the most part of the folk will incline unto him.”  They replied, “O king, what is this boy and what power hath he?  An thou fear him, send him to one of the frontiers.”  And Bahluwan said, “Ye speak sooth; so we will send him as captain of war to reduce one of the outlying stations.”  Now over against the place in question was a host of enemies, hard of heart, and in this he designed the slaughter of the youth; so he bade bring him forth of the underground dungeon and caused him draw near to him and saw his case.  Then he robed him, whereat the folk rejoiced, and bound for him the banners[FN#240] and, giving him a mighty many, despatched him to the quarter aforesaid, whither all who went or were slain or were taken.  Accordingly Malik Shah fared thither with his force and when it was one of the days, behold, the enemy attacked them in the night; whereupon some of his men fled and the rest the enemy captured; and they seized Malik Shah also and cast him into a pit with a company of his men.  His fellows mourned over his beauty and loveliness and there he abode a whole twelvemonth in evillest plight.  Now at the beginning of every year it was the enemy’s wont to bring forth their prisoners and cast them down from the top of the citadel to the bottom; so at the customed time they brought them forth and cast them down, and Malik Shah with them.  However, he fell upon the other men and the ground touched him not, for his term was God-guarded.  But those who were cast down there were slain upon the spot and their bodies ceased not to lie there till the wild beasts ate them and the winds scattered their bones.  Malik Shah abode strown in his place and aswoon, all that day and that night, and when he revived and found himself safe and sound, he thanked Allah the Most High for his safety and rising, left the place.  He gave not over walking, unknowing whither he went and dieting upon the leaves of the trees; and by day he hid himself where he might and fared on at hazard all his night; and thus he did for some days, till he came to a populous part and seeing folk there, accosted them.  He acquainted them with his case, giving them to know that he had been prisoned in the fortress and that they had thrown him down, but Almighty Allah had saved him and brought him off alive.  The people had ruth on him and gave him to eat and drink and he abode with them several days; then he questioned them of the way that led to the kingdom of his uncle Bahluwan, but told them not that he was his father’s brother.  So they showed him the road and he ceased not to go barefoot, till he drew near his uncle’s capital, naked, anhungered, and indeed his limbs were lean and his colour changed.  He sat down at the city gate, when behold, up came a company of King Bahluwan’s chief officers, who were out a-hunting and wished to water their horses.  They lighted down to rest and the youth accosted them, saying, “I would ask you of somewhat that ye may acquaint me therewith.”  Quoth they,