Then Afridun，the Great King，ordered a march；so they set out and ceased not to defile through the city for ten days.They fared on till they reached the Wady highs Al-Nu'uman，a broad sided vale hard by the Salt Sea，where they halted three days；and on the fourth they were about to set out again，when news came that the army of Al-Islam on them press，and the defenders of the faith of Mohammed，of Men the Best.So they halted in it other three days，and on the eighth they espied a dust cloud which towered till it walled the whole land；nor was an hour of the day past ere that dust began to drift and was torn to shreds in the lift，and pierced through its shades the starry radiance of lance and the white levee of blades.Presently there appeared beneath it the banners Islamitan and the ensigns Mahometan；the horsemen urged forward，like the letting loose of seas that surged，clad in mail，as they were mackerel-back clouds which the moon enveil；whereupon the two hosts clashed，like two torrents on each other dashed.Eyes fell upon eyes；and the first to seek combat singular was the Wazir Dandan，he and the army of Syria，numbering thirty thousand bridles，and with him were the General of the Turks，and the General of Daylam，Rustam and Bahram，amid twenty thousand horse，behind whom came the men from the shores of the Salt Sea，clad in iron mail，as they were full moons that past through a night o'ercast.Then the Nazarene host called out on Jesus and Mary，and the defiled[388] Cross and they heaped themselves upon the Wazir Dandan and those with him of the Syrian host.Now all this was in pursuance of a stratagem devised by that ancient woman Zat al-Dawahi；for，before his departure，King Afridun had gone in to her and asked her，'How shall I do and what plan shall I pursue？；it is thou hast caused this great distress to us；'and she had answered，'O great King and mighty Cohen！[389] I will teach thee a trick would baffle Iblis himself，though he summon to his assistance all his grisly hosts.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-ninth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，all this was a stratagem of the ancient woman，for that the King before his departure had gone to her and asked，'How shall I do and what plan shall I pursue？it is thou hast caused this great distress to us！'And she had answered，'O great King and mighty Cohen，I will teach thee a trick would baffle the Devil himself though he summon to his assistance all his grisly hosts.It is that thou send fifty thousand men going down in ships，and sailing over the sea to the Mountain of Smoke；and there let them land and stir not till {he standards of Al-Islam come upon thee，when do thou up and at them.Then bid the troops from the seaward sally out upon the Moslems and take them in rear，whilst we confront them from the landward.So not one of them shall escape，and our sorrows shall tease and peace abide with us.'Now the counsel of this ancient woman commended itself to King Afridun，and he replied，'Right is the recking thou reckest，O Princess of wits and recourse of Kings and Cohens warring for their blood wit！'So when the army of Al-Islam came upon them in chat valley，before they knew of it the flames began to burn up the tents and the swords in men's bodies to make rents.Then hurried up the army of Baghdad and Khorasan who numbered one hundred and twenty thousand horse，with Zau al-Makan in the front of war.When the host of the Infidels that lay by the sea saw them，they sallied out against them and followed in their tracks；and when Zau al-Makan espied this he cried out to his men，'Turn back to the Infidels，O People of the Chosen Apostle，and slay those who deny and hate the authority of the Compassionating，the Compassionate！'So they turned and fought with the Christians.
Then Sharrkan marched up with another corps of the Moslem host，some hundred thousand men，whilst the Infidels numbered nigh upon a thousand and six hundred thousand men.When the Moslems were united，their hearts were strengthened and they cried out，saying，'Verily Allah hath pro mised us victory，and to the Infidels hath assigned defeat.'And they clashed together with sword and spear.Now Sharrkan tare through rank and row and raged among the masses of the foe，fighting so fierce a fight as to make children grey grow；nor did he cease tourneying among the infidel horde and working havoc among them with the keen edged sword，shouting'Allaho Akbar！'（Allah is Most Great） till he drove back the host to the coast.Then failed the force of the foe and Allah gave victory to the faith of Al-Islam，and folk fought folk，drunken without strong drink till they slew of the Infidels in this affair forty and five thousand，while of the Moslems but three thousand and five hundred fell.Moreover，the Lion of the Faith，King Sharrkan，and his brother，Zau al-Makan，slept not that night，but occupied themselves with congratulating their braves and with looking to the wounded and with assuring the army of victory and salvation and promise of reward in the world to come.Thus far concerning the Moslem；but as regards King Afridun，Lord of Constantinople and Sovran of Roum，and Zat Al-Dawahi，they assembled the Emirs of the host and said to them，'Verily，we had worked our will and solaced our hearts，but our over confidence in our numbers，and that only，defeated us.'
