I stopped the taxi and we got out. The window was filled with Oriental rugs and carpets, and a card in their midst stated that they were "a recent consignment of genuine old goods direct from Arabia." "Oh, they're too expensive, I expect," I remarked, as we stood amongst a small crowd of people in front of the window, "those Oriental rugs are generally so--" But Sutcliffe suddenly nudged my arm, and, with an amused twinkle in his eye, called my attention to a remarkable little figure standing beside him, dressed in an extraordinary yellow costume, and wearing a turban. "Why! bless me! It's Shin Shira!" I exclaimed. "I hadn't noticed you before." "No," said the Yellow Dwarf, "I've only just appeared. How very strange meeting you here!" I told him what we were doing, and introduced my young cousin, who was greatly interested and somewhat awe-struck at the extraordinary little personage in the Oriental costume, whose remarkable appearance was causing quite a sensation amongst the bystanders. "Oh, these rugs," he said, looking at them casually. "No, I don't fancy they are much good for your purpose, they seem to be too--hullo!" he suddenly cried excitedly, "what's that? Good gracious! I really believe it's--Why, yes! I'm sure of it! I recognise it quite well by the pattern. There's not another in the world like it. How could it possibly have got here?" "What _are_ you talking about?" I asked. "Why, this carpet," cried Shin Shira, pointing excitedly to a very quaint-looking Oriental rug in the corner of the window. "It's the Magic Carpet which everybody has read about in the _Arabian Nights_. It enables anybody in whose possession it is to travel anywhere they wish--surely you must have heard about it." "No!" cried Lionel, his eyes sparkling with eagerness, "not really? Oh, sir! Do--_do_ please buy it--it will be simply ripping! Do! do! Why, it will be better than an aeroplane." I had never in my life before seen my cousin so excited about anything. "I should certainly advise you to purchase it," whispered Shin Shira. "It is a very valuable rug, and no doubt you would find it very useful in many ways." I must confess to a considerable amount of curiosity myself as we entered the shop and asked to be shown the carpet which Shin Shira declared to be endued with such remarkable properties. It was a very handsome one, and the shopkeeper showed it to us with a considerable amount of pride. "It's a genuine article, sir," he told me. "Came over only last week from Arabia in a special parcel purchased by our agent in Baghdad--I believe it's very old. These foreigners know how to make things which will last." I inquired the price, and hesitated considerably when I found that it was far in excess of the amount I had intended to pay for a rug.