from what Jamila had told him that it was the Place of Clashing
Swords. He would have liked to go back by the way ho had come,
but courage forbade, and he said, 'What has been preordained from
eternity will happen to me,' and went on towards the castle. He
was thinking of tying his horse to a tree which grew near the
gate when a negro came out and spied him. ' Ha!' said the wretch
to himself, 'this is good; Taram-taq has not eaten man-meat for a
long time, and is craving for some. I will take this creature to
him.' He took hold of the prince's reins, and said: 'Dismount,
man-child! Come to my master. He has wanted to eat man-meat
this long time back.' 'What nonsense are you saying?' said the
prince, and other such words. When the negro understood that he
was being abused, he cried: 'Come along! I will put you into such
a state that the birds of the air will weep for you.' Then the
prince drew the Scorpion of So]omon and struck him--struck him on
the leathern belt and shore him through so that the sword came
out on the other side. He stood upright for a little while,
muttered some words, put out his hand to seize the prince, then
fell in two and surrendered his life.

There was water close at hand, and the prince made his ablution,
and then said: 'O my heart! a wonderful task lies upon you.' A
second negro came out of the fort, and seeing what had been done,
went back and told his chief. Others wished to be doubled, and
went out, and of every one the Scorpion of Solomon made two.
Then Taram-taq sent for a giant negro named Chil-maq, who in the
day of battle was worth three hundred, and said to him: 'I shall
thank you to fetch me that man.'

Chil-maq went out, tall as a tower, and bearing a shield of eight