'Said Zau al-Makan，'Had we wotted this we would have brought with us five thousand horse；'and the Wazir Dandan continued，'If we had ten thousand horse they had availed us naught in these narrows；but Allah will succour us against them.I know this defile and its straitness，and I know there be many places of refuge in it；for I have been here on razzia with King Omar bin al-Nu'uman，what while we besieged Constantinople.We abode in this place，and here is water colder than snow.So come，let us push out of this defile ere the Infidel host increase on us and get the start of us to the mountain top，whence they will hurl down rocks upon us，and we powerless to come at them.'So they began hurrying on to get out of those narrows；but the pious man，Zat al-Dawahi，looked at them and said，'What is it ye fear，ye who have vowed yourselves to the Lord，and to working His will？By Allah，I abode imprisoned underground for fifteen years，yet never gainsaid the Almighty in aught he did with me！Fight ye in Allah's way；so whoever of you is slain Paradise shall be his abode，and whoso slayeth，his striving shall be to his honour.'When they heard from the ascetic these words，their care and anxiety ceased from them and they stood firm till the Infidels charged down from all sides，whilst the swords played upon their necks and the cup of death went round amongst them.The Moslems fought for the service of Allah a right good fight，and wrought upon His foes with sway of sword and lunge of lance；whilst Zau al-Makan smote upon the men and garred the knights bite the dust and their heads from their bodies take flight，five by five and ten by ten，till he had done to death a number of them past numbering and an accompt beyond counting.Now while so doing，he looked at the accursed old woman who was waving her sword and heartening them，and all who feared fled to her for shelter；but she was also signing the Infidels to slay Sharrkan.So troop after troop rushed on him with design to do him die；but each troop that charged，he charged and drove back；and when another troop attacked him he repelled the assault with the sword in their backs；for he thought it was the devotee's blessing that gave him the vic tory，and he said in himself，'Verily on this holy men Allah looketh with eyes of His favour and strengtheneth my prowess against the Infidels with the purity of his pious intent：
for I see that they fear me and cannot prevail against me，but every one who assaileth me turneth tail and taketh flight.'So they battled the rest of the day and，when night fell，the Moslems took refuge in a cave of that defile being weary with stress of war and cast of stone： and that day were slain of them five and forty.And when they were gathered together，they sought the devotee，but could find no trace of him；and this was grievous to them and they said，'Belike，he hath died a martyr.'
Quoth Sharrkan，'I saw him heartening the horsemen with divine instances and using as talisman verses of Holy Writ.'Now while they were talking，behold，the accursed old woman，Zat al-Dawahi，stood before them，hending in hand the head of the Chief Captain of the ten thousand horse，a noble knight，a champion fierce in fight and a Satan for blight.One of the Turks had slain him with an arrow，and Allah hurried his soul to the fire；and when the Infidels saw what that Moslem had done with their leader，they all fell on him and wrought his bane and hewed him in pieces with their swords，and Allah hurried his soul to Heaven.Then the accursed old woman cut off that Knight's head and brought it and threw it at the feet of Sharrkan and Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan.Now when Sharrkan sew her，he sprang up hastily before her and exclaimed，'Praised be Allah for thy safety and for our sighting thee，O holy man and devout champion of the Religion！'Replied she，O my son，I have sought martyrdom this day，and have thrown my life away amid the Infidel array，but they feared me with dismay.When ye dispersed，I waxed jealous for your honour；so I rushed on the Chief Knight their leader，albeit he was a match for a thousand horse，and I smote him till I severed head from trunk.Not one of the Infidels could near me；so I brought his head to you，'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
