the enemies that some were killed by their own party, and their main army with difficulty managed to retreat to the mountain of Ohod, to re-form under its shelter.

This cavalry charge had proved most destructive to the Moslems. Their slain amounted to 70 or 75, amongst whom was Mohammed's valiant uncle Hamza and three other refugees. The victory was decidedly on the side of the Meccans, who lost altogether only 22 men killed. Mohammed's own life had for awhile been in danger. He was hit by a stone, bruising his lip and depriving him of a tooth. A blow from a sword drove two helmet-rings into his flesh; and he fell into one of the ditches from which he could not extricate himself alone, being weighed down by a double armour with which he had guarded himself against the dangers of the day. His enemies already believed that their triumph had been crowned with his death; but his cry, 'Who will sacrifice himself for us?' was heard in time to bring friends to his rescue, and he was soon taken to a place of safety, on the mount, where his defeated army had likewise found shelter. The two armies remained for a time at speaking distance and reproached each other in Arab fashion but the revenge taken was considered sufficient for the present, and they parted with the mutual threat, 'Next year we shall meet again at Bedr.' Abu Sofyan, it is true, showed a disposition to complete his work forthwith, by utterly crushing the defeated enemy; but he could not persuade the cautious moderation of his fellow-citizens. They were afraid of goading the enemy into a resistance of despair and advised the return home, content with having thus far repaid the debt of Bedr.

Some time after the enemy had departed, Mohammed followed in the same direction with his whole army, as far as Hamra, where they remained several days, in order to produce the appearance of not being cowed, but able to pursue an enemy retreating before them. However, the defeat was undeniable, and threatened the prestige of the militant prophet, whilst in Medina the loss of so many brave men was deeply felt. The lamentations by the women, for their loved dead, were so loud and heart-rending that they had to be checked by a special order. Mohammed was not

at a loss for words of comfort and explanation. According to Ibn Hisham he declared concerning his uncle Hamza, whose dead body had been found shockingly mutilated, 'Gabriel has paid me a visit to bring me the glad tidings that Hamza is amongst the inmates of the seven heavens, and that there is an inscription to this effect: "Hamza, Abdu-l-Mottaleb's son, the lion of God and of His apostle."' According to Ibn Ishak he affirmed, that all those who had been slain in the path of God would rise on the day of the resurrection, with their wounds shining red and emitting a blood of musk-like aroma. The same authority also assures us that, amongst the revelations concerning the affair of Ohod, the single Sura Al-i-Amran contains sixty verses in which Mohammed's measures are justified and the blame of defeat is laid on the greed and disobedience of his followers. But in spite of all these extenuations, the awkward fact remains that the Prophet rejected the good advice of a man whom he had supplanted, in favour of other counsels, which led to a great disaster.

(7.) In consequence of his defeat at Ohod, Mohammed has to meet several hostile demonstrations of Bedouin tribes, and afterwards a protracted siege of Medina by a formidable Meccan army.

The sham pursuit of the retreating Meccans by Mohammed deceived no one; and the undeniable defeat he had sustained, encouraged the keen-eyed Bedouin tribes to sundry hostile movements, against which he had to defend himself by warlike enterprises of a less important character. These occupied a great part of the two years which intervened between the battle of Ohod and the formidable but fruitless siege of Medina, by another Meccan army, again under the command of Abu Sofyan.

The first who attempted to turn the calamity of Ohod to their own advantage, were the Beni Asad of Faid, in the Nejd. Their chief Toleiha, trusting in his horsemen and fleet camels, prepared a raid on Medinan territory, with the view of carrying away a portion of its flocks. But Mohammed received early information of the plan, and at once despatched