head of Ja-khaz which sent him headlong to the ground with a broken
skull.

All this had happened in a moment, and wild confusion followed. My
followers drew their arms and rushed upon the Mehrikan. The girl ran
forward either from terror or to shield her spouse, I know not which,
when a flying arrow from a sailor's cross-bow pierced her to the
heart.

This gave the Mehrikan the energy of twenty men.

He knocked brave Kuzundam senseless with a blow that would have killed
an ox. Such fury I had not conceived. He brought his flying staff like
a thunderbolt from Heaven upon the Persian skulls, yet always edging
toward the door to prevent his enemies surrounding him. Four of our
number, in as many minutes, joined Ja-khaz upon the floor. Kuzundam,
Ad-el-pate, Fattan-laiz-eh, and Ha-tak, a sailor, lay stretched upon
the pavement, all dead or grievously wounded.

So suddenly had this taken place, that I hardly realized what had
happened. I rushed forward to stay the combat, but he mistook the
purpose, struck my scimitar with a force that sent it flying through
the air, and had raised his staff to deal a second for myself, when
brave Lev-el-Hedyd stepped in to save me, and thrust quickly at him.
But alas! the Mehrikan warded off his stroke with one yet quicker, and
brought his stick so swiftly against my comrade's head that it laid
him with the others.

When Lev-el-Hedyd fell I saw the Mehrikan had many wounds, for my
comrades had made a savage onslaught. He tottered as he moved back