The slaves were all girls, and all black, and of varying ages, ranging from ten years to about thirty.

They had lately arrived in caravans from the Soudan, by way of Tafilet and the Wargha, and some of them looked worn from the desert passage.

Others were fresh and cheerful, and such as had claims to negro beauty were adorned, after their doubtful fashion, or the fancy of their masters, with love-charms of silver worn about their necks, with their fingers pricked out with hennah, and their eyelids darkened with kohl.

Thus they were drawn up in a line for public auction; but before the sale of them could begin among the buyers that had gathered about them in the street, the overseers of the Sultan's hareem had to come and make a selection for their master.

This the eunuchs presently did, and when two of them nicknamed Areefahs--gaunt and hairless men, with the faces of evil old women and the hoarse voices of ravens--had picked out three fat black maidens, the business of the auction began by the sale of a negro girl of seventeen who was brought out from the rest and passed around.
"Now, brothers," said the slave-master, "look see; sound of wind and limb--how much ?" "Eighty dollars," said a voice from the crowd.
"Eighty?
Well, eighty to start with.