Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/124

Yet may God give him peace, and may the tribes befriend him."
And Abu Zeyd arose and he spoke to the" assembly,
And he cried aloud, " Behold me, Abu Zeyd of Helal Ibn Amer,
I in truth was the slayer of these eight men of thy people,
Taking them thus ' from their joy and deaUng them destruction.
And lo, thou art here to-day in the midst of these thy great ones.
And I one man alone. Yet if thou stand in- debted,
Take thy due of the lion's blood and all that are with thee.
Now is their time to strike. Let none hold back to spare me."
But Fadel the Agheyli spoke, and thus aloud he addressed him,
" Welcome to thee, O prince, O thou the right arm of Amer."
And he rose up and embraced him and made him sit at his right hand.
And Abu Zeyd made known the hiding-place of the grey mare.
And the Arabs pressed around, and the poets sang of his praises.
And the heart of Agheyli was soothed and he cried, " O right arm of Amer,