our hearts trembled, and springing up from the bench, he fell a-
groping after us, blind-fold. We fled from him right and left and
he saw us not, for his sight was altogether blent; but we were in
terrible fear of him and made sure we were dead men despairing of
escape. Then he found the door, feeling for it with his hands and
went out roaring aloud; and behold, the earth shook under us, for
the noise of his roaring, and we quaked for fear. As he quitted
the castle we followed him and betook ourselves to the place
where we had moored our boat, saying to one another, "If this
accursed abide absent till the going down of the sun and come not
to the castle, we shall know that he is dead; and if he come
back, we will embark in the boat and paddle till we escape,
committing our affair to Allah." But, as we spoke, behold, up
came the blackamoor with other two as they were Ghuls, fouler and
more frightful than he, with eyes like red-hot coals; which when
we saw, we hurried into the boat and casting off the moorings
paddled away and pushed out to sea.[FN#31] As soon as the ogres
caught sight of us, they cried out at us and running down to the
sea-shore, fell a-pelting us with rocks, whereof some fell
amongst us and others fell into the sea. We paddled with all our
might till we were beyond their reach, but the most part of us
were slain by the rock-throwing, and the winds and waves sported
with us and carried us into the midst of the dashing sea, swollen
with billows clashing. We knew not whither we went and my fellows
died one after another, till there remained but three, myself and
two others;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,