Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/174

150 cavaliers. So, when Gherib came up to him, he raised his hand and casting the net over him, pulled him on to the back of the elephant and cried out to the latter to return to the Indian camp. But Kailjan and Courjan, who had not left Gherib, laid hold of the elephant and falling upon Raadshah, bound him with a rope of palm-fibres, whilst Gherib strove with the net, till he rent it in sunder. Thereupon the two armies drove at each other and met with a shock like two seas crashing or two mountains smiting together, whilst the dust rose to the confines of the sky and all eyes were blinded. The battle waxed fierce and the blood ran in streams, nor did they cease to wage war lustily with push of pike and stroke of sword, till the day departed and the night brought on the darkness, when the drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew asunder.

Now the Muslims were hard pushed that day by reason of the riders on elephants and giraffes, and many of them were slain and most of the rest wounded. This was grievous to Gherib, who commanded the wounded to be cared for and turning to his chief officers, asked them what they counselled. ‘O King,’ answered they, ‘it is but the elephants and giraffes that irk us; were we but quit of them, we should overcome the enemy.’ Quoth Kailjan and Courjan, ‘We two will draw our swords and fall on them and slay the most part of them.’ But there came forward a man of Oman, who had been privy counsellor to Julned, and said, ‘O King, I will be surety for the army, if thou wilt but hearken to me and follow my counsel.’ And Gherib turned to his captains and said to them, ‘Obey this wise man in whatsoever he shall say to you.’ And they answered, saying, ‘We hear and obey.’ So he chose out ten captains and said to them, ‘How many men have ye under your hands?’ And they replied, ‘Ten thousand fighting-men.’ Then he carried them into the armoury and armed [five thousand of them with arquebuses