The Mysterious Shin Shira | Page 8

that window; one of those would do."
I stopped the taxi and we got out. The window was filled with Oriental
rugs and carpets, and a card in their midst stated that they were "a
recent consignment of genuine old goods direct from Arabia."
"Oh, they're too expensive, I expect," I remarked, as we stood amongst
a small crowd of people in front of the window, "those Oriental rugs
are generally so--"
But Sutcliffe suddenly nudged my arm, and, with an amused twinkle in
his eye, called my attention to a remarkable little figure standing beside
him, dressed in an extraordinary yellow costume, and wearing a turban.
"Why! bless me! It's Shin Shira!" I exclaimed. "I hadn't noticed you

before."
"No," said the Yellow Dwarf, "I've only just appeared. How very
strange meeting you here!"
I told him what we were doing, and introduced my young cousin, who
was greatly interested and somewhat awe-struck at the extraordinary
little personage in the Oriental costume, whose remarkable appearance
was causing quite a sensation amongst the bystanders.
"Oh, these rugs," he said, looking at them casually. "No, I don't fancy
they are much good for your purpose, they seem to be too--hullo!" he
suddenly cried excitedly, "what's that? Good gracious! I really believe
it's--Why, yes! I'm sure of it! I recognise it quite well by the pattern.
There's not another in the world like it. How could it possibly have got
here?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Why, this carpet," cried Shin Shira, pointing excitedly to a very
quaint-looking Oriental rug in the corner of the window. "It's the Magic
Carpet which everybody has read about in the Arabian Nights. It
enables anybody in whose possession it is to travel anywhere they
wish--surely you must have heard about it."
"No!" cried Lionel, his eyes sparkling with eagerness, "not really? Oh,
sir! Do--do please buy it--it will be simply ripping! Do! do! Why, it
will be better than an aeroplane."
I had never in my life before seen my cousin so excited about anything.
"I should certainly advise you to purchase it," whispered Shin Shira. "It
is a very valuable rug, and no doubt you would find it very useful in
many ways."
I must confess to a considerable amount of curiosity myself as we
entered the shop and asked to be shown the carpet which Shin Shira
declared to be endued with such remarkable properties.

It was a very handsome one, and the shopkeeper showed it to us with a
considerable amount of pride.
"It's a genuine article, sir," he told me. "Came over only last week from
Arabia in a special parcel purchased by our agent in Baghdad--I believe
it's very old. These foreigners know how to make things which will
last."
I inquired the price, and hesitated considerably when I found that it was
far in excess of the amount I had intended to pay for a rug.
However, Lionel seemed so very eager, and Shin Shira assured me so
positively that it was really a bargain, that, with a sigh at what I feared
was a great piece of extravagance on my part, I took out my purse and
paid for it. "To where shall I send it?" inquired the shopkeeper.
"Let's ride home on it and save the cab fare," whispered Shin Shira,
pulling me down to his level by my sleeve.
"Good gracious!" I exclaimed.
"Why not? It will be the quickest way home, and certainly the least
expensive," persuaded the little Yellow Dwarf.
"But--but--" I protested.
Shin Shira had already spread the carpet on the ground, and pulling
Lionel on to it, beckoned me to follow.
Half mechanically I obeyed his instructions, and had no sooner sat
down on it, cross-legged, as I saw that Shin Shira and Lionel were
doing, than the little Yellow Dwarf cried out something in a language
which I supposed to be Arabic--and immediately we began to rise into
the air.
[Illustration: "We floated away over the roofs of the houses."]
I shall never forget the expression of dismay on the countenance of the
shopkeeper and his assistants, when they saw us slowly floating in the

air towards the door.
"Open it! open it, somebody!" shouted Shin Shira, and a
bewildered-looking customer who had just entered instinctively pulled
the handle. Before we knew where we were, we found ourselves out in
the open air with a shouting, gesticulating, excited crowd watching us
as we rose higher and higher, and floated away over the roofs of the
houses.
The sensation, I must admit, was a pleasant one, and, despite a slight
feeling of nervousness (which, however, young Sutcliffe did not appear
to share), I quite enjoyed the journey to my flat.
There were, fortunately, but very few people about, and we arrived at
the