and the Governor said, "Bring me the Chief of Police, and we will
commend him to seek for the old woman." Now he knew that the
Chief of Police was acquainted with her; so, when he came, he
said to him, "I wish thee to make search for the slave-girl of
Ni'amah son of Al-Rabi'a." And he answered, "None knoweth the
hidden things save Almighty Allah." Rejoined Al-Hajjaj, "There
is no help for it but thou send out horsemen and look for the
damsel in all the roads, and seek for her in the towns."--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Forty-First Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Al-Hajjaj
said to the Captain of the Watch, "There is no help for it but
thou send out horsemen, and look for the damsel on all the roads
and seek for her in the towns." Then he turned to Ni'amah and
said to him, "And thy slave-girl return not, I will give thee ten
slave-girls from my house and ten from that of the Chief of
Police." And he again bade the Captain of the Watch, "Go and seek
for the girl." So he went out, and Ni'amah returned home full of
trouble and despairing of life; for he had now reached the age of
fourteen and there was yet no hair on his side cheeks. So he wept
and lamented and shut himself up from his household; and ceased
not to weep and lament, he and his mother, till the morning, when
his father came in to him and said, "O my son, of a truth,
Al-Hajjaj hath put a cheat upon the damsel and hath taken her;
but from hour to hour Allah giveth relief." However grief
redoubled on Ni'amah, so that he knew not what he said nor knew
he who came in to him, and he fell sick for three months his