"Well, what did I say?" exclaimed Yffim Beg triumphantly; "that is the camp of Feriz Beg, and there is Feriz himself trotting in front of them."
The words were scarce out of his mouth when the terrible thought occurred to him that Azrael had no business to be looking upon this strange man.
The odalisk, laughing loudly, flung herself on Hassan's neck.
"Ha, ha, ha! the worthy Beg takes the water-carrying girls for an army!"
Then Yffim Beg began to tremble, for he perceived now whither this woman wanted to carry her joke.
"My master," said he, "forbid thy slave-girl to make a fool of me. The camp of Feriz Beg is straight in front of us, and thou wilt do well to prevent thy maid-servant from looking at these men with her face unveiled."
"Allah! thou dost terrify me, good Beg!" said Azrael, feigning horror so admirably that Hassan himself felt the contagion of it.
"Say! where dost thou see this camp?"
"There, on the water-side; dost thou not see the tents on the hillocks?"