Therefore the sheikh, looking attentively, saw in the
middle of one of the gates a figure of a horseman of brass, having one
hand extended, as though he were pointing with it, and on it was an
inscription, which the sheikh read, and, lo, it contained these words:

Turn the pin that is in the middle of the front of the horseman's body
twelve times, and then the gate will open.

So he turned the pin twelve times; whereupon the gate opened
immediately, with a noise like thunder; and the sheikh entered. He was a
learned man, acquainted with all languages and characters. And he walked
on until he entered a long passage, whence he descended some steps, and
he found a place with handsome wooden benches, on which were people
dead, and over their heads were elegant shields, and keen swords, and
strung bows, and notched arrows. And behind the next gate were a bar of
iron, and barricades of wood, and locks of delicate fabric, and strong
apparatus. Upon this, the sheikh said within himself: "Perhaps the keys
are with these people." Then he looked, and, lo, there was a sheikh who
appeared to be the oldest of them, and he was upon a high wooden bench
among the dead men. So Abd-Es-Samad said: "May not the keys of the city
be with this sheikh! Perhaps he was the gate-keeper of the city, and
these were under his authority." He therefore drew near to him, and
lifted up his garments, and, lo, the keys were hung to his waist. At the
sight of them, Abd-Es-Samad rejoiced exceedingly; and he took the keys,
opened the locks, and pulled the gate and the barricades and other
apparatus, which opened and the gate also opened, with a noise like
thunder. Upon this the sheikh exclaimed: "God is most great!" and the
people made the same exclamation with him, rejoicing at the event. The
Emeer Moosa also rejoiced at the safety of Abd-Es-Samad, and at the
opening of the gate of the city; the people thanked him for that which
he had done, and all the troops hastened to enter the gate. But the
Emeer Moosa cried out to them, saying to them: "O people, if all of us
enter, we shall not be secure from accident. Half shall enter, and half
shall remain behind."

The Emeer Moosa then entered the gate, and with him half of the people,
who bore their weapons of war. And the party saw their companions lying
dead: so they buried them. They saw also the gate-keepers and servants
and chamberlains and lieutenants lying upon beds of silk, all of them
dead. And they