Kanmakan had compassion on him and said to him， "Make a covenant with me and swear to be a true comrade to me and to bear me company whithersoever I may go." "It is well，" replied Subbah and took the required oath. So Kanmakan loosed him， and he rose and would have kissed the prince"s hand； but he forbade him. Then the Bedouin opened his wallet and taking out three barley-cakes， laid them before Kanmakan， and they both sat down on the bank of the stream to eat. When they had done eating， they made the ablution and prayed， after which they sat talking of what had befallen each of them from his people and the shifts of fortune. Then said Kanmakan， "Whither dost thou now intend？" "I purpose，" replied Subbah， "to repair to Baghdad， thy native town， and abide there，till God vouchsafe me the marriage-portion." "Up then，" rejoined the other， "and to the road！ I abide here." So the Bedouin took leave of him and set out for Baghdad， whilst Kanmakan remained behind， saying to himself， "O my soul， how shall I return poor and needy？ By Allah， I will not go back empty-handed， and if God please， I will assuredly work my deliverance！" Then he went to the stream and made his ablutions and prayed to his Lord， laying his brow in the dust and saying， "O my God， Thou that makest the dew to fall and feedest the worm in the rock， vouchsafe me， I beseech Thee， my livelihood， of Thy power and the graciousness of Thy compassion！" Then he pronounced the salutation that closes prayer and sat， turning right and left and knowing not which way to take. Presently， he saw， making towards him， a horseman whose back was bowed and who let the reins droop. He sat still and after awhile the horseman came up to him， when， behold， he was at the last gasp and made sure of death， for he was grievously wounded. The tears streamed down his cheeks， like water from the mouths of skins， and he said to Kanmakan， "O chief of the Arabs，take me to friend， whilst I live， for thou wilt not find my like，and give me a little water， harmful though the drinking of water be to a wounded man， especially whilst the blood is flowing and the life with it. If I live， I will give thee what shall heal thy distress and thy poverty； and if I die， mayst thou be blessed for thy good intent！" Now this horseman had under him a stallion of the most generous breed， with legs like shafts of marble， the tongue fails to describe it； and when Kanmakan looked at it， he was seized with longing admiration and said in himself， "Verily，the like of this stallion is not to be found in our time." Then he helped the rider to alight and entreated him friendly and gave him a little water to drink； after which he waited till he was rested and said to him， "Who has dealt thus with thee？" "I will tell thee the truth of the case，" answered the wounded man. "I am a horse-thief and all my life I have occupied myself with stealing and snatching horses， night and day， and my name is Ghessan， surnamed the plague of all stables and horses. I heard tell of this stallion， that he was with King Afridoun in the land of the Greeks， where they had named him El Catoul and surnamed him El Mejnoun. So I journeyed to Constantinople on his account，and whilst I was watching my opportunity to get at him， there came out an old woman， much considered among the Greeks and whose word is law with them， a past mistress in all manner of trickery，by name Shewahi Dhat ed Dewahi. She had with her this stallion and ten slaves， no more， to attend on her and it， and was bound for Baghdad， there to sue for peace and pardon from King Sasan.
