kettle-drum[FN#30] of copper and a silken strap, worked in gold
with characts, beat the drum with the strap, until there arose a
cloud of dust from the further side of the waste. Hasan
marvelled at the Magian's doings and was afraid of him: he
repented of having come ashore with him and his colour changed.
But Bahram looked at him and said, "What aileth thee, O my son?
By the truth of the Fire and the Light, thou hast naught to fear
from me; and, were it not that my wish may never be won save by
thy means, I had not brought thee ashore. So rejoice in all
good; for yonder cloud of dust is the dust of somewhat we will
mount and which will aid us to cut across this wold and make easy
to us the hardships thereof."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-third Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Persian said to Hasan, "In very sooth yonder dust-cloud is the
cloud of something we will mount and which will aid us to cut
across this wold and will make easy to us the hardships thereof."
Presently the dust lifted off three she-dromedaries, one of which
Bahram mounted and Hasan another. Then they loaded their victual
on the third and fared on seven days, till they came to a wide
champaign and, descending into its midst, they saw a dome vaulted
upon four pilasters of red gold; so they alighted and entering
thereunder, ate and drank and took their rest. Anon Hasan
chanced to glance aside and seeing from afar a something lofty
said to the Magian, "What is that, O nuncle?" Bahram replied,
"'Tis a palace," and quoth Hasan, "Wilt thou not go thither, that
we may enter and there repose ourselves and solace ourselves with