He expatiated also on his horse's pedigree, which was as lengthy as his own.
When my friends came up, I quite expected them to rid me of the tiresome knight.

But they did nothing of the sort.

They took the man and his pretensions seriously, exchanging with him compliments in striking contrast with the haughty tone I had till then adopted.
Rashid refused his challenge with politeness, and, much to my dismay, Suleyman, the older and more thoughtful man, accepted it upon condition that the combat should stand over till some more convenient time; and when the knight proclaimed his sovereign will to travel with us, they seemed pleased.
'He will be useful to us,' said Rashid, when I complained to him of this deception, 'for his tribe controls a great part of this country.
But it will be best for me to carry our revolver while he rides with us.

Then I and not your Honour can deny him, which is more becoming.' The knight had asked for my revolver thrice already.
That evening, near a lonely village of the plain, the battle with Suleyman was fought with equal honours, each rider hitting his man squarely with the long jerideh--the stripped palm-branch--which is substituted for the spear in friendly combat.

The heroes faced each other at a regulated distance.