LIFE OJ" MOHAMMED. 285 



the army of the BeUevers, amounting to about 1000 

 men, of whom 200 were cuirassiers, left the capital, 

 and encamped on the base of Mount Ohud, at the 

 distance of six miles to the northward. The daunt- 

 less apostle, though deserted by fifty of his follow- 

 ers, disposed of his troops to the best advantage. 

 Having no cavalry,— for, except the horse on which 

 he rode, there was not one in the whole army, — he 

 posted fifty archers in the rear; fearing he might be 

 surrounded by the enemy, who were at least three 

 times his number. The cuirassiers he placed in the 

 •centre ; and having made these dispositions, he or- 

 dered the whole line to await calmly the signal of 

 attack. The archers, on whom chiefly the fortune 

 of the day depended, he strictly commanded not to 

 quit their position, even should the front give way. 

 The Koreish drew up in form of a crescent ; the 

 center commanded by Abu Sofian, and the right by 

 the famous Khaled, the bravest and most successful 

 of the Arabian generals. The rearguard, or body 

 Df reserve, was under the surveillance of the heroic 

 Henda and her matrons, who cheered the standard- 

 bearers as they passed. 



Both armies stood facing each other. At the word 

 of attack, the Moslems fell upon the idolaters with a 

 fury that nothing could withstand. The weight of 

 the charge broke their centre, drove them down the 

 hill, and might have secured to the Believers a 

 bloodless victory, had they attended to the orders 

 of their able commander. But the whole advantage 

 was lost by the impatient rapacity of the archers. 

 Elated at this first instance of success, and hurried 

 away with the avidity of plunder, they abandoned 

 the important station that had been assigned them. 

 Their dispersion left the Mussulman army entirely 

 misupported, and destitute of its chief defence ; — a 

 circumstance which did not escape the practised eye 

 of the intrepid Khaled. Seizing the favourable mo- 

 ment, he made a rapid wheel with his cavalry, and 



