mother？" "Know，" answered the prince， "that I am Kanmakan， son of Zoulmekan， son of Omar ben Ennuman." Quoth Kehrdash， "Thy perfection cannot be denied， nor yet the union in thee of martial virtue and comeliness： but go in peace， for thy father showed us favour and bounty." "By Allah， O vile wretch，" rejoined Kanmakan，"I will not so far honour thee as to overcome thee in the open field！" At this the Bedouin was wroth and they drove at one another， shouting aloud， whilst their horses pricked up their ears and raised their tails. They clashed together with such a dint， that it seemed to each as if the heavens were split in sunder， and strove like two butting rams， smiting one another with thick-coming spear-strokes. Presently， Kehrdash aimed a blow at Kanmakan； but he evaded it and turning upon the brigand， smote him in the breast， that the head of the spear issued from his back. Then he collected the horses and cattle and cried out to the slaves， saying， "Up and drive them off briskly！" With this down came Subbah and accosting Kanmakan， said to him， "Thou hast quitted thee right well， O hero of the age！ I prayed God for thee and He heard my prayer." Then he cut off Kehrdash"s head and Kanmakan laughed and said， "Out on thee， Subbah！ I thought thee a man of valour." Quoth the Bedouin， "Forget not thy slave in the division of the spoil， so haply I may win therewith to marry my cousin Nejmeh." "Thou shalt surely have a share in it，" answered Kanmakan， "but now keep watch over the booty and the slaves."
Then they set out and journeyed night and day till they drew near Baghdad， and all the troops heard of Kanmakan and saw the booty and the brigand"s head on the point of Subbah"s spear. Moreover，the merchants knew Kehrdash"s head and rejoiced， for he was a noted highwayman， saying， "Allah hath rid mankind of him！" And they marvelled at his death and called down blessings on his slayer. Then all the people of Baghdad came to Kanmakan， seeking to know what had befallen him， and he told them what had passed，whereupon they were taken with awe of him and all the champions and men of war feared him. After this， he drove his spoil to the palace and planting the spear， on which was Kehrdash"s head，before the gate， gave largesse to the people of camels and horses so that they loved him and all hearts inclined to him. Then he took Subbah and lodged him in a spacious dwelling， giving him part of the booty； after which he went in to his mother and told her all that had befallen him. Meanwhile the news of him reached the King， who rose and shutting himself up with his chief officers， said to them， "I wish to reveal to you my secret and acquaint you with the truth of my case. Know that Kanmakan will be the cause of our expulsion from the kingdom； for he has slain Kehrdash， albeit he had with him the tribes of the Turks and the Kurds， and our affair with him will assuredly result in our destruction， seeing that the most part of our troops are his kinsmen and ye know what the Vizier Dendan hath done； how he refuses to recognize me， after all the favours I have done him，and is become a traitor to his faith. Indeed， it has come to my knowledge that he hath levied an army in the provinces and goeth about to make Kanmakan king， for that the kingdom was his father"s and his grandfather"s before him， and he will surely slay me without mercy." When they heard this， they replied， "O King， verily he[FN#157] is unequal to this， and did we not know him to have been reared by thee， not one of us would take thought to him. We are at thy commandment； if thou wilt have us slay him，we will do so， and if thou wilt have him kept at a distance， we will chase him away." When King Sasan heard this， he said，"Verily， it were wise to slay him： but needs must ye take an oath of it." So they all pledged themselves to kill him， to the intent that， when the Vizier Dendan came and heard of his death， his might should be weakened and fail of that which he designed to do. When they had made this compact with him， the King bestowed great gifts upon them and dismissing them， retired to his own apartments. Now the troops refused their service， awaiting what should befall， for they saw that the most part of the army was with the Vizier Dendan. Presently， the news of these things came to Kuzia Fekan and caused her much concern； so that she sent for the old woman， who was wont to carry messages between her and her cousin， and bade her go to him and warn him of the plot against his life. Accordingly， she repaired to Kanmakan and gave him the princess"s message， to which he replied， "Bear my cousin my salutation and say to her， "The earth is God"s （to whom belong might and majesty）， and He maketh whom He willeth of His servants to inherit it. How excellent is the saying of the poet：
The kingship is God"s alone， and him who would fain fulfil His wishes He driveth away and maketh him rue for his ill.
Had I or another than I a handsbreadth of earth to my own， The Godship were sundered in twain and two were the Power and the Will.""
The old woman returned to Kuzia Fekan with Kanmakan"s reply and told her that he abode in the city. Meanwhile， King Sasan awaited his going forth from Baghdad， that he might send after him and kill him； till， one day， it befell that Kanmakan went out to hunt， accompanied by Subbah， who would not leave him day or night. He caught ten gazelles and among them one that had soft black eyes and turned right and left； so he let her go， and Subbah said to him， "Why didst thou let her go？" Kanmakan laughed and set the others free also， saying， "It behoves us， of humanity， to release gazelles that have young， and this one only turned from side to side， to look for her young ones： so I let her go and released the others in her honour." Quoth Subbah， "Do thou release me， that I may go to my people." At this Kanmakan laughed and smote him on the breast with the butt of his spear，and he fell to the ground， writhing like a serpent. Whilst they were thus occupied， they saw cloud of dust and heard the tramp of horse； and presently there appeared a troop of armed cavaliers.
