of Ajam-land, but on one condition.”  Asked the King, “What is that?”; and answered Gharib, “It is that I shall don a light tunic and take a headless lance, with a pennon dipped in saffron, whilst the Persian champions sally forth and tilt against me with sharp spears.  If any conquer me, I will render myself to him:  but, if I conquer him I will mark him on the breast and he shall leave the plain.”  Then the King cried to the commander of the troops to bring forward the champions of the Persians; so he chose out from amongst the Princes one thousand two hundred of his stoutest champions, and the King said to them, in the Persian tongue, “Whoso slayeth this Badawi may ask of me what he will.”  So they strove with one another for precedence and charged down upon Gharib and truth was distinguished from falsehood and jest from earnest.  Quoth Gharib, “I put my trust in Allah, the God of Abraham the Friend, the Deity who hath power over all and from whom naught is hidden, the One, the Almighty, whom the sight comprehendeth not!” Then an Amalekite-like giant of the Persian champions rushed out to him, but Gharib let him not stand long before him ere he marked him and covered his breast with saffron and as he turned away, he smote him on the nape with the shaft of his lance, and he fell to the ground and his pages bore him from the lists.[FN#357] Then a second champion came forth against him and he overcame him and marked him on the breast; and thus did he with a third and a fourth and a fifth; and there came out against him champion after champion till he had overcome them all and marked them on the breast; for Almighty Allah gave him the victory over them and they fared forth vanquish from the plain.  Then the servants set food and strong wine before them! and they ate and drank, till Gharib’s wits were dazed by the drink.  By and by, he went out to obey a call of Nature and would have returned, but lost his way and entered the palace of Fakhr Taj.  When she saw him, her reason fled and she cried out to her women saying, “Go forth from me to your own places!” So they withdrew and she rose and kissed Gharib’s hand, saying “Welcome to my lord, who delivered me from the Ghul!  Indeed I am shine handmaid for ever and ever.”  Then she drew him to her bed and embraced him, whereupon desire was hot upon him and he broke her seal and lay with her till the morning.  Meanwhile the King thought that he had departed; but on the morrow he went in to him and Sabur rose to him and made him sit by his side.  Then entered the tributary kings and kissing the ground stood ranged in rows on the right and left and fell to talking of Gharib’s velour and saying, “Extolled be He who gave him such prowess albeit he is so young in years!” As they were thus engaged, behold all espied from the palace-windows the dust of horse approaching and the King cried out to his scouts, saying, “Woe to you!  Go and bring me news of yonder dust!” So a cavalier took horse and riding off, returned