ifty men, whereof two hundred were cavalry. The apostle of God went out
against them with three hundred and thirteen men, of whom seventy-seven
were refugees from Mecca, the rest being helpers from Medina; they had
with them only two horses and seventy camels, upon which they rode by
turns. The apostle encamped near a well called Beder, from the name of
the person who was owner of it, and had a hut made where he and Abu-Bekr
sat. As soon as the armies were in sight of each other, three champions
came out from among the idolaters, Otha son of Rabia, his brother
Shaiba, and Al Walid son of Otha; against the first of these, the
prophet sent Obeidah son of Hareth, Hamza against the second, and Ali
against the third: Hamza and Ali slew each his man and then went to the
assistance of Obeidah, and having killed his adversary, brought off
Obeidah, who, however, soon after died of a wound in his foot.

"All this while the apostle continued in his hut in prayer, beating his
breast so violently that his cloak fell off his shoulders, and he was
suddenly taken with a palpitation of the heart; soon recovering,
however, he comforted Abu-Bekr, telling him God's help was come. Having
uttered these words, he forthwith ran out of his hut and encouraged his
men, and taking a handful of dust threw it toward the Koreishites, and
said, 'May their faces be confounded,' and immediately they fled. After
the battle, Abdallah, the son of Masud, brought the head of Abu Jehel to
the apostle, who gave thanks to God; Al As, brother to Abu Jehel, was
also killed; Al Abbas also, the prophet's uncle, and Ocail son of Abu
Taleb, were taken prisoners. Upon the news of this defeat Abu Laheb died
of grief within a week."

Of the Mussulmans died fourteen martyrs (for so they call all such as
die fighting for Islamism). The number of idolaters slain was seventy;
among whom my author names some of chief note, Hantala son of Abu
Sofian, and Nawfal, brother to Kadijah. Ali slew six of the enemy with
his own hand.

The prophet ordered the dead bodies of the enemy to be thrown into a
pit, and remained three days upon the field of battle dividing the
spoil; on occasion of which a quarrel arose between the helpers and the
refugees, and to quiet them the eighth chapter of the _Koran_ was
brought from heaven. It begins thus, "They will ask thee concerning the
spoils: say, The spoils belong to God and his apostle": and again in the
same chapter, "And know that wheneve