d miles. His tongue was like a bright sword, and his heart
as bounteous as the ocean, and his hands like the clouds when rain falls
to gladden the thirsty earth. Aghriras, the brother of Afrasiyab,
however, was not so precipitate. He cautioned his father to be prudent,
for though Persia could no longer boast of the presence of Minuchihr,
still the great warrior Sam, and Karun, and Garshasp, were living, and
Poshang had only to look at the result of the wars in which Silim and
Tur were involved, to be convinced that the existing conjuncture
required mature deliberation. "It would be better," said he, "not to
begin the contest at all, than to bring ruin and desolation on our own
country." Poshang, on the contrary, thought the time peculiarly fit and
inviting, and contended that, as Minuchihr took vengeance for the blood
of his grandfather, so ought Afrasiyab to take vengeance for his. "The
grandson," he said, "who refuses to do this act of justice, is unworthy
of his family. There is nothing to apprehend from the efforts of Nauder,
who is an inexperienced youth, nor from the valor of his warriors.
Afrasiyab is brave and powerful in war, and thou must accompany him and
share the glory." After this no further observation was offered, and the
martial preparations were completed.

AFRASIYAB MARCHES AGAINST NAUDER

The brazen drums on the elephants were sounded as the signal of
departure, and the army proceeded rapidly to its destination,
overshadowing the earth in its progress. Afrasiyab had penetrated as far
as the Jihun before Nauder was aware of his approach. Upon receiving
this intelligence of the activity of the enemy, the warriors of the
Persian army immediately moved in that direction, and on their arrival
at Dehstan, prepared for battle.

Afrasiyab despatched thirty thousand of his troops under the command of
Shimasas and Khazervan to Zabulistan, to act against Zal, having heard
on his march of the death of the illustrious Sam, and advanced himself
upon Dehstan with four hundred thousand soldiers, covering the ground
like swarms of ants and locusts. He soon discovered that Nauder's forces
did not exceed one hundred and forty thousand men, and wrote to Poshang,
his father, in high spirits, especially on account of not having to
contend against Sam, the warrior, and informed him that he had detached
Shimasas against Zabulistan. When the armies had approached to within
two leagues of each other, Barman, one of the