the commander became exposed to danger; and
about the same time a sudden violent gust tore away the awning that
shaded his seat, and blew it into the Atik, which was not far off.
Rustam sought a refuge from the violence of the storm among his baggage
mules, and was probably meditating flight, when the Arabs were upon him.
Hillal, son of Alkama, intent upon plunder, began to cut the cords of
the baggage and strew it upon the ground. A bag falling severely injured
Rustam, who threw himself into the Atik and attempted to swim across.
Hillal, however, rushed after him, drew him to shore, and slew him;
after which he mounted the vacant throne, and shouted as loudly as
he could, "By the lord of the Kaaba, I have killed Rustam." The words
created a general panic. Everywhere the Persian courage fell; the most
part despaired wholly, and at once took to flight; a few cohorts alone
stood firm and were cut to pieces; the greater number of the men rushed
hastily to the Atik; some swam the stream others crossed where it
had been filled up; but as many as 30,000 perished in the waves.
Ten thousand had fallen on the field of battle in the course of the
preceding night and day, while of the Mohammedans as many as 6000
had been slain. Thus the last day of the Kadisiyeh fight was stoutly
contested; and the Persian defeat was occasioned by no deficiency
of courage, but by the occurrence of a sand-storm and by the almost
accidental death of the commander. Among the Persian losses in the
battle that of the national standard, the _durufsh-kawani_ was reckoned
the most serious.

The retreat of the defeated army was conducted by Jalenus. Sa'ad,
anxious to complete his victory, sent three bodies of troops across the
Atik, to press upon the flying foe. One of these, commanded by Sohra,
came up with the Persian rear-guard under Jalenus at Harrar, and
slaughtered it, together with its leader. The other two seem to have
returned without effecting much. The bulk of the fugitives traversed
Mesopotamia in safety, and found a shelter behind the walls of
Ctesiphon.

By the defeat of Kadisiyeh all hope of recovering the territory on the
right bank of the Euphrates was lost; but Persia did not as yet despair
of maintaining her independence. It was evident, indeed, that the
permanent maintenance of the capital was henceforth precarious; and a
wise forethought would have suggested the removal of the Court from so
exposed a situation and its transference t