The neighbourhood of the Pillar of El-Serujah was uninhabited and desolate, and the new prince would have been in sad straits had it not been for his forethought in providing himself with food for several days, so he encamped beneath a palm tree, with his horse tethered beside him, and there awaited his fate.
Towards the middle of the following day he saw a great company of horses and camels advancing across the plain towards him. The company halted at the foot of the hill and pitched magnificent tents, the whole giving the impression of being the escort of some powerful pasha or sheik.
Labakan guessed these were the men who had come to meet him, and would have liked to present their future ruler to them immediately, but suppressed his eagerness to take upon himself the rôle of prince, as the following day was to see the accomplishment of all his desires.
The morning sun awakened the overjoyed tailor to the most important moment of his life, for he was to be raised from his lowly position to the side of a royal father.
At the end of the second day he came in sight of the Pillar. (P. [92].)
It is true that, as he saddled his horse and prepared to ride towards the Pillar, he could not but remember what a dishonest step he was about to take, and also what pain and grief he was bringing to the real prince in blighting all the hopes he had in life, but the die was cast and he could not undo what he had already done, and his love of self whispered to his heart that he was handsome and stately enough to be the son of the mightiest of kings.
Encouraged by this thought he sprang upon his horse and, summoning all the bravery he possessed, ventured to urge his steed to a gallop, and in less than a quarter of an hour he was at the foot of the hill.
He dismounted and, drawing forth Prince Omar’s dagger, began to climb the hill.
At the base of the Pillar stood six men, surrounding a grey-headed old man of noble and majestic appearance, who was glad in a magnificent caftan of pure gold wrapped around with a white cashmere shawl, a white turban glistening with diamonds, all of which betokened him to be a man of high estate and honour.