Attacks were taking place every day; the Osmanlis of Damascus, Homs, and Hama were in a state of consternation, and attempted to collect together the Arabs of Horam and Idumea. Several tribes of the desert arrived, some to reinforce the Drayhy, others Mehanna. No caravan could pass from one city to another; the advantages were almost all on the side of the Drayhy. One day, by a singular coincidence, Fares took from us a hundred and twenty camels that were pasturing two leagues from the tents; while at the same instant Zaher carried off the like number of theirs. This simultaneous movement prevented either the one or the other from being pursued. They also had time to secure their capture. But this war of reprisals of cattle and plunder was about to assume a character of ferocity and extermination. The signal for it was given by the Dallati Turks, under the conduct of Nasser, who, having taken from the tribe of Beni Kraleb two women and a girl, carried them to the village of Zany-el-Abedin. Nasser gave the women to the soldiers; and assigned to the aga the young girl, who in the middle of the night revenged her honour by poniarding the Turk in his sleep. Her vigorous arm pierced his heart and left him dead; and then escaping without noise, she rejoined her tribe, and spread indignation and rage among the Bedouins, who swore to die or slay Nasser, and to fill vessels with his blood, to distribute among the tribes as a memorial of their vengeance. This penalty was not long postponed; an engagement having taken place between a party commanded by Zaher, and another under the orders of Nasser, the two chiefs, whose hatred was mutual, sought each other out, and fought together with fury. The Bedouins remained spectators of the battle between these warriors, equal in valour and skill. The contest was long and terrible: at length their tired horses no longer able promptly to obey the motions of their riders, Nasser received the thrust of Zaher’s lance, which pierced him through and through: he fell; his men ran away, or gave up their horses:[I] Zaher cut the body of Nasser to pieces, put it in a couffe (wicker basket), and sent it to Mehanna’s camp by a prisoner, whose nose he cut off. He then returned to his tribe exulting in his revenge.