Of Police.

There was once in the coast fortress of Alexandria, a Chief of Police, Husám al-Din called, the sharp scimitar of the Faith. Now one night as he sat in his seat of office, behold, there came in to him a trooper people who said, "Know, O my lord the Chief, that I entered your city this night and alighted at such a khan and slept there till a third part of the night was past, when I awoke and found my saddle bags sliced open and a purse of a thousand gold pieces stolen from them." No sooner had he done speaking than the Chief summoned his chief officials and bade them lay hands on all in the khan and clap them in limbo till the morning; and on the morrow, he caused bring the rods and whips used in punishment; and, sending for the prisoners, was about to flog them till they confessed in the presence of the owner of the stolen money when, lo! a man broke through the crowd till he came up to the Chief of Police,—

When it was the Three Hundred and Forty second night

So saying, he pulled out the purse from his sleeve and laid it before Husam al-Din who said to the soldier, "Take your money and pouch it; you have no ground of complaint against the people of the khan." Thereupon these folk and all who were present fell to praising the thief and blessing him; but he said, "Ho! Emir, the skill is not in that I came to you in person and brought you the purse; the cleverness was in taking it a second time from this trooper." Asked the Chief, "And how did you do to take it. O sharper?"; and the robber replied,

"O Emir, I was standing in the Shroff's bazar at Cairo, when I saw this soldier receive the gold in change and put it in that purse; so I followed him from by street to by street, but found no occasion of stealing it. Then he travelled from Cairo and I followed him from town to town, plotting and planning by the way to rob him, but without avail, till he entered this city and I dogged him to the khan. I took up my lodging beside him and watched him till he fell asleep and I heard him sleeping; when I went up to him softly, softly; and I slit open his saddle bags with this knife, and took the purse in the way I am now taking it." So saying, he put out his hand and took the purse from before the Chief of Police and the trooper, both of whom, together with the folk, drew back watching him and thinking he would show them how he took the purse from the saddle bags. But, behold! he suddenly broke into a run and threw himself into a pool of standing water close by. So the Chief of the Police shouted to his officers, "Stop thief!" And many made after him; but before they could doff their clothes and descend the steps, he had made off; and they sought for him, but found him not; for that the by streets and lanes of Alexandria all communicate. So they came back without bringing the purse; and the Chief of Police said to the trooper, "You have no demand upon the folk; for you found him who robbed you and receivedst back your money, but did not keep it." So the trooper went away, having lost his money, whilst the folk were delivered from his hands and those of the Chief of Police; and all this was of the favour of Almighty Allah. And they also tell the tale of

Al-Malik Al-Nasir and the Chiefs of Police. 271