the animals back is heavy and it does not move on the ground. it sees as it retreats what our knight does not see as it advances. it sees our knight as prey and considers itself a cheetah a gazelle or a dog. by god if he were to throw it into the bottom of a well tied up it would not be beyond its power. and if the lives of most of them were not too short compared to the mountain meaning mount halwan then they intended to attack us they would have caused us a long time to be occupied.
ظهر الدابة ثقل، ولا لمشيه على الأرض وقع، وإنه ليرى وهو مدبر ما لا يرى الفارس منا وهو مقبل. وهو يرى الفارس منا صيدا ويعد نفسه فهدا، ويعده ظبيا ويعد نفسه كلبا. والله لو رمى به في قعر بئر مكتوفا لما أعجزته الحيلة؟ ولولا أن أعمار عامتهم تقصر دون الجبل يعني جبل حلوان ثم هموا بنا، لألقوا لنا شغلا طويلا.