Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 2.djvu/215

182 that their standards were not reversed and knew that they were not retreating because of defeat, but that they feared for their king and their chiefs. When she was assured of this, she hastened up to them, running at the top of her speed, like a stubborn Satan as she was, and cried out, “Hasten, O soldiers of the Merciful One, hasten to the holy war against the hosts of Satan!” When Behram saw her, he dismounted and kissing the earth before her, said, “What is behind thee, O friend of God?” “Do not ask of evil case and sore disasters,” answered she. “Know that, when our comrades had taken the treasure from the hermitage and were on their way back to Constantinople, there came out on them a great host and a fierce of unbelievers.” And she repeated to them the story, in such wise as to fill them with trouble and terror, and added, “The most of them are dead, and there are but five-and-twenty left.” “O holy man,” said Behram, “when didst thou leave them?” “But last night,” replied she. “Glory be to God,” exclaimed he, “Who hath rolled up the distance for thee like a carpet, so that thou hast sped thus, walking upon thy feet and leant upon a palm-tree staff! But thou art one of the friends of God, that fly like birds, when possessed by the stress of His commandment!” Then he mounted his horse, perplexed and confounded for that which he had heard from the lying old beldam and saying, “There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High! Verily our labour is lost and our hearts are heavy within us, for our king is a prisoner and those who are with him!” Then they fared on in haste and stayed not the whole of that day and night, till at daybreak they reached the head of the pass and heard Zoulmekan and Sherkan shouting, “There is no god but God! God is most great!” Whereupon they drove at the unbelievers and overwhelmed them, as the torrent overwhelms the plains,