n the wind that now was
blowing its strongest, as it does at this season of the year just at the
time of dawn. Yet that lantern seemed to travel fast and lo! now I saw
that it was fire running up the rigging of a ship.

It leapt from rope to rope and from sail to sail till they blazed
fiercely, and in other ships also nearer to us, flame appeared that grew
to a great red sheet. Our men had not failed; the navy of the King of
kings was burning! Oh! how it burned fanned by the breath of that strong
wind. From vessel to vessel leapt the fire like a thing alive, for all
of them were drawn up on the bank with prows fastened in such fashion
that they could not readily be made loose. Some broke away indeed, but
they were aflame and only served to spread the fire more quickly. Before
the rim of the sun appeared for a league or more there was nothing but
blazing ships from which rose a hideous crying, and still more and more
took fire lower down the line.

I had no time to watch for now I must be up and doing. The sky grew
grey, there was light enough to see though faintly. I cast my eyes about
me and perceived that no place in the world could have been better for
archery. In front the hill was steep for a hundred paces or more and
scattered over with thousands of large stones behind which bowmen might
take shelter. Then came a gentle slope of loose sand up which attackers
would find it hard to climb. Then the long flat plain whereon the
Easterns were camped, and beyond it, scarce two furlongs away, the banks
of Nile.

Indeed the place was ill-chosen for so great an army, nor could it have
held them all, had not the camping ground been a full league in length,
and even so they were crowded. Out of the mist their tents appeared,
thousands of them, farther than my eye could reach, and almost opposite
to me, near to the banks of the river, was a great pavilion of silk
and gold that I guessed must shelter the majesty of the King of kings.
Indeed this was certain since now I saw that over it floated his royal
banner which I knew so well, I who had stolen the little White Signet
of signets from which it was taken. Truly the holy Tanofir, or his Cup,
Karema, or his messengers, or the spirits with whom he dwelt, I know not
which, had a general's eye and knew how to plan an ambuscade.

So, thought I to myself as I ran back to my army to meet the gathered
captains and set all things in order. It was soon done for they were
ready, as w