shining from between his eyes, said to him, "O youth, by the
virtue of the Chosen [Prophet,] (whom God bless and keep,) tell
me [who thou art and] whence thou comest to our succour." "This
is no place for questioning," answered the prince; and Saad said
to him, "O champion, up and at Hudheifeh! Yet, if his devil prove
too strong for thee, afflict not thyself in thy youth."[FN#71]
Quoth El Abbas, "It is of Allah that help is to be
sought,"[FN#72] and taking his arms, fortified his resolution and
went down [into the field], as he were a castle of the castles or
a piece of a mountain.

[When] Hudheifeh [saw him], he cried out to him, saying, "Haste
thee not, O youth! Who art thou of the folk?" And he answered, "I
am Saad [ibn] el Wakidi, commander of the host of King Ins, and
but that thou vauntedst thyself in challenging me, I had not come
forth to thee; for that thou art not of my peers neither art
counted equal to me in prowess and canst not avail against my
onslaught. Wherefore prepare thee for departure,[FN#73] seeing
that there abideth but a little of thy life." When Hudheifeh
heard this his speech, he threw himself backward,[FN#74] as if in
mockery of him, whereat El Abbas was wroth and called out to him,
saying, "O Hudheifeh, guard thyself against me." Then he rushed
upon him, as he were a swooper of the Jinn,[FN#75] and Hudheifeh
met him and they wheeled about a long while.

Presently, El Abbas cried out at Hudheifeh a cry that astonied
him and dealt him a blow, saying, "Take this from the hand of a
champion who feareth not the like of thee." Hudheifeh met the
stroke with his shield, thinking to ward it off from him; but the
sword shore the target in sunder and descending upon his