so I rushed on the knight their captain， though he was reckoned a match for a thousand horse， and smote him and severed his head from his body. Not one of the infidels could come near me， so I took his head and have brought it to you， that you may be heartened in the holy strife and work out the will of the Lord of the Faithful with your swords. And now I will leave you to strive against the infidels， whilst I go to your army， though they be at the gates of Constantinople， and return with twenty thousand horse to destroy these unbelievers." Quoth Sherkan， "How wilt thou win to them， O holy man， seeing that the valley is blocked up by the infidels on all sides？" "God will veil me from their eyes，" replied she， "and they shall not see me； nor if any saw me， would he dare to attack me， for I shall be absorbed in God and He will fend off His enemies from me." "Thou sayst sooth， O holy man，" rejoined Sherkan， "for indeed I have been witness of this； so， if thou canst set out at the first of the night， it will be the better for us." "I will set out forthright，" replied she； "and， an thou wilt， thou shalt go with me， and none shall see thee. If thy brother also have a mind to go， we will take him， but none else； for the shadow of a saint can cover but two."
"As for me，" said Sherkan， "I will not leave my comrades； but， if my brother please， he will do well to go with thee and win free of this strait； for he is the stronghold of the Muslims and the sword of the Lord of the two worlds； and if it be his pleasure，let him take with him the Vizier Dendan， or whom else he may choose， and send us ten thousand horse to succour us against these villains." So they agreed to this and Dhat ed Dewahi said，"Wait till I go on before you and look if the infidels be asleep or awake." Quoth they， "We will go with thee and trust our affair to God." "If I do your bidding，" replied she， "do not blame me，but blame yourselves； for it is my counsel that you wait till I have spied you out the state of the case." Then said Sherkan， "Go and return quickly， for we shall be awaiting thee." So she went out and Sherkan turned to his brother and said， "Were not this holy man a miracle-worker， he had never slain yonder doughty knight. This is a sufficient measure of his power， and indeed the strength of the infidels is broken by the slaying of their leader， for he was a fierce warrior and a stubborn devil." Whilst they were thus devising of the power of the devotee， behold， the cursed old woman returned and promised them victory over the unbelievers； whereupon they thanked her， and she said， "Where is the king of the age Zoulmekan？" "Here am I，" replied he. "Take thy Vizier，" said she， "and follow me， that we may win out to Constantinople." Now she had acquainted the infidels with the cheat she had put on the Muslims， and they rejoiced mightily and said， "We shall not be content till we have slain their king in return for the death of our general； for we had no stouter cavalier than he； but when thou bringest him to us， we will carry him to King Afridoun." Then she went out with Zoulmekan and Dendan and walked on before them， saying， "Fare on with the blessing of the Most High God！" They did as she bade them， for the arrow of fate and destiny had fallen on them， and she led them on， through the midst of the Christian camp， till they came to the narrow pass aforesaid. Whilst the enemy watched them， but did them no hindrance； for the old woman had enjoined this on them. When Zoulmekan and Dendan saw that the infidels did them no hindrance， the Vizier exclaimed， "By Allah， this is one of the holy man"s miracles！ Without doubt he is of the elect." "By Allah，" said Zoulmekan， "I think the infidels must be blind， for we see them， and they see us not." Whilst they were thus praising the holy man and recounting his virtues， behold， the infidels fell upon them from all sides and seized them， saying， "Is there any one else with you， that we may seize upon him？" Quoth Dendan，"See ye not yon other man that is before us？" "By the Messiah and the Monks and the Primate and the Metropolitan，" replied they，"we see none but you！" And Zoulmekan said， "By Allah， this is a chastisement decreed to us by God！" Then the Christians laid shackles on their feet and set men to guard them during the night， whilst Dhat ed Dewahi fared on and disappeared from their sight. So they fell to lamenting and said， "Verily， the gainsaying of pious men leads to greater stress than this， and we are punished by the strait into which we have fallen."
Meanwhile， Sherkan passed the night in the cavern with his companions， and when the day broke， he arose and prayed the morning-prayer. Then he and his men made ready to do battle with the infidels， and he encouraged them and promised them all good.