The Portland daily press., 1895-07-13

the historians again differ widely The
Persian chronicle says the army of Mo-
manned lost 45, 900 men, while the enemy
lost but three. Another writer states that
the army of Mohammed did not lose a
man, while the opponent lost SO, 600. Per
haps in this case also the real truth lies
half way between the two statements. All
agree that the army of Mohammed speed-
lily gave leg bail and proved that no one
could catch them
The followers of Sidi Achmed. finding
themselves victors, made it their first care
to plunder the villages in the neighborhood
as being the best way of freeingthe people,
"By the beard of the prophet!'' cried
Barak Hageb, seeing the flight of his sol
diery, ~ almost think Jedibah's prophecy
is not going to be fulfilled. On the CON
trary, our own country appears to be lost"
"Have patience" murmured the proph-
etess consolingly "The sun has not vet
sunk into the sea-
The observation being just, Barak phi
losophized no more, but spurred his horse
and with his spouse sought safety in fight.
Sidi Achmed had heard of Barak
wealth and of his wives, and SO soon as he
was informed of the flight he hastened in
pursuit. Until late in the afternoon two
dust clouds might be seen, one chasing the
other, the one beaten up by Barak Hageb
and his wives the other by the troopers of
Sidi Achmed
"By the holy apron of the prophets
wife," growler Barak, "Roxana's prog
nostication likewise fails to be fulfilled.
shall be the dead man today and not Sidi
Achmed.'
'hra e-t1 scs1,1 ls<.l
the white Roxana 'sThere near yonder
pond we will take rest You may take
your evening bath and pray; let the rest
be our care"
In tho meantime, the women were not
idle. When Barak returned from his even
ing devotions, = he found, instead of his
pious family of wives, an army of bearded
troopers. Great at frst was his fright, for
the warriors were Of fearful aspect.
The women had cut off the names and
tails of their horses, and had made them
selves false boards From neighboring
grove they had cut bamboo canes, to the
ends Of which they attached their dainty
daggers, making thereby elegant lances.
Yarko, the Tartar, and zibella, the In
dian, commanded the gent1e oavHlry. The
troops were divided iEto three divisions.
Sid. Astned came on in>wild haste. AS
soon, however, as he saw these warriors,
whose long boards swept down to their
stirrups, his heart sank into his wide
breeches. At once portly hero rode up
to him, calling him to come forth to single
combat.
This was Zibella, so expert with the
knife. The very first throw of her lance
killed Sidi Achmed
Under the guidance of the Tartar, Var
ko, the other amazon, now pressed upon
the enemy The troopers of Sidi Achlned
were but lukewarm. Five pennies is a
nice sum, but it hardly pays for hole in
ones hide. Each of these fellows, there
fore, took his shield upon his back, and
turning that quarter to the enemy fed as
fast as his feet could carry him, and az
they went they roared:
The Tartars are coming The barba-
rians are behind us! Ten thousand-2O,
000-100, 900 horsenen have come to the
relief of Barak Hageb! Save himself who
can! The Turks shoot with lightning"
''Now you see the fulfllment of my pre-
diction," said Roxana, turning to Barak
Hageb.
"And mine will be fulfilled, t6o," added
Jedibah, "fer the kingdom of our enemy
will go to pieces. Let us hasten to Ker-
mau'
The head of the sultan was struck from
his body and stuck on the point of lance
With this token of triumph the party
pressed on to Kermau. Hour by hour their
following increased; the runaway soldiers
came from their lurking places and joined
the expedition, so that at last an immense
army passed over the frontier of the coun-
try. The city gates were cheerfully opened,
for now everybody knew that Sidi Achmed
was tyrant, while Barak Hageb was
praised as the liberator of the nation and
was finally asked to be its sultan
Barak Hageb assembled his wives and
said to them:
GLORIOUS women, I thank you for my
life. Yes, have more to thank you for
my fame and my kingdom. Name then,
the reward you desire; I swear by Allah to
grant it,
Then came forward the smooth Zibella
and spoke:
80 great sultan, we do indeed deserve a
reward, for we have fought for you like
men. We ask nothing small, therefore;
we ask fer freedom, and our desire is that
all the women in your kingdom shall be as
lree as men.
Barak Hageb was touched, very much
touched. He shed tears. Then he said
"You ask for something unheard Of
something that has never yet been. Yet it
must be, for have swoN>. In Kermau,
from this time forth, woman is as free as
man, and the wives of Barak Hageb may
proclaim that they have gained this free
dom by their own personal efforts. )"
And SO the new sultan won the hearts Of
his people, and even in the neighboring
realms his fame increased.
All the sultans around claimed his
friendship and solicited his kinship.
The makers of marriages besieged his
house. Even the Sultan Mohammed, at
whose court Barak had once been embas-
sador, offered him sisters and cousins
To him Barak replied: 81 choose neither
your. sisters nor yet your cousins, for
want not frivolity, but rather wisdom. If
you really desire to be kipsman Of mine,
give me for wife--your mother"
And so it happened.
After having had 365 wives. he conte :
ed himself with one, and found it enout i.
i a