of
all sorts. In the midst of his revels he one day ran against Shaffrass,
who had unwittingly followed him to Bagdad, where he had a large
trading connection. " Now," thought the wily Armenian, " I shall take
good care not to lose sight of my man again, until the bargain is
struck." He was not however, a little disappointed to learn that the
wares had already been sold to a third party. Nevertheless, there was
still hope of doing a stroke of business with the Jew, whose house the
Afghan had pointed out, and on whom Shaffrass lost no time in calling.
But, although he offered double the amount of the purchase money for
the diamond alone, on which he had set his heart, the Jew declined to
part with it. Shaffrass now held a consultation with his two brothers,
who had joined him in Bagdad. The trio forthwith resolved to murder the
Jew, and thus get possession of the coveted treasures. Having carried
out this cold-blooded assassination, they also deemed it prudent to get
rid of the Afghan, whose evidence would scarcely fail to incriminate
them, when the matter came to be investigated. Taking advantage of his
dissipated habits, they easily induced him to join them the next day in
an entertainment, followed by a drinking bout, during which they found
an opportunity of poisoning him in his cups. The two bodies were placed
together in a sack,and,accordingtotheapproved Eastern method, thrown by
night into the Tigris.*
