Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/82

62 to them Islam, and they all embraced the faith of submission.

Next morning, Gherib mounted and rode to the hermit to bid him farewell, after which he set out to return to his camp. On his way, there met him a horseman armed cap-a-pie, so that only his eyes appeared, who made at him, saying, ‘Put off what is on thee, O dog of the Arabs; or I will slay thee!’ Therewith Gherib drove at him and there befell between them a battle such as would make a new-born child turn gray and melt the flinty rock with its terror; but presently the stranger did off his face-veil, and behold, it was Gherib’s half-brother Sehim el Leil.

Now the manner of his coming thither was on this wise. When Gherib set out in quest of the Ghoul of the Mountain, Sehim was absent and on his return, not seeing his brother, he went in to his mother, whom he found weeping. So he asked the reason and she told him what had happened, whereupon, without allowing himself aught of rest, he donned his harness of war and mounting, pricked after Gherib, till he overtook him and there befell between them what befell. When, therefore, he discovered his face, Gherib knew him and saluted him, saying, ‘What moved thee to do this?’ Quoth Sehim, ‘I had a mind to measure myself with thee in the field and make trial of my force in cutting and thrusting.’ Then they rode on, till they drew near the valley, and on the way Gherib expounded Islam to Sehim, who embraced the faith.

Meanwhile, the Ghoul espied the dust of their horses’ feet and said to his sons, ‘O my sons, mount and fetch me yonder booty.’ So the five took horse and made for the party. When Gherib saw the five giants approaching, he spurred towards them and cried out, saying, ‘Who and what are ye and what do ye want?’ Whereupon Felhoun, the eldest of the five, came out and said, ‘Dismount and bind one another and we will drive you to our father, that