ghts_ by heart.

"Very well, then," said Shin Shira. "All you've got to do is to get the
Slave of the Lamp to bring us the Roc, which I happen to know is still
alive; we can then fasten ourselves to his claws, and he will fly back
to his home with us, and there, as you know, the ground is strewn with
precious stones."

"But why not send the Slave for them?" I argued.

"He evidently doesn't know where they are, and it's as well to keep him
ignorant on the subject, in case the lamp passed out of your power, in
which case he might use his knowledge in favour of his next master. And,
besides, the Roc couldn't carry him there."

"He wouldn't have to," said I. "The Slave evidently has the power of
being able to transport himself to any place at will."

"But _we_ don't know where to direct him to," said Shin Shira
impatiently. He was evidently bent upon carrying out his project, and at
last I somewhat weakly consented to his proposal.

I rubbed the lamp and summoned the Slave, who appeared promptly as
before.

"I'm sorry to ask such a difficult thing, but can you catch the Roc for
me and bring it here?" said I, somewhat apologetically.

"It shall be here, Master, in twenty minutes," replied the Slave
imperturbably, vanishing again at a wave from my hand.

"I don't know, I'm sure, what I want diamonds for, when I have such a
willing servant," I grumbled, still rather unwilling to venture upon
what I regarded as an uncanny undertaking.

"He can't provide you with money," said Shin Shira.

"Why not?" I asked.

"He'd have either to steal it or make it. If he did the latter it
wouldn't be legal, and, besides, if it was found out, you might be
arrested for circulating unauthorised coin."

"Oh, very well, then, let's go on this wild-goose chase if you're so
bent upon it," I said, seeing that he was determined to have his way. A
few minutes later we heard a great commotion in the courtyard, and
looking from the balcony we saw my Slave carrying by the legs an
enormous bird, who turned his head about from side to side, staring
stupidly at everything around him. Shin Shira bustled about and got
ropes and straps, and with the assistance of the landlord and one or
two onlookers, we were soon harnessed in quite an ingenious manner to
the claws of our strange steed (if one may call him so).

[Illustration: "His pinions were strong and mighty."]

The Slave released him, and the Roc immediately flew slowly up into the
air, v