s, and began to give battle.
When Chandud-Chanum sent her lance against the wall she shattered it and
the wagons flew seven leagues away. Then David went forward and drove
the fighters away, saying to them: "Ye men of Chlat! what shameless
people ye be! Ye wage war on women! Let me but take my wife to Sassun
and I will come back, and we will fight it out."

[29] The city of Chlat (Turkish "Achlat") lies northwest of the Sea of
Wan. In olden times it was famous for its splendor, its high walls, and
its citadel. The inhabitants had been injured by David's father and
wished to avenge themselves.

But the men of Chlat believed him not. "Swear to us by the holy cross
you carry; then we will believe you," said they.

David touched the token with his hand as he thought, but the cross was
there and he knew it not, and the power of the cross was that no one
could swear by it.

He took Chandud-Chanum to Sassun. Here he first knew that he had sworn
on the cross, for he found the cross lying at his left shoulder where
the token had been.

"Now it will go badly with me," said David. "Whether I go or whether I
stay, it will go badly with me. And I must go."

He advanced, therefore, to give battle, and the men of Chlat pressed him
sorely. His horse was caught in the reedy marsh of Tschechur.[30] With
difficulty he crawled out of the bog and reached the waters of the
Lochur.[31]

[30] A marsh at the outlet of the Kara-Su, a tributary of the Euphrates.

[31] A small river which empties into the Sea of Wan not far from Chlat.

Once Abamelik had lingered at the house of Ibraham Aga, and forcibly
entered the sleeping-room of his wife. Her name was Schemschen-Chanum.
She had borne a daughter to Abamelik, who was now an ardent Mahometan.
This daughter took up her bow and arrows and concealed herself on the
sloping river-bank. When David bathed in the waters of Locher she shot
him, assassin-like, with an arrow in the back. David arose and made a
great outcry and his voice sounded even up to Sassun. Zoenow-Owan,
Chorassan, Uncle Toross, Tschoentschchapokrik, and Zoeranwegi came
together, for they heard the voice of David. And Zoenow-Owan called to
him from Sassun, "We are coming."

And they went forth to help David, who heard in the water the voice of
his kinsmen. They came to the river and found David, who said:
"Zoenow-Owan, she seemed frightened at our calling. Go and find her."

And they sought and found the blue-eyed maiden.