"I shall get no further," said he, after they had parted with the Jew. "I shall return to my partners. We shall kill the Christian dog who wrote the letter and sell his two companions for what we can get for them." "That is your best plan," rejoined the grazier. "They do not deserve freedom; and may Allah forbid that hereafter any true believer should try to help them to it!" Early next morning Bo Muzem set out on his return journey, thankful for the good fortune that had enabled him so early to detect the imposture that was being practised upon him. He was accompanied by the grazier, who chanced to be journeying in the same direction. "The next Christian slaves I see for sale I intend buying," remarked the latter, as they journeyed along. "Bismillah!" exclaimed Bo Muzem; "that is strange. I thought you had had enough of them?" "So I have," assented the grazier; "but that's just why I want more of them. I want revenge on the unbelieving dogs; and will buy them for the purpose of obtaining it. I will work them until they are too old for anything, and then let them die in a ditch." "Then buy the ones we have for sale," proposed Bo Muzem. "We are willing to sell them cheap, all but one. The man who wrote this letter I must kill. I have sworn it by the Prophet's beard." As both parties appeared anxious for a bargain, they soon came to an understanding as to the terms; and the grazier promised to give ten dollars in money and four heads of horses for each of the slaves that was for sale. He also agreed that one of his herdsmen should assist in driving the cattle to any settlement where a market might be found for them. The simple Bo Muzem had now in reality been "sold": for the story he had been told about the escape for the two slaves, Terence and Jim, was wholly and entirely false. CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN. RAIS MOURAD. Six days had passed, during which the white slaves were comparatively well treated, far better than at any other time since their shipwreck. They were not allowed to suffer from thirst, and were supplied with nearly as much food as they required. On the sixth day after the departure of Bo Muzem, they were visited by their masters, accompanied by a stranger who was a Moor. They were commanded to get up on their feet; and were then examined by the Moor in a manner that awakened suspicions that he was about to buy them. The Moor wore a caftan richly embroidered on the breast and sleeves, and confined around the waist with a silken sash or girdle. A pair of small yellow Morocco leather boots peeped out beneath trousers of great width made of the finest satin; and on his head was a turban of bright scarlet silk. Judging from the respect shown to him by the merchants, he was an individual of much importance. This was also evident from the number of his followers, all of whom were mounted on beautiful Arabian horses.