het enticed many of the most prominent families
of Mecca to his standard. By his marriage with the aunt of Khaled Ibn
Waled he secured the alliance of that famous soldier; and by marrying
Omm Habiba, daughter of Abu Sofian, he hoped to gain the friendship of
his ancient and inveterate enemy.

But time seemed to lag, and his restless spirit soon set itself to look
about for some pretext by which he might attack Mecca. A casual skirmish
of a few soldiers of the Koreish with a detachment of his soldiers gave
the necessary excuse, and he at once charged the Koreish with having
broken the truce. They were anxious to make overtures of peace, but
Mohammed would listen to nothing.

All saw plainly that no concessions would conciliate a conqueror thus
bent upon hostility, and the attitude of Mecca became that of a patient
waiting, a dread looking for a surely impending calamity ready to fall
at any hour.

And yet, when it did come, the Meccans were not expecting it, so silent,
so sudden was the swoop of the conqueror. Every road leading to Mecca
was barred by Mohammed, so that none might tell of his plans. All his
allies received a mysterious summons to meet him at a point some
distance from Mecca, and they came none the less readily that they did
not know why they were thus assembled.

With a host of ten thousand men, Mohammed set out over the barren
plains, and through the defiles of the mountains. Like a vast funeral
procession the long train wound its way in a silence broken only by the
dull tread of the beasts and the whispered ejaculations of the soldiers.
In the night they reached the appointed valley. Lines of men came
pouring in from every side, and at last, as a signal to all the rest,
Omar, the chief in command, gave the order that the watch-fires be
lighted,--and at once every summit sent up its spire of flame.

The citizens of Mecca were stricken with awe.

"I myself will go and see what this means," said Abu Sofian; and with a
single companion he set out over the hills. As they stood in sight of
the great host below, the step of men sounded near them. They were
seized as spies, and hurried off to the tent of Omar.

The bright light of Omar's camp-fire revealed the white hair and
flashing eye of the grim old warrior.

"By the prophet of Allah! Ye have brought in a rich prize!" exclaimed
Omar, and his dagger flashed in the firelight as he drew it to plunge
into Abu Sofian's bosom. But deliverance was near. O