We will abide here three
days, that we may rest ourselves and that the troops may regain
strength and their souls be fortified to encounter the accursed
infidels." So they halted and pitched their camp there.
Presently, they heard a noise of voices afar, and Zoulmekan
enquiring the cause thereof, was told that a caravan of Syrian
merchants had halted there to rest and that the Muslim troops had
come on them and had haply seized some of their goods, that they
had brought from the country of the infidels. After awhile, up
came the merchants, crying out and appealing to the King for
redress. So Zoulmekan bade bring them before him, and they said
to him, "O King, we have been in the country of the infidels and
they spoiled us of nothing: why then do our brothers the Muslims
despoil us of our goods, and that in their own country? When we
saw your troops, we went up to them, thinking no evil, and they
robbed us of what we had with us." Then they brought out to him
the letter of the King of Constantinople, and Sherkan took it and
reading it, said to them, "We will restore you what has been
taken from you; but it behoved you not to carry merchandise to
the country of the infidels." "O our lord," replied they, "of a
truth, God moved us to go thither, that we might win what never
champion won the like of, no, not even thou in ail thy battles."
"What was it that ye won?" asked Sherkan.
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