When it was the One Hundred and First Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Sharrkan congratulated his brother，Zau al-Makan，on his safety and thanked him for the deeds he had done；after which both set out forcing their marches to rejoin their army.Such was their case；but as regards the old woman，Zat al-Dawahi，after she had foregathered with the hosts of Rustam and Bahram，she returned to the coppice，where she took her steed and mounted and sped on at speed，till she drew near the Moslem army that beleaguered Constantinople，when she lighted down from her destrier and led it to the pavilion tent of the Chief Chamberlain.And when he saw her，he stood up to her in honour and signed to her with his right hand and said，'Welcome O pious recluse！'Then he questioned her of what had befallen，and she repeated to him her disquieting lies and deluding calumnies，saying，'In sooth I fear for the Emir Rustam，and the Emir Bahram，for that I met them and theirs on the way and sent them and their following to relieve the King and his companions.Now there are but twenty thousand horse and the Unbelievers outnumber them；so I would have thee at this moment send off the rest of thy troops at full speed to their suc cour，lest they be slain to the last man.'And she cried to them，'Haste！Haste！'When the Chamberlain and the Moslems heard these words，their spirits fell and they wept；but Zat al-Dawahi said to them，'Ask aidance of Allah and bear patiently this triburation；for ye have the example of those who have been before you of the people of Mohammed；and Paradise with its palaces is laid out by Allah for those who die martyrs；and needs must all die，but most praiseworthy is dying while fighting for the Faith.'The Chamberlain，hearing this speech of the accursed old woman，called for the Emir Bahram's brother，a knight by name Tarkash；and，choosing out for him ten thousand horse，riders famed for force，bade him set out at once.So he fared forth and marched all that day and the whole of the next night，till he neared the Moslems.When daylight dawned，Sharrkan saw the dust cloud about them and feared for the men of Al-Islam and said，'If these troops which are coming upon us be Moslem men our victory is assured by them；but，if these be Nazarenes，there is no gainsaying Destiny's decrees.'Then he turned to his brother，Zau al- Makan，and said，Never fear，for with my life I will ransom thee from death.If these be Mohammedan troops，then were it an increase of heavenly favours；but，if they be our foes，there is no help save that we fight them.Yet do I long to meet the Holy Man ere I die，so I may beg him to pray that I die not save by death of martyrdom.'Whilst the twain were thus speaking，behold，there appeared the banners inscribed with the words，'There is no god but the God and Mohammed is the Apostle of God；'and Sharrkan cried out，'How is it with the Moslems？''All are sound and safe，'replied they，'and we came not but out of concern for you.'Then the Chief of the army dismounted and，kissing ground before Sharrkan，asked，'O my lord，how be the Sultan and the Wazir Dandan and Rustam and my brother Bahram；are they all in safety？'He answered，'All well；but who brought thee tidings of us？'Quoth Tarkash；'It was the Holy Man who told us that he had met my brother Bahram and Rustam and had sent them both to you and he also assured us that the Infidels had encompassed you and out numbered you；but I see not the case save the contrary thereof and that you are victorious.'They questioned him，'And how did the Holy Man reach you？'；and he replied，'Walking on his feet and he had compassed in a day and a night，ten days'journey for a well girt horseman.''There is no doubt but that he is a Saint of Allah，'said Sharrkan，'but where is he now？'They rejoined，'We left him with our troops，the folk of the Faith，moving them to do battle with the rebels and the Faithless.'Thereat Sharrkan rejoiced and all thanked Allah for their own deliverance and the safety of the Holy Man；and commended the dead to His mercy saying，'This was writ in the Book.'Then they set out making for Constantinople by forced marches，and whilst they were on this enterprise，behold，a dust cloud arose to such height that it walled the two horizons，the eastern and the western，from man's sight and the day was darkened by it to night.But Sharrkan looked at it and said，'Verily，I fear lest this be the Infidels who have routed the army of Al-Islam for that this dust walleth the world，east and west，and hideth the two horizons，north and south.'
Presently appeared under the dust a pillar of darkness，blacker than the blackness of dismal days；nor ceased to come upon them that column more dreadful than the dread of the Day of Doom.
Horse and foot hastened up to look at it and know the terrors of the case，when behold，they saw it to be the recluse aforesaid；so they thronged round him to kiss his hands and he cried out，'O people of the Best of Mankind，[442] the lamp which shineth in darkness blind，verily the Infidels have outwitted the Moslems by guile，for they fell upon the host of the One God whilst they deemed themselves safe from the Faithless，and attacked them in their tents and made a sore slaughter of them what while they looked for no wile；so hasten to the aid of the Believers in the unity of God，and deliver them from those who deny Him！'Now when Sharrkan heard these words，his heart flew from his breast with sore trouble；and，alighting from his steed in amazement，he kissed the Recluse's hands and feet.
