Now Antar upon Abjer watched them till they had disappeared among the deserts; and just then came up the Absian horsemen, and Ghegadh at their head, who, seeing Antar standing alone in the plain, without any of the booty, cried out, thou son of a base slave woman, where is the plunder? I bought with it this horse, he replied, and I have established your honour and credit in the land of the tribe; because I saw the owner was a man of worth, and jealous of the honour of women, gracious and liberal minded: I was therefore anxious to equal him in propriety of conduct, and would not leave behind us in this land, the remembrance of a foul action, and be a scandal amongst Arabs. It is the most ignominious of deeds to take prisoners free born women; and besides this, the spacious plain is open before us, and the Lord God is the bestower of all things, and the taker away; he is the distributor of every thing, and God forbid he should send us back without a reward.
Thou base born, cried Ghegadh, in reply to Antar the lion-hero, We consigned them over to your care, but you have been buying, bartering, and selling, without asking our leave. What is done is done, said Antar; I will make it good to you elsewhere, if the Creator of all things pleases, and you agree to the protection I have granted: but if you wish to quarrel with me, I will protect my life with the force of this sword, and this well proportioned spear, and I will not live to forfeit my word.
Come on to this wretch, said Ghegadh inflamed with rage, to his companions; cut him in pieces with your cleaving scimitars, and make him drink of the cup of death and annihilation.
Upon that, Antar went to a little distance from them, and dismounting from Abjer, tightened his girths, and then mounting again, galloped and charged about, crying out to them, you base born wretches, to day will I shew you how I fight and thrust. Away, away, to shame and disgrace—this day you shall behold the furious lion. He thought of his beloved, and thus exclaimed:
“I abuse fortune, that never softens at the voice of the counsellor. I conceal my passion in my heart, but my tears disclose it. My tribe is leagued with fortune to seek my blood, and they assault me with sword and spear. They have driven me from the mistress I love, and I am plunged into the well of the water of banishment. To expose my cherished life is indifferent to me; and though I am separated from her, my heart clings to her. O my God, let not my life be a life of ignominy! let not my death, O God, be among the weeping crowd! but my corpse! let the birds hover over it, and let the crows of the desert drink of my wounds. God regards the man who is hospitable to his tribe, and who becomes among them a chief in authority. But when they see us invade their dwellings, every warrior on a swift-paced steed, they promise us riches, and high-bosomed damsels with well formed hips, and beautifully-shaped haunches. I will seize them on my horse, whose like exists not; aye, and the youth sold it like a man of honour. Whoever of ye, oh tribe of Abs, wishes my death, I will appear before him in the plain of battle, and I will charge among ye on my stern-faced steed, and I will rush at ye as the lion of the wilds.”
When the Absians heard Antar’s discourse, they all shrunk from the conflict, and consulting with each other, said, Ghegadh, what stops you? and what occasions this fear and consternation at this black slave? O Ghegadh, said they, you have advised us to make the attack, and still you hold back from the assault and the combat; you are our superior and our adviser, so come on. O my cousin, said Ghegadh, much troubled, wise is the man between whom and Antar there is no contention. Explain this, said they, ere we endanger our lives in a contest with him. I observed, said he, when he dismounted to tighten his girths, his gigantic mien, his brawny arms, his full formed legs, and his cool undaunted eye. And I, said another, saw something more extraordinary than that. What’s that? said they. One day King Zoheir gave him one of his finest horses; he went up to it to put on the bridle; the horse would not take it, but was riotous, and reared at him. At the instant Antar lifted him off the ground up to the top of his head, and dashed him on the earth, and smashed his bones. When they heard this account of Antar, they trembled, and were afraid. Do you go up to him, said they, addressing Ghegadh, give him the plunder, and do not make it appear that we are afraid of him, that his avidity may not increase to our detriment, and he say, “I will not quit one of ye till I have slain him and taken his spoil.”
So Ghegadh went up to him, O my cousin, said he, are you not ashamed to engage in battle against your cousins, when they were only joking and making merry? O my cousins, said Antar, convinced they were afraid of him, I would not do any thing that could be thought wrong, but I have purchased this horse, who will carry me against your enemies; and you know that when a person seeks to destroy another, it is necessary to defend one’s self. Ghegadh continued to speak flatteringly to Antar, till he softened him and cajoled him. O Arab Chieftains, said Antar, I have not forgotten your kindness, and I am but your slave. I am grateful for all you have done for me, and had it not been for you, I should not be known among the Arabs.
It was not fear that dictated these words, but in order to observe their sentiments towards him.
He has indeed purchased this horse, said Ghegadh to his comrades, in order to destroy our enemies, let us therefore grant it him. Be it so, said they all. Thus Antar became possessed of Abjer, whose equal no prince or emperor possessed. By way of precaution, Antar kept away from Ghegadh and his companions, who went on talking to each other. How that base-born has succeeded to his wish, said they, for verily that horse was worth his weight in gold; we shall indeed be disgraced among the Arabs! Antar proceeded on before them and heard all they said.
Now they continued their march till evening, when they reached a spot abounding in trees and streams; wide and extensive were the surrounding plains. They dismounted and let their horses graze, and seated themselves whilst Antar stood watch over them, for their and his own safety. They did not move from this spot till morning dawned, when they mounted their horses and marched till evening; when suddenly from the upper part of the desert a great dust appeared, and through it they distinguished a lofty howdah, and on its top there was a crescent of gold. The howdah was richly ornamented with velvet; in front were damsels and slaves, and they wore robes of divers colours, and behind were horsemen mounted on steeds all of different colours. No sooner saw they this procession and these fine garments, than they were sure it was a bride in the howdah; but they knew not her husband, nor any one connected with her. This is our plunder, said they; God has sent it to us in recompense for what has befallen us. They instantly bent their heads over their saddle-bows, and violently assaulted the party, and got possession of the howdah and all its accompaniments. But when the horsemen that attended the howdah beheld them, they attacked them, and man met man, and hero assaulted hero; blood was shed and spilt, and the horror was great: and in a moment the Absians were assisted by the deeds of Antar, the devouring lion, for his attack was the attack of an overpowering warrior. And three score and ten were the horsemen that accompanied the bride: he destroyed sixty of them; and the rest fled, five to the right and five to the left.