen to you to try your faith by
direct order of the gods. Be sure that I will not leave you to perish,
or if there should be no escape, that I will find a way to put you out
of your misery and to avenge you. Yes, yes, I will yet see that accursed
swine, Houman, take your place in this boat. Now I go to the Court to
which it seems that this gold chain gives me a right of entry, or so the
eunuch says, but soon I will be back again."

Then followed another stream or most horrible abuse and more spitting,
after which he waded back to land and embraced Houman, calling him his
best friend.

They went, leaving me alone in the boat save for the guard upon the quay
who, now that darkness had come, soon grew silent. It was lonely, very
lonely, lying there staring at the empty sky with only the stinging
gnats for company, and soon my limbs began to ache. I thought of the
poor wretches who had suffered in this same boat and wondered if their
lot would be my lot.

Bes was faithful and clever, but what could a single dwarf do among all
these black-hearted fiends? And if he could do nothing, oh! if he could
do nothing!

The seconds seemed minutes, the minutes seemed hours, and the hours
seemed years. What then would the days be, passed in torture and
agony while waiting for a filthy death? Where now were the gods I had
worshipped and--was there any god? Or was man but a self-deceiver who
created gods instead of the gods creating him, because he did not love
to think of an eternal blackness in which he would soon be swallowed up
and lost? Well, at least that would mean sleep, and sleep is better than
torment of mind or body.

It came to me, I think, who was so weary. At any rate I opened my eyes
to see that the low moon had vanished and that some of the stars which
I knew as a hunter who had often steered his way by them, had moved a
little. While I was wondering idly why they moved, I heard the tramp of
soldiers on the quay and the voice of an officer giving a command. Then
I felt the boat being drawn in by the cord with which it was attached to
the quay. Next the other boat that lay over me was lifted off, the ropes
that bound we were undone and I was set upon my feet, for already I was
so stiff that I could scarcely stand.