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Therewith Gharib crave at him and there befel between them a battle such as would make a new-born child turn grey and melt the flinty rock with its sore affray; but presently the Badawi did off his face-veil, and lo! it was Gharib's half- brother Sahim al-Layl.
Replied he, "O my son, when Mardas heard of Gharib's descent upon Cufa he feared with great fear and, taking his daughter and his folk, set out with his handmaids and negroes into the wild and word, and I wot not whither he went." So Sahim, hearing the Shaykh's words, returned to Gharib and told him thereof, whereat he was greatly concerned.
"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."
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Mura'ash and his men found salvation in the Saving Faith, Al- Islam, he called for Gharib and Sahim and kissed them between the eyes and so did all the Grandees who crowded to buss their hands and heads.
So they bade the host make ready for departure and after three days, they were about to set out with their troops, when the Marids, who had carried Sahim and the presents back to Oman, returned and kissed ground before Gharib.
Now when he came to Gharib's pavilion and would have entered, the guards knew him not and prevented him, saying, "Who art thou? He laughed and uncovered his face, and they knew him and admitted him. When Gharib saw him he said, "What bearest there, O Sahim?"; and he replied, "O King, this is Jaland bin Karkar."
And the Lord, Compassionate protected him, so that he reached Gharib's tent in safety and unrolled the cloak before him. Gharib looked at its contents and seeing his brother Ajib bound, cried out, "Allaho Akbar God is Most Great! Aidance! Victory!" And he blessed Sahim and bade him arouse Ajib.
Meanwhile Gharib continued to offer battle and there issued forth to him a captain of the Hindis whom he felled to earth with his mace, and Kaylajan and Kurajan pinioned him and delivered him over to Sahim; nor did Gharib leave to do thus, till he had taken prisoner two-and-fifty of the doughtiest Captains of the army of Hind.
Except I overtake him and take my wreak of him, I shall die of despite." Whereupon Sahim came forward and kissing the earth before him, said, "O King, I will go to the army of the Kafirs and find out what is come of the perfidious dog Ajib." Quoth Gharib, "Go, and learn the truth anent the hog."
They sprinkled rose- water on him, till he came to himself, when he said to Murad Shah, "Art thou indeed Gharib's son by Fakhr Taj?"; and he replied, "Yes." Cried Gharib, "Thou art a champion, the son of a champion. Loose my child!" And Sahim and Kaylajan went up to Murad Shah and set him free. Then Gharib embraced his son and, seating him beside himself, said to him, "Where is thy mother?"
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