whereupon quoth Dhat ed Dewahi， "Slay this accursed fellow." So they fell on him with their swords and made him drink the cup of death. Then the accursed old woman carried them to the place of offerings[FN#109] and brought out to them treasures and precious things， more than she had promised them， which they laid in chests and loaded the mules therewith. As for Temathil and her father， they came not， for fear of the Muslims， and Zoulmekan tarried there， awaiting her， the whole of that day and two more，till Sherkan said to him， "By Allah， I am troubled at heart for the army of Islam， for I know not what is come of them." "And I also am concerned for them，" replied Zoulmekan. "We have come by a great treasure and I do not believe that Temathil or any one else will come to the hermitage， after that which has befallen the host of the Christians. So we should do well to content ourselves with what God has given us and depart； and haply He will help us break open Constantinople." So they came down from the mountain， for Dhat ed Dewahi dared not gainsay them， for fear of betraying herself， and rode on till they reached the head of a defile， in which the old woman had laid an ambush for them with the ten thousand horse. As soon as the latter saw them， they made at them from all sides， couching their lances and baring their sabres， whilst they shouted the watchword of their infidel faith and set the arrows of their mischief to the strings.
When Zoulmekan saw them， he was ware that they were a mighty host and said， "Who can have given these troops advice of us？" "O my brother，" replied Sherkan， "this is no time for talking， but for smiting with swords and shooting with arrows； so gird up your courage and strengthen your hearts， for this pass is like a street with two gates： though， by the virtue of the Lord of the Arabs and the Persians， were not the place so strait， I would bring them to nought， though they were a hundred thousand men！"
"Had we known this，" said Zoulmekan， "we would have brought with us five thousand horse." "If we had ten thousand，" rejoined the Vizier， "they would avail ail us nothing in this narrow place：
but God will succour us against them. I know this defile and its straitness， and there are many places of refuge in it； for I have been here on an expedition with King Omar ben Ennuman， what while we laid siege to Constantinople. We camped in this place， and there is here water colder than snow. So come， let us win？ out of this pass ere the infidels increase on us and get the start of us to the mountain-top， that they may hurl down rocks upon us and we be powerless to come at them." So they hurried on， to get out of the defile： but Dhat ed Dewahi looked at them and said， "What is it ye fear， ye who have vowed yourselves to God the Most High， to work His will？ By Allah， I was imprisoned underground for fifteen years， yet never gainsaid I God in aught He did with me！ Fight ye in the way of God； whoso of ye is killed， Paradise shall be his abode， and whoso kills， his endeavour shall be for his glory."
When they heard her words， their concern and anxiety ceased from them and they stood firm， awaiting the onset of the infidels， who fell on them from all sides， whilst the swords played upon their necks and the cup of death went round amongst them.
The Muslims fought right valiantly for the service of God and wrought upon His enemies with stroke of sword and push of pike；
whilst Zoulmekan smote upon the men and made the champions bite the dust and their heads fly from their bodies， five by five and ten by ten， till he had done to death a number of them past count. Presently， he looked at the old woman and saw her waving her sword and heartening them， and all who feared fled to her for shelter； but （in secret） she was beckoning to the infidels to kill Sherkan. So troop after troop rushed on him to slay him： but each troop he charged and drove back， with the sword in their loins； and indeed he thought it was the holy man"s blessing that gave him the victory over them and said in himself， "Verily God looks on this holy man with eyes of favour and strengthens my prowess against the infidels with the purity of his intent： for I see that they fear me and cannot stand against me， but every one who attacks me turns tail and flees." So they battled the rest of the day， and when the night fell， the Muslims took refuge in a cave， being hard pressed and weary with stress of battle； and five-and-forty of them were slain that day by rocks that the infidels rolled down on them. When they were gathered together，they sought the devotee， but could find no trace of him. This was grievous to them and they said， "Belike， he hath died a martyr."
Quoth Sherkan "I saw him heartening the men with divine instances and sacring them with verses of the Koran." Whilst they were talking， behold， the accursed old woman stood before them， with the head of the captain of the ten thousand horse， a noble knight， a fierce champion and an obstinate devil， in her hand.
Now one of the Turks had slain him with an arrow， and God hurried his soul to the fire： and when the infidels saw what the Muslim had done with their leader， they all fell on him and hewed him in pieces with their swords， and God hastened with his soul to Paradise. Then the old woman cut off the knight"s head and carrying it to Sherkan and Zoulmekan and the Vizier， threw it at their feet； whereupon Sherkan exclaimed， "Praised be God that we see thee in safety， O holy man and devout champion of the Faith！"
"O my son，" replied she， "I have sought a martyr"s death this day， throwing myself midmost the host of the infidels， but they feared me. When ye separated， a holy jealousy seized me for you；
