a nasty ditch.”  In the mean time Mahomet, skilfully concealing his real concern, and setting as good a face upon the matter as he could, marched out with three thousand Mussulmans, and formed his army at a little distance behind the intrenchment.  The two armies continued facing each other for twenty days, without any action, except a discharge of arrows on both sides.  At length some champions of the Koreishites, Amru son of Abdud, Acrema son of Abu Jehel, and Nawfal son of Abdallah, coming to the ditch leaped over it; and, wheeling about between the ditch and the Moslem army, challenged them to fight.  Ali readily accepted the challenge, and came forward against his uncle Amru, who said to him, “Nephew, what a pleasure am I now going to have in killing you.”  Ali replied, “No; it is I that am to have a much greater pleasure in killing you.”  Amru immediately alighted, and, having hamstrung his horse, advanced toward Ali, who had also dismounted and was ready to receive him.  They immediately engaged, and, in turning about to flank each other, raised such a dust that they could not be distinguished, only the strokes of their swords might be heard.  At last, the dust being laid, Ali was seen with his knee upon the breast of his adversary, cutting his throat.  Upon this, the other two champions went back as fast as they came.  Nawfal, however, in leaping the ditch, got a fall, and being overwhelmed with a shower of stones, cried out, “I had rather die by the sword than thus.”  Ali hearing him, leaped into the ditch and despatched him.  He then pursued after Acrema, and having wounded him with a spear, drove him and his companions back to the army.  Here they related what had happened; which put the rest in such fear that they were ready to retreat; and when some of their tents had been overthrown by a storm, and discord had arisen among the allies, the Koreishites, finding themselves forsaken by their auxiliaries, returned to Mecca.  Mahomet made a miracle of this retreat; and published upon it this verse of the Koran, “God sent a storm and legions of angels, which you did not see.”

Upon the prophet’s return into the town, while he was laying by his armor and washing himself, Gabriel came and asked him, “Have you laid by your arms? we have not laid by ours; go and attack them,” pointing to the Koraidites, a Jewish tribe confederated against him.  Whereupon Mahomet went immediately, and besieged them so closely in their castles that after twenty-five days they surrendered at discretion.  He referred the settlement of the conditions to Saad, son of Moad; who being wounded by an arrow at the ditch, had wished he might only live to be revenged.  Accordingly, he decreed that all the men, in number between six and seven hundred, should be put to the sword, the women and children sold for slaves, and their goods given to the soldiers for a prey.  Mahomet extolled the justice of this sentence, as a divine direction sent down from the seventh heaven, and had it punctually executed.  Saad, dying of his wound presently after, Mahomet performed his funeral obsequies, and made a harangue in praise of him.