Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/116

94 is Most Great!’ and put them to the edge of the sword. When Gherib heard the crying aforesaid, he said to Sehim, ‘Go and find out the cause of these shouts.’ So Sehim repaired to the field of battle and questioned the camp followers, who told him that King Damigh had come up with twenty thousand men and fallen upon the idolaters by night, saying, ‘By the virtue of Abraham the friend,Friend, [sic] I will not forsake my brother’s son, but will do a brave man’s part and beat back the infidels and please the Omnipotent King!’

So Sehim returned and told Gherib, who cried out to his men, saying, ‘Don your arms and mount your horses and let us succour my uncle!’ So they mounted and fell upon the infidels with the sharp sword. By the morning, they had killed nigh fifty thousand of them and made other thirty thousand prisoners, and the rest of Agib’s army dispersed over the length and breadth of the land. Then the Muslims returned in triumph and Gherib rode out to meet his uncle, whom he saluted and thanked for his help. Quoth Damigh, ‘I wonder if that dog Agib fell in this day’s battle.’ ‘O uncle,’ replied Gherib, ‘have no care for him; know that he is with me in chains.’ When Damigh heard this, he rejoiced mightily and the two kings dismounted and entered the pavilion, but found no Agib there; whereupon Gherib exclaimed, ‘O glory of Abraham the Friend! What an evil end is this to a glorious day!’ and he cried out to the tent-keepers, saying, ‘Out on you! Where is my enemy?’ Quoth they, ‘When thou mountedst and we went with thee, thou didst not bid us guard him;’ and Gherib exclaimed, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ But Damigh said to him, ‘Hasten not nor be concerned, for where can he go, and we in pursuit of him?’

Now the manner of Agib’s escape was on this wise. His man Siyyar, being in the camp in disguise, saw Gherib