of weapons. Now the Prince's name was Ra'ad Shah,[FN#49] and he was the cham pion of his
time, for prowess having no peer. So he and his army equipped them in ten days' time, then set
out, as they were a bank of clouds, and fared on two months' journey, till they came upon Oman
city and encompassed it, to the joy of Ajib, who thought himself assured of victory. Jamrkan and
Sa'adan and all their fighting-men sallied forth into the field of fight whilst the kettle-drums beat
to battle and the horses neighed. At this moment up came King Gharib, who, as we have said,
had been warned by Kaylajan; and he urged on his destrier and entered among the Infidels
waiting to see who should come forth and open the chapter of war. Then out rushed Sa'adan the
Ghul and offered combat, whereupon there issued forth to him one of the champions of Hind;
but Sa'adan scarce let him take stand in front ere he smote him with his mace and crushed his
bones and stretched him on the ground; and so did he with a second and a third, till he had slain
thirty fighting-men. Then there dashed out at him an Indian cavalier, by name Battash al-
Akran,[FN#50] uncle to King Tarkanan and of his day the doughtiest man, reckoned worth five
thousand horse in battle-plain and cried out to Sa'adan, saying, "O thief of the Arabs, hath thy
daring reached that degree that thou shouldst slay the Kings of Hind and their champions and
capture their horsemen? But this day is the last of thy worldly days." When Sa'adan heard these
words, his eyes waxed blood-red and he crave at Battash and aimed a stroke at him with his club;
but he evaded it and the force of the blow bore Sa'adan to the ground; and before he could
recover himself, the Indians pinioned him and haled him off to their tents. Now when Jamrkan
saw his comrade a prisoner, he cried out, saying, "Ho for the Faith of Abraham the Friend!" and
clapping heel to his horse, ran at Battash. They wheeled about awhile, till Battash charged
Jamrkan and catching him by his jerkin[FN#51] tare him from his saddle and cast him to the
ground; whereupon the Indians bound him and dragged him away to their tents. And Battash
ceased not to overcome all who came out to him, Captain after Captain till he had made
prisoners of four-and-twenty Chiefs of the Moslems, whereat the True Believers were sore
dismayed. When Gharib saw what had befallen his braves, he drew from beneath his
knee[FN#52] a mace of gold weighing six-score pounds which had belonged to Barkan King of
the Jann--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-first Night,