alighted and sought nor meat nor sleep, but said, “In all my life I never saw such a fighter as this youth!  Anon he fighteth with the sword and anon with the mace; but, to-morrow I will go forth on champion wise and defy him to combat of twain in battle plain where edge and point are fain and I will cut off these Arabs.”  Now, when Gharib returned to his camp, the Princess Fakhr Taj met him, weeping and affrighted for the terror of that which had befallen, and kissed his foot in the stirrup, saying, “May thy hands never wither nor thy foes be blither, O champion of the age!  Alhamdolillah—­Praise to God—­who hath saved thee alive this day!  Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs.”  When Gharib heard this, he smiled in her face and heartened and comforted her, saying, “Fear not, O Princess!  Did the enemy fill this wild and wold yet would I scatter them, by the might of Allah Almighty.”  She thanked him and prayed that he might be given the victory over his foes; after which she returned to her women and Gharib went to his tent, where he cleansed himself of the blood of the Infidels, and they lay on guard through the night.  Next morning, the two hosts mounted and sought the plain where cut and thrust ruled sovereign.  The first to prick into the open was Gharib, who crave his charger till he was near the Infidels and cried out, “Who is for jousting with me?  Let no sluggard or weakling come out to me!” Whereupon there rushed forth a giant Amalekite of the lineage of the tribe of Ad, armed with an iron flail twenty pounds in weight, and drove at Gharib, saying, “O scum of the Arabs, take what cometh to thee and learn the glad tidings that thy last hour is at hand!” So saying, he aimed a blow at Gharib, but he avoided it and the flail sank a cubit into the ground.  Now the badawi was bent double with the blow, so Gharib smote him with his mace and clove his forehead in sunder and he fell down dead and Allah hurried his soul to Hell-fire.  Then Gharib charged and wheeled and called for champions; so there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth and so on, till ten had come forth to him and he slew them all.  When the Infidels saw his form of fight and his smashing blows they hung back and forebore to fare forth to him, whereupon Samsam looked at them and said, “Allah never bless you!  I will go forth to him.”  So he donned his battle-gear and driving his charger into mid-field where he fronted the foe and cried out to Gharib saying, “Fie on thee, O dog of the Arabs! hath thy strength waxed so great that thou shouldst defy me in the open field and slaughter my men?” And Gharib replied, “Up and take bloodrevenge for the slaughter of thy braves!” So Samsam ran at Gharib who awaited him with broadened breast and heart enheartened, and they smote each at other with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and every eye was fixed on them.  Then they wheeled about in the field and struck at each other two strokes; but Gharib avoided Samsam’s stroke which wreak had wroke and dealt with a buffet that beat in his breastbone and cast him to the ground—­stone dead.  Thereupon all his host ran at Gharib as one man, and he ran at them, crying, “God is most Great!  Help and Victory for us and shame and defeat for those who misbelieve the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!”—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,