Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/121

99 carrying off women and children, captive and crying out, and plundered goods and haltered horses; whereupon he questioned the shepherds and they said, ‘This is the harem of Merdas, Chief of the Benou Kehtan, and his goods and those of his tribe; for yesterday Jemrcan slew Merdas and made prize of his women and children and household stuff and those of his tribe. It is his wont to go a-raiding and waylay travellers, and he is a mighty man of war; neither Arabs nor kings can avail against him and he is the scourge of the land.’

When Sehim heard this, he returned to Gherib and told him the case, wherefore fire was added to his fire and his blood boiled to avenge himself and wipe out his reproach. So he rode after the robbers, till he overtook them and fell upon them, crying out and saying, ‘God is Most Great! Down with the covetous oppressors, who deny Him!’ And he slew in one onset one-and-twenty fighting men. Then he halted in mid-field, with no coward’s heart, and cried out, saying, ‘Where is Jemrcan? Let him come out to me, that I may make him quaff the cup of humiliation and rid the earth of him!’ Hardly had he made an end of speaking, when out came Jemrcan,—a huge tall Amalekite, as he were a calamity of calamities or a piece of a mountain, cased in steel, and bearing a passing heavy club of China steel, wherewith if he smote a mountain, he crashed it,—and drove at Gherib like a fierce tyrant, without speech or salutation. Gherib met him like a hungry lion, and the brigand aimed a blow at his head with his club; but he evaded it and the club smote the earth and sank therein half a cubit deep. Then Gherib took his mace and smiting Jemrcan on the wrist, crushed his fingers and the club dropped from his grasp; whereupon Gherib bent down from his saddle and snatching it up, swiftlier than the blinding lightning, smote him therewith full on the ribs, and he fell to the earth like a huge