"Seeing this the warriors held up their hands and called out: 'Hoi, hoi! Aman! Peace! We are your father-in-law's people and bear a message from him.'
"He listened to them, and agreed to return to his wife's people.
"That night there was no food, and the young man gave orders that one of his three camels should be killed.
"'You are foolish,' said his wife, 'for if you do this thing we must throw away the load the beast carries; don't forget we are very poor and may not expect any further presents from my father.'
"'I cannot see fifty men go hungry to save the load,' said her husband. 'I shall have the camel killed.'
"On the following night another camel was killed and its load thrown away, and again on the third night the last camel was killed, and the last of the old man's rich presents was thrown away into the bush.
"On the morning of the fourth day the party came to the old man's camp, to whom a true account of all that had happened was given by the warriors. He was delighted, and made much of his son-in-law, feasting him and paying him great honour.
"One day, after the evening prayer, the old man said: 'My son, it is time you explained to me why you are shameless, fearless, and generous beyond all men.'
"'That is easily done,' said the youth. 'Once I went with my section into battle; we were heavily outnumbered, and I was in the front rank. I noticed that of the men who were afraid and stayed a little behind many were killed by the spears that went over the heads of us who were doing the fighting. Thus I learned the lesson that man's life is not in his own keeping but in God's hands. When our time comes to die we cannot escape by running away or refusing to fight. So I know that God will call me at His own good time, and I leave it to Him, never worrying about my life. For this reason I am fearless.'