till he became whole of the sickness that was upon him and of the
punishment. Then he commanded his Wazirs to write letters to all
his Nabobs and vassals, and he indited one-and-twenty writs and
despatched them to the governors, who assembled their troops and
set out for Cufa by forced marches. --And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ajib
sent orders to assemble the troops, who marched forthright to
Cufa. Meanwhile, Gharib, being troubled for Ajib's escape,
despatched in quest of him a thousand braves, who dispersed on
all sides and sought him a day and a Night, but found no trace of
him; so they returned and told Gharib, who called for his brother
Sahim, but found him not; whereat he was sore concerned, fearing
for him from the shifts of Fortune. And lo! Sahim entered and
kissed ground before Gharib, who rose, when he saw him, and
asked, "Where hast thou been, O Sahim?" He answered, "O King, I
have been to Cufa and there I find that the dog Ajib hath made
his way to his capital and is healed of his hurts: eke, he hath
written letters to his vassals and sent them to his Nabobs who
have brought him troops." When Gharib heard this, he gave the
command to march; so they struck tents and fared for Cufa. When
they came in sight of the city, they found it compassed about
with a host like the surging main, having neither beginning nor
end. So Gharib with his troops encamped in face of the Kafirs and
set up his standards, and darkness fell down upon the two hosts,
whereupon they lighted camp-fires and kept watch till daybreak.
Then King Gharib rose and making the Wuzu-ablution, prayed a two-