_Asal_, for his part, had no doubt but that the man he saw was some religious person given to solitude who had retired into that Island as he had done himself. He was afraid, therefore, lest if he should come up to him and make himself known, it might spoil his meditation, and thus become an impediment to him in accomplishing his desires. But, as for _Hayy Ibn Yokdhan_, he could not imagine what it was: for of all the creatures he had ever beheld in his life, there was none that resembled him in the least. Now _Asal_ was clothed in a black coat, made up of hair and wool, which he fancied was a natural cover; at which _Hayy_ stood a long time in utter wonder and astonishment. Thereupon _Asal_, being afraid lest he should disturb his meditation and divert his attention therefrom, turned his back and fled. _Hayy Ibn Yokdhan_ ran after him, driven by an innate desire to know and find out the truth of things. When he saw, however, that _Asal_ fled from him with all his might in such haste, he retired a little into the background and hid himself there, so that _Asal_ thought he had gone off altogether and gone far away from that place where he had seen him. _Asal_ therefore began to betake himself, as his custom was, unto his prayers and reading, to invocation and weeping, to supplication and complaining, and these exercises had quite turned him away from any other thing. _Hayy catches hold of Asal._ In the meantime _Hayy_ drew near little by little, while _Asal_ did not perceive him at all, until at length he came so near as to hear his reading and the prayers he uttered. He also took notice of his humble gesture and his weeping, whence he heard a pleasant voice, consisting of words quite distinct, such as he had never observed before in any kind of animals. Then, beholding his shape and lineaments, he observed that he was of the same form with himself. He was satisfied that the coat with which he was clothed was not a natural skin, but an artificial habit like unto his own clothing. And when he observed the decency and comeliness of his behaviour and his supplication and weeping, he did not at all question but that he was one of the Essences, which had the knowledge of the _True One_. Therefore, he felt a passionate desire to get acquainted with him, to find out what was the matter with him and what was the cause of that weeping and supplication. Thereupon he came nearer unto him, until _Asal_, observing it, took to his heels again. But _Hayy Ibn Yokdhan_, endowed with vigour and power, both of knowledge and body, bestowed upon him by God--pursued him with all his might, till at last he overtook him, seized him, and held him fast that he could not make again his escape from him. _Hayy and Asal stroke one another._