but are speaking in sober earnest, and we will swear it on our Law."
Then all the Barons swore fealty to him as their Lord, and Argon too swore
that he would never reckon it against them that they had taken him
prisoner, but would hold them as dear as his father before him had done.

And when these oaths had passed they struck off Argon's fetters, and
hailed him as their lord. Argon then desired them to shoot a volley of
arrows into the tent of the Melic who had held them prisoners, and who was
in command of the army, that he might be slain. At his word they tarried
not, but straightway shot a great number of arrows at the tent, and so
slew the Melic. When that was done Argon took the supreme command and gave
his orders as sovereign, and was obeyed by all. And you must know that the
name of him who was slain, whom we have called the Melic, was SOLDAN; and
he was the greatest Lord after Acomat himself. In this way that you have
heard, Argon recovered his authority.

CHAPTER XV.

HOW ACOMAT WAS TAKEN PRISONER.

<+> (A messenger breaks in upon Acomat's festivities with the news that
Soldan was slain, and Argon released and marching to attack him. Acomat
escapes to seek shelter with the Sultan of Babylon, i.e. of Egypt,
attended by a very small escort. The Officer in command of a Pass by which
he had to go, seeing the state of things, arrests him and carries him to
the Court (probably Tabriz), where Argon was already arrived.)

CHAPTER XVI.

HOW ACOMAT WAS SLAIN BY ORDER OF HIS NEPHEW.

And so when the Officer of the Pass came before Argon bringing Acomat
captive, he was in a great state of exultation, and welcomed his uncle
with a malediction,[1] saying that he should have his deserts. And he
straightway ordered the army to be assembled before him, and without
taking counsel with any one, commanded the prisoner to be put to death,
and his body to be destroyed. So the officer appointed to this duty took
Acomat away and put him to death, and threw his body where it never was
seen again.

[1] "_Il dit a son ungle qe il soit le mau-venu_" (see supra, p. 21).

CHAPTER XVII.

HOW ARGON WAS RECOGNISED AS SOVEREIGN.

And when Argon had done as you have heard, and remained in possession of
the Throne and of the Royal Palace, all the Barons of the different
Provinces, who had been subject to his father Abaga, came and performed
homage before him, and obeyed him, as was his due.[NOTE 1] And after