The poor lady took her
child's head and carried it to Mahan, and having given him an account of
the outrages committed by his officers, demanded satisfaction. He took
but little notice of the affair, and put her off with a slight answer;
upon which her husband, resolved to take the first opportunity of being
revenged, went privately over to the Saracens and acquainted them with
his design. Returning back to the Greeks, he told them it was in his
power to do them singular service. He therefore takes a great number of
them, and brings them to a great stream, which was very deep, and only
fordable at one place. By his instructions five hundred of the Saracen
horse had crossed over where the water was shallow, and after attacking
the Greeks, in a very little time returned in excellent order by the
same way they came. The injured gentleman calls out and encourages the
Greeks to pursue, who, not at all acquainted with the place, plunged
into the water confusedly and perished in great numbers. In the
subsequent engagements before Yermouk (all of which were in November,
636), the Christians invariably were defeated, till at last, Mahan's
vast army being broken and dispersed, he was forced to flee, thus
leaving the Saracens masters of the field, and wholly delivered from
those terrible apprehensions with which the news of his great
preparations had filled them.
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