son, when Mardas heard of Gharib's descent upon Cufa he feared
with great fear and, taking his daughter and his folk, set out
with his handmaids and negroes into the wild and word, and I wot
not whither he went." So Sahim, hearing the Shaykh's words,
returned to Gharib and told him thereof, whereat he was greatly
concerned. Then he sat down on his father's throne and, opening
his treasuries, distributed largesse to each and every of his
braves. And he took up his abode in Cufa and sent out spies to
get news of Ajib. He also summoned the Grandees of the realm, who
came and did him homage; as also did the citizens and he bestowed
on them sumptuous robes of honour and commended the Ryots to
their care. --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.

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

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib,
after giving robes of honour to the citizens of Cufa and com
mending the Ryots to their care, went out on a day of the days to
hunt, with an hundred horse, and fared on till he came to a Wady,
abounding in trees and fruits and rich in rills and birds It was
a pasturing-place for roes and gazelles, to the spirit a delight
whose scents reposed from the langour of fight. They encamped in
the valley, for the day was dear and bright, and there passed the
night. On the morrow, Gharib made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed
the two-bow dawn-prayer, offering up praise and thanks to
Almighty Allah; when, lo and behold! there arose a clamour and
confusion in the meadows, and he bade Sahim go see what was to
do. So Sahim mounted forthright and rode till he espied goods
being plundered and horses haltered and women carried off and