mels which are due to me, and I do not
admit the treacherous pretext on which they are being withheld."

"That blow is doubtless of evil augury for the tribe of Fazarah," said
Cais. "God will certainly give us victory and triumph, and destroy them.
For Hadifah only desired this race to take place in order that it might
cause trouble and discord, and the disturbance which this contest is
sure to excite will stir up one tribe against another, so that there
will be many men killed, and children made orphans." The conversation
which followed among the tribesmen became more and more excited,
confusion followed, shouts rang out on all sides, and drawn swords
flashed. Bloodshed would have resulted had not the sheiks and wise men
dismounted and with bared heads mingled with the crowd, with humble
mien, imploring them, until at last the matter was settled as
harmoniously as possible. It was agreed that Shidoub should receive the
amount of the wager--a hundred camels from the tribe of Fazarah, and
that Hadifah should abandon his claims and refrain from all dispute.
Such were the measures taken to extinguish the hostility and disorder
which threatened to burst out among the tribes. Then the different
families retired to their own dwellings, but the hearts of all were
filled with bitter hatred. One whose resentment seemed keenest was
Hadifah, especially when he learned of the slave Dames's death. As for
Cais, he was also filled with mute rage and intense hatred. Yet Antar
tried to reassure him. "King," he said to him, "do not let your heart be
a prey to mortification; for I swear by the tomb of King Zoheir, your
father, that I will cause disgrace and infamy to fall on Hadifah, and it
is only from regard for you that I have up to this time delayed action."
Soon after all returned to their tents.

The following morning Shidoub killed twenty of the camels he had won the
day before, and caused the meat to be distributed among the widows and
those who had been wounded and crippled in war. He slaughtered twenty
others, which he used in entertaining the tribe of Abs, including women
and slaves. Finally, the next day, he killed the rest of the camels and
made a great feast near the lake Zatalirsad, to which he invited the
sons of King Zoheir and his noblest chieftains. At the end of this
banquet, when the wine circulated among the guests, all praised the
behavior of Shidoub. But the news of the camel slaughter and of all the
feasting was