When I found myself alone in Baghdad after my extraordinary adventure with the Magic Crystal, my first intention was to return at once to England.

I found, however, that it would be impossible for me to do so for at least four days; so I prepared to make the best of matters by doing a little sight-seeing while I was still confined to the ancient and interesting city.

There were two additional reasons which made the delay less disagreeable to me.

The first one was that I might possibly happen to meet Shin Shira again before I departed; and the other was that, on the second day of my stay, I saw a printed notice to the effect that, according to the ancient usage of the country relating to condemned prisoners, all of Mustapha's goods were to be immediately sold by public auction, and the money realised was to be confiscated by the Crown.

I had noticed a number of very quaint and curious articles in the shop, and thought that it would be an excellent opportunity for me to purchase some souvenirs of my visit, to take back with me to England.

The sale took place the next day, and I was able to secure several interesting pieces, which have a place in my study to this day. In fact, I was tempted to buy so many things that I began to fear that I should soon not have enough money left to take me back again to London; and I was just about to leave the auction, in order to be out of the way of temptation, when I caught sight of the quaintest, most uncanny-looking brass lamp being offered for sale that you could possibly imagine.

It was slightly damaged too, and looked very old, so I hoped that it might be going very cheap.

I was right, and to my great delight it was knocked down to me for a mere trifle.

Clutching my treasures about me, I hurried back to my hotel, and spent the whole of the rest of the day examining and admiring my purchases.

The lamp, though, pleased me most of all, although it was so old and battered. It was so very quaint and uncommon, and so typically Oriental in design—in fact, I felt sure there was not another like it in the world.The time came, however, for packing up, and I had to get everything ready for the morning, so that I might be in time for the early train.

I had carefully wrapped up the other things, and was just taking a last look at the lamp before putting it into the bag, when, turning around for no apparent reason, I caught sight of a yellow turban on the floor.

"Dear me!" I thought, "I suppose I must have brought this away from the Bazaar, with my other things, by mistake. What a nuisance! Now I shall have to take it back again, I suppose, or—No! it's Shin Shira's. And here comes the rest of him!" for I could see a little hazy yellow figure gradually growing out of nothing.

"Ah! just in time, I see," said the little fellow, when he had quite appeared. "I did so hope that I should be able to be visible again before you left Baghdad. Well, how did you get on? You've got out of prison, I'm glad to see."

I told him about the crystal, and how I discovered that it was Mustapha who stole the diamond.

"Phew!" he whistled when he heard this. "I felt sure someone had stolen it, but I didn't think of Mustapha. I never liked the man, though, personally, and I'm glad he's found out at last. He has done a lot of harm to many people in Baghdad, and he will be rightly punished. What is to be done with my diamond?" he inquired anxiously.

"Oh, you're to have it back whenever you like to go for it, and you'll receive an apology at the same time," said I.

"Very well, then, I'm off to get it first thing in the morning," said the little fellow gleefully. "I prize that stone far above its intrinsic value, for it was given to me by my beautiful Princess, you know, and I would not lose it for anything. But, I say! what's that curious-looking old lamp in your hand? May I look at it?"

I handed it over to him.

"It's just a little thing which took my fancy at Mustapha's sale, and which I picked up for a trifle," said I.

"It's very dirty—wants cleaning badly," declared Shin Shira. "Why, I believe it's solid brass, though it looks like rusty iron in its present neglected state," and he seized a duster which was lying handy and gave the lamp several smart rubs.

"Just as I thought," said he, going on vigorously with the polishing. "Why, it's splendid——"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, sinking into a chair. "See! see what you've done!"An enormous form was rising from the floor, and presently stood before us making a deep salaam.

"W-who are you?" I stammered.

"The Slave of the Lamp, Master," said he.

"Good gracious!" I exclaimed, "you don't mean to say that this is——"

"Aladdin's lamp," burst in Shin Shira. "I thought somehow that it looked familiar. I knew Aladdin well, and I've often handled this lamp before."

"Impossible!" I exclaimed, gazing at the big black giant who stood, with his arms folded, in dignified silence before us.

"Nothing is impossible in the East," said Shin Shira, "as you'll quickly find out if you remain here long. And now—now that you are the possessor of Aladdin's lamp—what are you going to do with it?"

"I—I don't know," I stammered. "I must have time to think."

"I should have diamonds," advised Shin Shira: "they're so easy to carry and can always be converted into money. Command him to bring you a bag full of diamonds of all sizes."

"But, but," I said hesitatingly, as visions of untold wealth floated before my eyes, "will he really do it?" "Try him and see," said Shin Shira. So I took the lamp in my hand, and rather nervously commanded the Slave to bring me a bag of diamonds.

The Slave fell to the ground and touched his head to the floor, paying me the deepest mark of respect.

"Alas, Master, that it should be so, but you ask your slave that which is impossible, unless you would have me take from the shops that which is not thine."

"Not for worlds," I interrupted. "But how is it that you cannot get me the diamonds from the mines as you used to do for your former Master Aladdin in the olden days?"

A bitter smile spread over the Slave's face.

"The age, Master, has greatly changed, and now the mines in Africa, which were known only to us, are being worked by greedy men with noisy machinery, and we may not be seen there under peril of death. This is the will of the Spirit of the Lamp of whom I am the Slave, and who also calls you Master, though you will never see her."

"Oh, well then, that's all knocked on the head," I said to Shin Shira, who had been listening attentively. "I'll dismiss the man now, shall I, and we'll talk over what's best to be done?"

Shin Shira nodded, so I told the Slave I had no further use for him at the moment, and he vanished.

I stood looking at my little friend in great bewilderment."It is a great power to possess," I said, regarding the lamp with awe and amazement. "I hope I shan't do anything foolish with it."

"Don't be silly," said Shin Shira crossly. "I only wish I had your chance. Why, you can do anything with a power like that. Leave it to me to think over for to-night, and I'll tell you the best thing to do in the morning."

"But I'm starting for England the first thing to-morrow," I objected.

"Oh! you must put that off for the present," was the decided reply. "I'll be here about eleven, and we'll talk over what's best to be done. Good-night!" and the little fellow held out his hand and strutted off.

I slept very little that night, as you may imagine, and all sorts of vague ideas came into my head as to what I should do with the wonderful power which had so mysteriously come within my grasp.

I had arrived at no definite decision as to what was best to be done, however, by eleven the next morning, when, punctual to the minute, Shin Shira, looking very spruce and alert, knocked at my door.

I noticed with considerable interest that he wore in his turban the diamond which I had so often admired, and he saw me looking at it at once."Yes," he said, with a series of little nods, "it was very easy. An hour ago I called on the Chief Magistrate, and found him full of apologies and quite convinced that he had made a grievous mistake. It appears that the original diamond, which Mustapha stole, when found, had some of the gold setting still attached to it, proving beyond doubt that it was the missing jewel, so that my own was returned to me; and the Magistrate even insisted on providing a new aigrette and in having it replaced in my turban by a skilled person. So here it is," and he took off his head-dress and regarded it with considerable pride. "But now to your affairs. I am still in favour of the idea of the diamonds."

"But how—" I began, when Shin Shira interrupted me.

"Are you game for a very exciting adventure?" said he.

"I—don't know." I hesitated. "I seem to have had about enough of exciting adventures."

"It will be something to write about," suggested the Dwarf, "and will undoubtedly make your fortune."

"Well," I said, "what is it? Let's hear."

"Do you remember where Sinbad the Sailor got his diamonds from?""Yes, of course!" I replied, for I knew my Arabian Nights by heart.

"Very well, then," said Shin Shira. "All you've got to do is to get the Slave of the Lamp to bring us the Roc, which I happen to know is still alive; we can then fasten ourselves to his claws, and he will fly back to his home with us, and there, as you know, the ground is strewn with precious stones."

"But why not send the Slave for them?" I argued.

"He evidently doesn't know where they are, and it's as well to keep him ignorant on the subject, in case the lamp passed out of your power, in which case he might use his knowledge in favour of his next master. And, besides, the Roc couldn't carry him there."

"He wouldn't have to," said I. "The Slave evidently has the power of being able to transport himself to any place at will."

"But we don't know where to direct him to," said Shin Shira impatiently. He was evidently bent upon carrying out his project, and at last I somewhat weakly consented to his proposal.

I rubbed the lamp and summoned the Slave, who appeared promptly as before.

"I'm sorry to ask such a difficult thing, but can you catch the Roc for me and bring it here?" said I, somewhat apologetically."It shall be here, Master, in twenty minutes," replied the Slave imperturbably, vanishing again at a wave from my hand.

"I don't know, I'm sure, what I want diamonds for, when I have such a willing servant," I grumbled, still rather unwilling to venture upon what I regarded as an uncanny undertaking.

"He can't provide you with money," said Shin Shira.

"Why not?" I asked.

"He'd have either to steal it or make it. If he did the latter it wouldn't be legal, and, besides, if it was found out, you might be arrested for circulating unauthorised coin."

"Oh, very well, then, let's go on this wild-goose chase if you're so bent upon it," I said, seeing that he was determined to have his way. A few minutes later we heard a great commotion in the courtyard, and looking from the balcony we saw my Slave carrying by the legs an enormous bird, who turned his head about from side to side, staring stupidly at everything around him. Shin Shira bustled about and got ropes and straps, and with the assistance of the landlord and one or two onlookers, we were soon harnessed in quite an ingenious manner to the claws of our strange steed (if one may call him so).

The Slave released him, and the Roc immediately flew slowly up into the air, violently shaking his claws now and then in a vain endeavour to get rid of the unusual weight. Fortunately, however, the straps and ropes, which had been fastened over the bird's back as well, were very strong, and so the worst thing that happened to us was a thorough shaking.

This was of no consequence, and when I realised that I was quite safe, I began actually to enjoy the strange experience of being carried through the air, I knew not whither. In this case, however, the distance was not nearly so great as one might have expected, for leaving the city, the great bird soared over a tract of forest land, above one or two more towns, and so out into the open desert, in the midst of which was a range of rocky mountains. His pinions were strong and mighty, so that he flew very rapidly, and in a little less than two hours he had alighted on a kind of tableland, at the top of one of the mountain peaks, and we were at our journey's end.

There was no doubt but that we were at the right place, for the ground was strewn with stones which, though uncut, sparkled, in the places where they had been chipped or broken, with a hundred different brilliant colours and shades.

Shin Shira drew his knife and quickly cut the ropes and straps which bound us to the now struggling bird, and he was soon released from his uncomfortable burden.

He shook himself once or twice and preened his great feathers, and then stalked off to where an enormous nest could be seen in a cleft in the rocks.

I have no doubt the patient and stupid bird told his mate in bird language what a very strange and uncomfortable experience he had had, and at all events he kept out of our sight from that moment.

Shin Shira at once busied himself by gathering some of the largest gems as quickly as possible; and taking from his pockets some strong linen bags which he had thoughtfully provided, he handed two to me and told me to fill them for myself.

This I did, and also put several into my various pockets. I was just about to say that I thought we had sufficient, when Shin Shira called my attention to a balloon hovering just above our heads.

There were two people in the basket, and they were peering at us over the edge through glasses.

Presently one of them shouted an order, and the balloon quickly descended, so that we could hear the rush of escaping gas as it was being released.

"Hullo there!" shouted a voice over our heads, "who are you? We've never before heard that these mountains were inhabited."

"Neither are they," replied Shin Shira. "We are geologists from Baghdad, and are taking home specimens of the rocks and stones."

"Oh, we're going to Baghdad. Can we give you a lift?" said the voice kindly, and the balloon descended still further, till at last we were able to see the two occupants distinctly.

"It's really very kind of you;—I—I think we will accept your offer," said I, while Shin Shira frowned disapproval.

"Don't go," he whispered, "we can get some more precious stones if we wait a little longer."

"But how are we to get back?" I answered.

"The Magic Lamp," said he.

"Oh, but I've left that behind at the hotel," I replied.

"In that case," said Shin Shira regretfully, "there's nothing else to be done, I suppose."

So we thankfully accepted the aeronauts' kind invitation, and were soon floating comfortably towards Baghdad.I must confess that it was far more pleasant than the outward journey had been.

Before we got to Baghdad, though, Shin Shira had the misfortune to disappear, much to the horror of the aeronauts, who thought he had fallen out of the basket, and who would scarcely credit my explanation when I told them of Shin Shira's peculiar misfortune in this respect.

He left the two bags of precious stones behind him, and they stood beside mine at the bottom of the basket.

For a few minutes the balloon, being freed from Shin Shira's weight, rapidly ascended, but presently there was a terrible escape of gas and we began to descend again at a great rate.

"Throw out the ballast!" cried one of the aeronauts, and the other, seeing the four bags of what he thought were worthless stones, in his haste and eagerness thrust them overboard.

I was too alarmed at the moment to notice what he was doing, and it was only when matters had been put right, by stopping the escape of gas, that I realised what had happened.

It was useless, however, to cry over spilt milk, and all my thought now was to get back to the hotel in safety.

This we eventually did, and my ballooning friends accepted my invitation to take dinner at the hotel with me, so that after my adventure of the day I had a very pleasant evening. It was not till the next morning that I discovered that Aladdin's Lamp had vanished—had, in fact, probably been stolen.

There was nothing left to do now but to set out for England, which I eventually reached; and on arriving in London, and having the stones which I had brought back in my pockets valued, I found that there were many worthless ones among them, and that the few good ones, when sold, only realised sufficient to pay the rather heavy expenses of my journey to and from Baghdad, with a very little over for myself to repay me for the loss of my time.