"Yes," replied he, while he did the honors of the supper with much ease and grace--"yes, he is a poor devil who is much devoted to me, and does all he can to prove it.

He remembers that I saved his life, and as he has a regard for his head, he feels some gratitude towards me for having kept it on his shoulders." Ali approached his master, took his hand, and kissed it.
"Would it be impertinent, Signor Sinbad," said Franz, "to ask you the particulars of this kindness ?" "Oh, they are simple enough," replied the host.

"It seems the fellow had been caught wandering nearer to the harem of the Bey of Tunis than etiquette permits to one of his color, and he was condemned by the bey to have his tongue cut out, and his hand and head cut off; the tongue the first day, the hand the second, and the head the third.

I always had a desire to have a mute in my service, so learning the day his tongue was cut out, I went to the bey, and proposed to give him for Ali a splendid double-barreled gun which I knew he was very desirous of having.

He hesitated a moment, he was so very desirous to complete the poor devil's punishment.