There was oncein the coast-fortress of Alexandriaa Master of PoliceHusameddin by namewho was one night sitting in his seat of officewhen there came in to him a trooperwho said to him'KnowO my lordthat I entered the city this night and alighted at such a khan and slept theretill a third part of the night was pastwhen I awoke and found my saddle-bags cut open and a purse of a thousand dinars stolen from them.'No sooner had he done speaking than the magistrate called his officers and bade them lay hands on all in the khan and clap them in prison till the morning；and on the morrowhe caused bring the instruments of torment and sending for the prisoners，was about to torture them[to make them confess]in the presence of the owner of the stolen moneywhenbeholda man pressed through the crowd and coming up to the chief of the policesaid'O Amirlet these folk gofor they are wrongly accused. It was I who robbed the trooperand here is the purse I stole from his saddle-bags.'So sayinghe pulled out the purse from his sleeve and laid it before Husameddinwho said to the soldier'Take thy money；thou hast no ground of complaint now against the people of the khan.'Thereupon the latter and all who were present fell to blessing the thief and praising him；but he said'O Amirthe skill is not in that I came to thee and brought thee the pursebut in taking it a second time from the trooper.'And how didst thou take itO sharper？'asked Husameddin.
第40章 THE SHARPER OF ALEXANDRIA AND THE MASTER OF POLICE（1 / 3）