Pagina 671 de 1116

So the Broker and the body were kept in the Governor's place till

morning morrowed, when the Wali came out and gave order to hang

the supposed murderer and commanded the executioner[FN#508] make

proclamation of the sentence. Forthwith they set up a gallows

under which they made the Nazarene stand and the torch bearer,

who was hangman, threw the rope round his neck and passed one end

through the pulley, and was about to hoist him up[FN#509] when

lo! the Reeve, who was passing by, saw the Broker about to be

hanged; and, making his way through the people, cried out to the

executioner, "Hold! Hold! I am he who killed the Hunchback!"

Asked the Governor, "What made thee kill him?"; and he answered,

"I went home last night and there found this man who had come

down the ventilator to steal my property; so I smote him with a

hammer on the breast and he died forthright.