At early morn, the following day, he took to the road again, halting a few miles away from the wells of Badr. The two scouts, guessing that the caravan was heading towards this important spot for replenishing water supplies, reached there by having urged on their camels unmercifully. On arriving, they met two Bedouin women who were quarrelling loudly, while they filled their goat-skins. With insulting remarks, one claimed the repayment of a loan, and the woman in debt replied: 'Have patience until to-morrow or the day after, for by then the great caravan will have come back and thereby I shall have earned enough to settle with thee.'--'She is right,' broke in An Najd, chief of the Juhinna tribe, who happened to be at the well. 'They tell me that the caravan will certainly be here to-morrow or the next day.' Having got to know all they wanted, Bisbas and Adi watered their animals and rode back in all haste to bring the news to the Prophet, well pleased to see that things had turned out exactly as he foresaw. A few minutes later, however, he was rejoined by one of his partisans in his pay at Makkah. This friend brought bad news: the expedition of the idol-worshippers was coming by forced marches to the succour of Abu Sufyan. These tidings caused Mohammad the greatest anxiety: the ardour of the Mussulmans, who had set out to attack a caravan defended by a weak escort, might perhaps be damped upon finding themselves faced by superior forces? He did not intend to hide the gravity of the situation, but calling the head-men together, he laid the information before them, and asked where they thought it would be best to make their effort. They were submerged by a great wave of vacillation. It must be confessed that the irresistible bait of booty added great charm to a wish to inflict punishment on the idolaters. Under the necessity of coming to a decision, some of them objected: 'Dost thou lead us to be slaughtered?' They were severely blamed for speaking thus. "_And remember when Allah promised you that one of the two troops should fall to you, and ye desired that they who had no arms should fall to you._" (THE QUR'AN, VIII, 7.) Then uprose Mikdad, protesting stoutly: 'O Prophet! go without hesitation whither thou art ordered. By Allah! we'll not tell thee as the Banu Israil told Moses: "Go fight by the side of the Lord and we'll await thy return here!" On the contrary, we say to thee: "Go fight by the side of thy Lord and thou wilt find us with thee, always and everywhere."' The Prophet called down divine blessings on the head of his courageous disciple; and then added: 'Reflect, O my partisans!' He then turned towards the Ansars who might not have considered themselves bound by the oath of the Aqbah to do anything else than to protect him so long as he dwelt in their town.