Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/135

113 the listed field and measure thyself with me in fair fight.’ This letter he committed to an officer of his army and sent with him spies to spy him out news.

When the messenger drew near the enemy’s camp, he saw a multitude of tents of silk and satin, with pennons of blue silk, and amongst them a great pavilion of red satin, surrounded by guards. He made for this tent and found that it was that of King Kefid and saw therein the latter seated on a chair set with jewels, in the midst of his Viziers and captains and grandees. So he displayed the letter and straightway there came up to him a company of guards, who took it from him and carried it to the King. Kefid read it and wrote the following reply; ‘King Kefid to King Teigmous. Know that I mean to take my wreak of thee and wash out the stain on my honour by laying waste thy lands and dishonouring thy women and slaying the old and carrying the young into slavery; and to-morrow, come thou out to combat in the open field, and I will show thee war and battle.’ Then he sealed the letter and delivered it to the messenger, who carried it to King Teigmous and informed the latter that he had seen in the enemy’s camp warriors and horsemen and footmen beyond count, there was no bound to them. When Teigmous read the answer, he was beyond measure enraged and bade his Vizier Ain Zar take a thousand horse and fall upon the army of Kefid in the middle watch of the night.

Meanwhile, King Kefid commanded one of his Viziers, Ghetrefan by name, to take five thousand horse and attack King Teigmous’s camp in like manner. So the two parties set out and meeting halfway, man cried out against man and there befell a sore battle between them till daybreak, when Ghetrefan’s men were routed and fled back to their camp in confusion. When Khefid saw this, he was exceeding wroth and said to the fugitives, ‘What hath befallen you, that ye have lost your captains?’ ‘O King of the

VOL. V.