I should be bound to the mast; and when at last the flames were
extinguished, the passengers, with one accord, besought him to keep me
bound hand and foot, lest I should be the cause of some new disaster. All
that had happened was, indeed, occasioned by my ill-luck. I had laid my
pipe down, when I was falling asleep, upon the bale of cotton that was
beside me. The fire from my pipe fell out and set the cotton in flames.
Such was the mixture of rage and terror with which I had inspired the
whole crew, that I am sure they would have set me ashore on a desert
island rather than have had me on board for a week longer. Even my
humane master, I could perceive, was secretly impatient to get rid of
Murad the Unlucky and his evil fortune.

"You may believe that I was heartily glad when we landed, and when I was
unbound. My master put a purse containing fifty sequins into my hand,
and bade me farewell. 'Use this money prudently, Murad, if you can,'
said he, 'and perhaps your fortune may change.' Of this I had little
hopes, but determined to lay out my money as prudently as possible.

"As I was walking through the streets of Grand Cairo, considering how I
should lay out my fifty sequins to the greatest advantage, I was stopped
by one who called me by my name, and asked me if I could pretend to have
forgotten his face. I looked steadily at him, and recollected to my
sorrow that he was the Jew Rachub, from whom I had borrowed certain sums
of money at the camp at El Arish. What brought him to Grand Cairo,
except it was my evil destiny, I cannot tell. He would not quit me; he
would take no excuses; he said he knew that I had deserted twice, once
from the Turkish and once from the English army; that I was not entitled
to any pay; and that he could not imagine it possible that my brother
Saladin would own me or pay my debts.