' 'I hear and obey,'
said Jaafer, and bade his men carry the chest to the palace,
together with Cout el Culoub, commanding them to use her with
honour and consideration. And they did his bidding, after they
had plundered Ghanim's house. Then Jaafer went in to the Khalif
and told him what had happened, and he bade lodge Cout el Culoub
in a dark chamber and appointed an old woman to serve her,
thinking no otherwise than that Ghanim had certainly debauched
her and lain with her. Then he wrote a letter to the Amir
Mohammed ben Suleiman ez Zeini, the viceroy of Damascus, to the
following purport, 'As soon as this letter reaches thee, lay
hands on Ghanim ben Eyoub and send him to me.' When the letter
came to the viceroy, he kissed it and laid it on his head, then
caused proclamation to be made in the streets of Damascus, 'Whoso
is minded to plunder, let him betake himself to the house of
Ghanim ben Eyoub!' So they repaired to the house, where they
found that Ghanim's mother and sister had made him a tomb midmost
the house and sat by it, weeping for him, whereupon they seized
them, without telling them the cause, and carried them before the
Sultan, after having plundered the house. The viceroy questioned
them of Ghanim, and they replied, 'This year or more we have had
no news of him.' So they restored them to their place.
Meanwhile Ghanim, finding himself despoiled of his wealth and
considering his case, wept till his heart was well-nigh broken.
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