He prayeth and fasteth amain for an end that he hath in view.
When once he has gained his end， fasting and prayer， adieu！
So she walked among the horsemen and the footmen， like a crafty fox meditating an assault， and began to uplift her voice，chanting the Koran aloud and celebrating the praises of the Compassionate One. Then they pressed forward till they reached the Mohammedan camp， where Sherkan found the Muslims in a state of confusion and the Chamberlain upon the brink of retreat，whilst the sword wrought havoc among the faithful， good and bad.
Now the cause of this weakness among the Muslims was that the accursed old woman Dhat ed Dewahi， when she saw that Behram and Rustem had set forward with their troops to join Sherkan and Zoulmekan， repaired to the camp or the Muslims before Constantinople and wrought upon the Chamberlain to despatch the Amir Terkash， as hath been before set out， to the further succour of the princes， purposing in this to divide the Muslim forces and weaken them. Then she left them and going to the walls of Constantinople， called with a loud voice on the knights of the Greeks， saying， "Throw me down a cord that I may tie thereto this letter， which do ye carry to King Afridoun and my son King Herdoub， that they may read it and do as is written therein." So they let down a string and she tied thereto a letter， to the following purport， "From the chiefest of calamities and the greatest of afflictions， Dhat ed Dewahi， to King Afridoun. Know that I have contrived a device for the destruction of the Muslims， so rest you quiet. I made their Sultan and the Vizier Dendan prisoners and returned to their camp and acquainted them therewith， whereupon their power was broken and their strength weakened. Moreover， I have wrought on them to send ten thousand men under the Amir Terkash to the succour of the captives， and there be now but few men left with the besiegers. Wherefore， it is my counsel that ye sally forth， with all your power， whilst it is yet day， and fall on them in their tents and slay them to the last man for the Messiah looks down upon you and the Virgin favours you； and I hope that the Messiah will not forget this that I have done." When this letter came to King Afridoun， he rejoiced greatly and sending at once for King Herdoub， read the letter to him， whereat he was exceeding glad and said， "See the craft of my mother； verily it dispenses with swords， and her aspect stands in stead of the terrors of the Day of Fear." "May the Messiah not bereave us of her，" rejoined Afridoun， "nor deprive her of her craft and knavery[FN#113]." Then he gave orders for the sally， and the news was noised abroad in the city.
So the Christian troops and soldiers of the Cross drew their keen sabres and sallied forth of the city， shouting out their impious war-cries and blaspheming the Lord of all creatures. When the Chamberlain saw them， he said， "Behold， the Christians are upon us， whilst the most part of our troops are gone to the succour of King Zoulmekan！ They surely know of the absence of our Sultan and most like they will attack us." Therewith he waxed angry and cried out， "Ho， soldiers of Islam and defenders of the True Faith， if you flee， you are lost， and if you stand fast， you will conquer！ Know that courage lies in endurance and that no case is so desperate but that God is able to bring about its relief. May He bless you and look upon you with eyes of compassion！ "Then the Muslims cried out， "God is most great！" and the believers in the Divine Unity shouted the profession of the Faith and the two hosts joined battle. The mill-wheels of war whirled round， with cutting and thrusting； the swords and spears played and the plains and valleys were filled with blood. The priests and monks prayed aloud， girding on their girdles and uplifting the crosses，whilst the Muslims shouted out the praises of the Requiting King and chanted verses of the Koran. The hosts of the Compassionate God fought against the legions of Satan and heads flew from bodies， what while the good angels hovered above the people of the Chosen Prophet， nor did the sword cease to play， till the day departed and the night came with the shadows. Now the unbelievers had encompassed the Muslims and made sure of overcoming the host of the True Faith with the dawn， deeming not that they could escape destruction. As soon as it was light， the Chamberlain mounted， he and his men， trusting that God would help them， and the two armies came together and joined battle. The fight raged all along the line and heads flew from bodies， whilst the brave stood fast and the faint-hearted turned their backs and fled； and the Judge of death judged and gave sentence， so that the champions fell from their saddles and the meadows were heaped with the slain. Then the Muslims began to give back and the Greeks took possession of some of their tents； whereupon the Muslims were about to break and retreat， when behold， up came Sherkan， with the rest of their troops and the standards of the believers in the Unity of God， and fell upon the infidels，followed by Zoulmekan and the Vizier Dendan and the Amirs Behram and Rustem and Terkash. When the Christians saw this， they lost their senses and their reason fled， and the dust clouds rose till they covered the country， whilst the true believers joined their pious comrades. Then Sherkan accosted the Chamberlain and praised him for his steadfastness， and he in turn gave him joy of his timely succour. Therewith the Muslims rejoiced and their hearts were fortified； so they rushed upon the foe and devoted themselves to God， in the battle for the Faith. When the infidels saw the Mohammedan standards and read thereon the words proclaiming the Unity of God， they shrieked aloud and said，"Woe！" and "Ruin！" and besought succour of the priests and monks.
