he wayside.
Although I doubted his word, yet, after my deliberation about the
ducats, my conscience wanted some quietus: 'I cannot do less,' said I,
'than make my fellow sufferer in adversity a partaker of my prosperity.'
But alas! the boy had scarcely crossed the deep ravine that bordered the
encampment ere I could perceive him carrying the meat to his mouth, and
I made no doubt that every bone was picked clean before he was out of
sight. It would have been a useless undertaking to have pursued him,
considering the distance that already separated us, so I contented
myself by discharging a stone and a malediction at his head, neither of
which reached their destination.

[Illustration: Turcomans attack the caravanserai. 5.jpg]

CHAPTER V

Hajji Baba becomes a robber in his own defence, and invades his native
city.

I had now been above a year in the hands of the Turcomans, during which
I had acquired the entire confidence of my master. He consulted me
upon all his own affairs, as well as those of his community, and as he
considered that I might now be depended upon, he determined to permit
me to accompany him in a predatory excursion into Persia,--a permission,
which, in hopes of a good opportunity to escape, I had frequently
entreated of him to grant. Hitherto I had never been allowed to stray
beyond the encampment and its surrounding pastures, and as I was totally
ignorant of the roads through the great salt desert which separated us
from Persia, I knew that it would be in vain for me to attempt flight,
as many before me had done, and had invariably perished or returned
to their masters, who treated them with more rigour than before. I
therefore rejoiced that I now had an opportunity of observing the
country we were about to cross, and determined with myself that if I
could not get away during this expedition, nothing should hinder my
attempting it on my return. The Turcomans generally make their principal
excursions in the spring, when they find pasturage for their horses in
the highlands, and fresh corn in the plains, and because they then
are almost certain of meeting caravans to plunder on their march. This
season being now near at hand, Aslan called together the chiefs of his
tribe, the heads of tens and the heads of hundreds, and all those who
were skilled in plunder, and proposed a plan to them of an incursion
into the very heart of Persia. Their object was to reach Ispahan itself,
to enter the city