thamamah said on the road to khorasan a turk came across us and with us was a commander who was charging with himself and his men. there was a valley between us and the turk so he asked him to have a knight from the people fight him. so he brought out for him a man more perfect than i have ever seen nor more perfect in stature or build. so he schemed until the knight crossed over to them. they walked around for an hour and we thought that our companion would pay many times his price while he was keeping his distance from us. while they were doing that the turk turned away from him as if he was fleeing from him. he did that in a place where we thought that our companion had gained control. the knight followed him and we had no doubt that he would bring us his head or bring it to us on his horse. we did not realize until our companion had slipped from his horse and disappeared from him. the turk came down to him took his spoils and killed him. then he confronted his horse and brought it to him with him.
وقال ثمامة عرض لنا في طريق خراسان تركي ومعنا قائد يصول بنفسه ورجاله، وبيننا وبين التركي واد، فسأله أن يبارزه فارس من القوم، فأخرج له رجلا لم أرقط أكمل منه، ولا أحسن تماما وقواما منه، فاحتال حتى عبر إليهم الفارس، فتجاولا ساعة، ولا نظن إلا أن صاحبنا يفي بأضعافه، وهو في ذلك يتباعد عنا. فبينما هما في ذلك إذ ولى عنه التركي كالهارب منه، وفعل ذلك في موضع ظننا أن صاحبنا قد ظهر عليه، وأتبعه الفارس لا نشك إلا أنه سيأتينا برأسه، أو يأتينا به مجنوبا إلى فرسه، فلم نشعر إلا وصاحبنا قد أفلت عن فرسه وغاب عنه، فنزل التركي إليه فأخذ سلبه وقتله، ثم عارض فرسه فجنبه إليه معه.