HISTORY OF THE WAHABEES. 325 



to plant one of their fieldpieces. A whole day was 

 consumed in fruitless attempts ; and such was the 

 terror inflicted by the lances of the Wahabees, that 

 numbers deserted the ranks and fled to Mecca, 

 where they spread the alarming news of the pasha's 

 death, and the total defeat of the expedition. Find- 

 ing he could have no chance of success so long as 

 the enemy kept the mountains,, the policy of AH 

 was to decoy them into the plain. He sent during 

 the night for reinforcements from Kolach, and early 

 next morning renewed the assault ; commanding the 

 officers to advance with their columns closer to the 

 enemy's position, and after the first fire to retreat 

 in seeming disorder. The stratagem had the desired 

 effect. The Arabs, seeing their adversaries fly, 

 thought they were panic-struck, and that the for- 

 -tunate moment for completely crushing them had 

 arrived. They imprudently abandoned the steeps 

 and gave chase over the plain ; and when they had 

 advanced to a sufficient distance from their strong- 

 holds the pasha wheeled round with his cavalry, out- 

 flanked the pursuers, and after a hot engagement 

 of five hours gained a decisive victory. 



In this action the pasha fought in person at the 

 moment when he ordered his cavalry to wheel and 

 repel their pursuers. In order to keep alive the 

 spirit of resistance he dismounted, commanded his 

 carpet to be spread on a little level spot in presence 

 of the whole line, and seating himself upon it, 

 he called for his pipe, declaring that from that 

 ground he would not move, but there await victory 

 or death as fate might determine. A reward of six 

 dollars was proclaimed to every soldier who should 

 present him with the head of an enemy ; and in a 



