第100章 Before the Walls of Ascalon(2)

"Sultan, I will have none of your mercy at such a price, nor do Ibow the knee to your dog of a false prophet, who perish in the faith of Christ, and, being weary of the world, am content to go to Him."Saladin sprang to his feet, his very beard bristling with wrath, and drawing his sabre, shouted aloud:

"You scorn Mahomet! Behold! I avenge Mahomet upon you! Take him away!" And he struck him with the flat of his scimitar.

Then Mameluks leapt upon the prince.Dragging him to the entrance of the tent, they forced him to his knees and there beheaded him in sight of the soldiers and of the other prisoners.

Thus, bravely enough, died Reginald de Chatillon, whom the Saracens called prince Arnat.In the hush that followed this terrible deed king Guy said to Godwin:

"Ask the Sultan if it is my turn next."

"Nay," answered Saladin; "kings do not kill kings, but that truce-breaker has met with no more than his deserts."Then came a scene still more dreadful.Saladin went to the door of his tent, and standing over the body of Reginald, bade them parade the captive Templars and Hospitallers before him.They were brought to the number of over two hundred, for it was easy to distinguish them by the red and white crosses on their breasts.

"These also are faith-breakers," he shouted, "and of their unclean tribes will I rid the world.Ho! my emirs and doctors of the law," and he turned to the great crowd of his captains about him, "take each of you one of them and kill him."Now the emirs hung back, for though fanatics they were brave, and loved not this slaughter of defenceless men, and even the Mameluks murmured aloud.

But Saladin cried again:

"They are worthy of death, and he who disobeys my command shall himself be slain.""Sultan," said Godwin, "we cannot witness such a crime; we ask that we may die with them.""Nay," he answered; "you have eaten of my salt, and to kill you would be murder.Get you to the tent of the princess of Baalbec yonder, for there you will see nothing of the death of these Franks, your fellow-worshippers."So the brethren turned, and led by a Mameluk, fled aghast for the first time in their lives, past the long lines of Templars and Hospitallers, who in the last red light of the dying day knelt upon the sand and prayed, while the emirs came up to kill them.

They entered the tent, none forbidding them, and at the end of it saw two women crouched together on some cushions, who rose, clinging to each other.Then the women saw also and sprang forward with a cry of joy, saying:

"So you live--you live! "

"Ay, Rosamund," answered Godwin, "to see this shame--would God that we did not--whilst others die.They murder the knights of the holy Orders.To your knees and pray for their passing souls."So they knelt down and prayed till the tumult died away, and they knew that all was done.

"Oh, my cousins," said Rosamund, as she staggered to her feet at length, "what a hell of wickedness and bloodshed is this in which we dwell! Save me from it if you love me--I beseech you save me!

"

"We will do our best," they answered; "but let us talk no more of these things which are the decree of God--lest we should go mad.

Tell us your story."

But Rosamund had little to tell, except that she had been well treated, and always kept by the person of the Sultan, marching to and fro with his army, for he awaited the fulfilment of his dream concerning her.Then they told her all that had chanced to them;also of the vision of Godwin and its dreadful accomplishment, and of the death of Hassan beneath the sword of Wulf.At that story Rosamund wept and shrank from him a little, for though it was this prince who had stolen her from her home, she loved Hassan.

Yet when Wulf said humbly:

"The fault is not mine; it was so fated.Would that I had died instead of this Saracen!"Rosamund answered: "No, no; I am proud that you should have conquered."But Wulf shook his head, and said:

"I am not proud.Although weary with that awful battle, I was still the younger and stronger man, though at first he well-nigh mastered me by his skill and quickness.At least we parted friends.Look, he gave me this," and he showed her the great emerald badge which the dying prince had given him.

Masouda, who all this while had sat very quiet, came forward and looked at it.

"Do you know," she asked, "that this jewel is very famous, not only for its value, but because it is said to have belonged to one of the children of the prophet, and to bring good fortune to its owner?"Wulf smiled.

"It brought little to poor Hassan but now, when my grandsire's sword shore the Damascus steel as though it were wet clay.""And sent him swift to Paradise, where he would be, at the hands of a gallant foe," answered Masouda."Nay, all his life this emir was happy and beloved, by his sovereign, his wives, his fellows and his servants, nor do I think that he would have desired another end whose wish was to die in battle with the Franks.At least there is scarce a soldier in the Sultan's army who would not give all he has for yonder trinket, which is known throughout the land as the Star of Hassan.So beware, Sir Wulf, lest you be robbed or murdered, although you have eaten the salt of Salah-ed-din.""I remember the captain Abdullah looking at it greedily and lamenting that the Luck of the House of Hassan should pass to an unbeliever," said Wulf."Well, enough of this jewel and its dangers; I think Godwin has words to say.""Yes," said Godwin."We are here in your tent through the kindness of Saladin, who did not wish us to witness the death of our comrades, but to-morrow we shall be separated again.Now if you are to escape--""I will escape! I must escape, even if I am recaptured and die for it," broke in Rosamund passionately.

"Speak low," said Masouda."I saw the eunuch Mesrour pass the door of the tent, and he is a spy--they all are spies.""If you are to escape," repeated Godwin in a whisper, "it must be within the next few weeks while the army is on the march.The risk is great to all of us--even to you, and we have no plan.