he handed it, he named the name of God, and at
the sound her color changed, and she became as black as charcoal.

When Rustem saw this, quick as the wind he threw his lasso over her
head.

"Confess who you are," he cried; "show yourself in your true shape."

Then the witch was changed into a decrepit, wrinkled old woman. Rustem
cut her in halves with a blow of his sword.

The next day he continued his journey with all the speed that he could
use, and came to a place where it was utterly dark. Neither sun, nor
moon, nor stars could be seen; and all that the hero could do was to
let the reins fall on his horse's neck, and ride on as chance might
direct.

In time he came to a most delightful country, where the sun was
shining brightly, and where the ground was covered with green. Rustem
took off his cuirass of leopard-skin, and his helmet, and let Raksh
find pasture where he could in the fertile fields, and lay down to
sleep. When the keeper of the fields saw the horse straying among
them and feeding, he was filled with rage; and running up to the hero,
dealt him with his stick a great blow upon the feet.

Rustem awoke.

"Son of Satan," said the keeper, "why do you let your horse stray in
the cornfields?"

Rustem leaped upon the man, and without uttering a word good or bad,
wrenched his ears from his head.

Now the owner of this fertile country was a young warrior of renown
named Aulad. The keeper ran up to him with his ears in his hand, and
said:

"There has come to this place a son of Satan, clad in a cuirass of
leopard-skin, with an iron helmet. I was going to drive his horse out
of the cornfields, when he leaped upon me, tore my ears from my head
without saying a single word, and then lay down to sleep again."

Aulad was about to go hunting with his chiefs; but when he heard the
keeper's story he altered his plan, and set out to the place where
he heard that Rustem had been seen. Rustem, as soon as he saw him
approach, and a great company with him, ran to Raksh, leaped on his
back, and rode forward. Aulad said to him, "Who are you? What are you
doing here? Why did you pluck off my keeper's ears and let your horse
feed in the cornfields?"

"If you were to hear my name," said Rustem, "it would freeze the blood
in your heart."

So saying he drew his sword, and fastening his lasso to the bow of his
saddle, rushed as a lion rushes into the midst of a herd of oxen. With
every blow of his sword he cut off a