appeared beneath it cavaliers, with helms black and garb white
and many a princely knight and lances that bite and swords that
smite and footmen who lion-like knew no affright Seeing this,
both armies left fighting and sent out scouts to reconnoitre and
report who thus had come in main and might. So they went and
within the dust cloud disappeared from sight, and returned after
awhile with the news aright that the approaching host was one of
Moslems, under the command of King Gharib. When the True
Believers heard from the scouts of the coming of their King, they
rejoiced and driving out to meet him, dismounted and kissed the
earth between his hands--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.

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

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Moslems saw the presence of their King Gharib, they joyed with
exceeding joy; and, kissing the earth between his hands, saluted
him and get around him whilst he welcomed them and rejoiced in
their safety. Then they escorted him to their camp and pitched
pavilions for him and set up standards; and Gharib sat down on
his couch of estate, with his Grandees about him; and they
related to him all that had befallen, especially to Sa'adan
Meanwhile the Kafirs sought for Ajib and finding him not among
them nor in their tents, told Jaland of his flight, whereat his
Doomsday rose and he bit his fingers, saying, "by the Sun's
light-giving round, he is a perfidious hound and hath fled with
his rascal rout to desert ground. But naught save force of hard
fighting will serve us to repel these foes; so fortify your
resolves and hearten your hearts and beware of the Moslems." And