birds in their nests and the wild beasts in the deserts * for He
is Allah the All-powerful, the Forgiving, the Long-suffering, the
Protector, whom eye comprehendeth on no wise and who maketh night
on day arise * He who sent down the Apostles and their Holy Writ.
Know, O Jaland, that there is no faith but the Faith of Abraham
the Friend; so cleave to the Creed of Salvation and be saved from
the biting glaive and the Fire which followeth the grave * But,
an thou refuse Al-Islam, look for ruin to haste and thy reign to
be waste and thy traces untraced * And, lastly, send me the dog
Ajib hight that I may take from him my father's and mother's
blood-wit." When Jaland had read this letter, he said to Sahim,
"Tell thy lord that Ajib hath fled, he and his folk, and I know
not whither he is gone; but, as for Jaland, he will not forswear
his faith, and to-morrow, there shall be battle between us and
the Sun shall give us the victory." So Sahim returned to his
brother with this reply, and when the morning morrowed, the
Moslems donned their arms and armour and bestrode their stout
steeds, calling aloud on the name of the All-conquering King,
Creator of bodies and souls, and magnifying Him with "Allaho
Akbar." Then the kettle-drums of battle beat until earth
trembled, and sought the field all the lordly warriors and
doughty champions: The first to open the gate of battle was
Jamrkan, who crave his charger into mid-plain and played with
sword and javelin, till the understanding was amazed; after which
he cried out, saying, "Ho! who is for tilting? Ho! who is for
fighting? Let no sluggard come out to me to-day nor weakling! I
am the slayer of Kurajan bin Jaland; who will come forth to
avenge him?" When Jaland heard the name of his son, he cried out
to his men, "O whore-sons, bring me yonder horseman who slew my
son, that I may eat his flesh and drink his blood." So an hundred