after a while, and said “O King, we found under that dust an hundred horse belonging to an Emir highs Sahim al-Layl.”  Gharib hearing these words, cried out, “O my lord, this is my brother, whom I had sent on an errand, and I will go forth to meet him.”  So saying, he mounted, with his hundred men of the Banu Kahtan and a thousand Persians, and rode to meet his brother in great state, but greatness belongeth to God alone.[FN#358] When the two came up with each other, they dismounted and embraced, and Gharib said to Sahim, “O my brother, hast thou brought our tribe to the Castle of Sasa and the Wady of Blossoms?” “O my brother,” replied Sahim, “when the perfidious dog Mardas heard that thou hadst made thee master of the stronghold belonging to the Mountain-Ghul, he was sore chagrined and said, ’Except I march hence, Gharib will come and carry off my daughter Mahdiyah without dower.’  So he took his daughter and his goods and set out with his tribe for the land of Irak, where he entered the city of Cufa and put himself under the protection of King Ajib, seeking to give him his daughter to wife.”  When Gharib heard his brother’s story, he well-nigh gave up the ghost for rage and said, “By the virtue of the faith of Al-Islam, the faith of Abraham the Friend, and by the Supreme Lord, I will assuredly go to the land of Irak and fierce war upon it I will set on foot.”  Then they returned to the city and going in to the King, kissed ground before him.  He rose to Gharib and saluted Sahim; after which the elder brother told him what had happened and he put ten captains at his commandment, under each one’s hand ten thousand horse of the doughtiest of the Arabs and the Ajams, who equipped themselves and were ready to depart in three days.  Then Gharib set out and journeyed till he reached the Castle of Sasa whence the Ghul and his sons came forth to meet him and dismounting, kissed his feet in the stirrups.  He told them all that had passed and the giant said, “O my lord, do thou abide in this thy castle, whilst I with my sons and servants repair to Irak and lay waste the city Al-Rustak[FN#359] and bring to thy hand all its defenders bound in straitest bond.”  But Gharib thanked him and said, “O Sa’adan, we will all go.”  So he made him ready and the whole body set out for Irak, leaving a thousand horse to guard the Castle.  Thus far concerning them; but as regards Mardas, he arrived with his tribe in the land of Irak bringing with him a handsome present and fared for Cufa-city which he entered.  Then, he presented himself before Ajib and kissed ground between his hands and, after wishing him what is wished to kings, said, “O my lord, I come to place myself under thy protection.”—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,

      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,