188]) joined
hands, and determined, each individually, to raise his respective
kabyl to support the cause of Muley Abd Salam. In a short time they
raised an army among themselves of ten thousand horse, and
determined to attack Buhellesa, so soon as he should begin to move
forwards, and before he should reach Terodant, in his way to
Marocco; for there he had a strong party, which would augment his
forces. The hero Delemy, who was as valiant a soldier as Muley
Yezzid himself, and as expert and dextrous in the management of the
horse, determined therefore, with less than half the force of his
antagonist, to attack him, before he should be able to gather more
strength. The army of the sheiks joined, and proceeded towards
Wedinoon. At night they learned that Buhellesa, with an army of
290 22,000 men, mostly horse, having been apprised of Delemy's
preparations and movements, had proceeded through Ait Bamaran
towards Shtuka, and that he intended to attack Delemy's castle. On
hearing this, the army halted for an hour, and returned towards
Shtuka again. In the morning they came up with Buhellesa, who was
encamped about four hours south of Delemy's castle. The march of
Delemy's troops, all hardy warriors and men of valour, was so
rapid, that Buhellesa was taken by surprise. The battle lasted
seven hours; during which Delemy's brother was wounded and
unhorsed, in the midst of the enemy's troops: but being unknown,
and in a similar dress with the rest, he recovered himself by the
assistance of some friends, sent to him by his brother the khalif,
and was enabled to rejoin his own troops. Buhellesa was so hard
pressed, that he made his retreat into a house: on being attacked
there, his pistol missed fire, and he was overcome. They
immediately cut off his head and his arms, when his army dispersed,
most of them making the best of their way to Wedinoon. That same
night, the man of Shtuka, who first attacked Buhellesa, was
dispatched with his head and feet to Muley Abd Salam, at Santa
Cruz.

[Footnote 188: The _L'aad_ of the Arabs is a joining of hands,
without Shaking: the palms of the right hands of the parties
coming in contact with each other, and the thumbs over each
other. This is a solemn obligation among them; a calling God to
wit