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,[FN#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. On like wise did his brother, Zau al-Makan, and the rest of the foot and horse troops; except the Wazir Dandan, who dismounted not but said, "By Allah, my heart flieth from this devotee, for I never knew show of devotion to religion that bred not bane. So leave him and rejoin your comrades the