If we do this， their company will surely be dissolved， for they are too drunken to find out the trick， but will think that the Muslim troops have encompassed them on all sides and have become mingled with them； so they will fall on one another with their swords， in the confusion of drunkenness and sleep， and we will cleave them asunder with their own brands and the sword will go round amongst them till the morning." "This plan is not good，"
replied Zoulmekan. "We should do better to make our way to our army and keep silence； for， if we cry out， "God is most great！"
they will wake and fall on us， and not one of us will escape."
"By Allah，" rejoined Sherkan， "though they be roused on us， I desire urgently that ye fall in with my plan， for nothing but good can come of it." So they agreed and ascending the mountain，shouted out， "God is most great！" And the hills and trees and stones cried out with them， "God is most great！" for the fear of the Almighty. When the unbelievers heard this， they started up from sleep and did on their armour， crying out to one another and saying， "By the Messiah， the enemy is upon us." Then they fell on each other and slew of their own men more than any knows save God the Most High. As soon as it was day， they sought for the captives， but found them not， and their captains said， "It was the prisoners who did this； so up and hasten after them，till ye overtake them， when we will make them quaff the cup of punishment； and let not trouble nor panic possess you." So they sprang to horse and rode after the fugitives， nor was it long before they overtook them and surrounded them. Wheu Zoulmekan saw this， he was seized with terror and said to his brother， "What I feared is come upon us， and now it only remains for us to fight for the faith." But Sherkan held his peace. Then Zoulmekan and his companions rushed down from the hill-top， crying out， "God is most great！" and addressed themselves to fight and sell their lives in the service of the Lord of the Faithful， when， behold，they heard many voices crying out， "There is no god but God！ God is most great！ Peace and salvation upon the Bringer of Glad Tidings， the Admonisher of Mankind！"[FN#110] So they turned towards the sound and saw a company of Muslims pricking towards them， whereupon their courage revived and Sherkan ran at the Christians， crying out， "There is no god but God！ God is most great！" so that the earth shook as with an earthquake and the unbelievers broke asunder and fled into the mountains， whither the Muslims followed them with sword and spear and made their heads fly from their bodies， till the day departed and the night came with the darkness. Then the Muslims drew together and passed the night rejoicing； and when the day broke and the morning arose with its light and shone， they saw Behram， the captain of the Medes， and Rustem， the captain of the Turks， advancing to join them， with twenty thousand cavaliers， as they were fierce lions.
As soon as they saw Zoulmekan， the chiefs dismounted and saluting him， kissed the earth before him； and he said to them， "Rejoice ye in the glad news of the victory of the Muslims and the discomfiture of the unbelievers！" Then they gave each other joy of their deliverance and of the greatness of the reward that awaited them in the world to come.
Now the manner of the coming of the succours was as follows.
When Behram and Rustem and the Chamberlain came in sight of Constantinople， with the Muslim army， they saw that the Christians had manned the walls and towers and set all their strengths in order of defence， for that they knew of the approach of the host of Islam， through the craft and perfidy of the old woman Dhat ed Dewahi. So， when they heard the clash of arms and tramp of horse-hoofs and saw the Mohammedan standards and the ensigns of the Faith of the Unity of God emerging from the dust-clouds and heard the voices of the Muslims chanting the Koran aloud and glorifying the Compassionate One， and the army of Islam drew near， as it were the swollen sea， for the multitude of footmen and horsemen and women and children， they poured forth like a flight of locusts or the streaming of water from the rain-clouds； and the captain of the Turks said to the captain of the Medes， "O Amir， of a truth， we are in jeopardy from the multitude of the foe on the walls. Look at yonder forts and at the folk like the tempestuous sea with its clashing billows.
Indeed the infidels out-number us a hundred times and we cannot be sure but that some spy may inform them that we are without a leader. Verily， we are in peril from these enemies， whose number may not be told and whose extent is limitless， especially in the absence of King Zoulmekan and his brother Sherkan and the illustrious Vizier Dendan. If they know of this， they will be emboldened to attack us in their absence and will cut off us to the last man； not one of us will escape alive. So it is my counsel that we each take ten thousand horse and repair to the hermitage of Metrouhena and the Meadow of Meloukhna in quest of our brothers and our chiefs. If thou follow my counsel， it may be we shall be the cause of their deliverance， in case they be hard pressed by the infidels； and if not， no blame will rest on me.
But， if we go， it were well that we return quickly， for suspicion is part of prudence." The other fell in with his counsel； so they chose twenty thousand horse and set out for the hermitage by cross roads.
