only a single prisoner, he returned to Medina. On the way he made friendship with Oyeina, chief of the powerful Beni Fezara, whom he permitted to pasture his flocks at a day's journey from the town.

The great danger for Mohammed came from the south, from the direction of Mecca. Abu Sofyan was very active and tried to enlist on his side all the Bedouin tribes of the neighbourhood. Mohammed received information that on the north-west of Mecca, near the coast of the Red Sea, the Beni Mostalik were gathering with hostile intentions, under their chief Harith Ibn Dhirar. To overthrow them would be a discouragement to other confederates of the Koreish, and, at the same time, clear the way in the direction of Mecca. Mohammed was well supported by every class in Medina and started with a large army and thirty horses. Against such a force the Mostaliks deemed resistance useless. They killed only one enemy, whilst ten of their own number were slain. The whole tribe, 200 families, with all their goods, including 2000 camels, fell into the hands of the victors. The chief's daughter Jowairia, was so beautiful and attractive that Aisha, as Ibn Ishak tells us, hated her from the moment she first set eyes on her. She augured right. Mohammed could not resist those charms, and, without delay, procured her liberty and added her to the number of his wives. In honour of the occasion the whole tribe was liberated, as now joined to the Prophet by the ties of kindred. It was good policy to attach to himself, by this liberal treatment, a Bedouin tribe living so near Mecca, and on the usual caravan road to Syria.

An incident, happening before he left the territory of the Beni Mostalik, showed that his position in Medina was not yet altogether free from internal danger. Amidst the bustle round the well of Moreisi an altercation, resulting in blows, arose between a native of Medina and a refugee, during which each of them called on his own party for assistance. The excitement grew hot on both sides, and Abd Allah Ibn Obei gave vent to the threat, 'I look upon these low Koreish in the light of the ancient saying, "Fatten a dog and it will eat thee up: but, by Allah! when we return to Medina, the strong shall cast out the low."' As soon as

Mohammed heard of this, he ordered the camp to be struck, and marched his troops for a day and a night, without halting, to make them forget the quarrel. Peace was restored, and even Abd Allah, who soon saw cause to regret his outspokenness and to fear for his life, was spared. One of his friends said to Mohammed, concerning him, 'He himself is the low and thou the strong; if thou wilt, thou canst cast him out. But pity him; for when God brought thee to us, his people were already preparing the pearls for crowning him, and he believes that thou hast robbed him of his empire.' It appeared more prudent, at the time, to be conciliatory to such a man, than to drive him into the open arms of the Koreish enemies who still aimed at crushing the entire Moslem power.

Another unpleasant affair resulted to Mohammed from this expedition against the Mostaliks. On the homeward journey of the army, Aisha remained behind at the last halting-place before Medina and next morning arrived alone, mounted on a camel, which was led by a young man named Safwan. She affirmed that, whilst walking about in search of a precious necklace which she had dropped, the army departed and unwittingly left her behind, whereupon Safwan, who had been accidentally delayed by some business, observed her, and safely conducted her home. But the general talk was, that the adventure implied a conjugal misconduct on her part. This was all the more natural, on account of the recent addition to the objects of her rivalry in the person of the beautiful Jowairia. Mohammed seems to have at first shared the general opinion and let his youthful wife feel that he suspected her. She became ill and received permission to return home, in order to be cared for by her mother. Repudiation seemed impending and Ali hinted to his father-in-law that there was no lack of women to supply her place, a suggestion which may account for the ill-feeling ever afterwards shown by Aisha to Ali. But it was not politic to wound his oldest and best friend Abu Bekr by disgracing his daughter. Her tears and attractions, after a few weeks' estrangement, softened the Prophet's heart. The slanderers were silenced by being publicly flogged; and he paid his injured wife a visit in the house of her parents. Whilst there,