444 THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS

and his faithful Sabra went forward again on their journey.
After passing many desert countries, they came to Egypt, and
received the compliments of all the nobles, and everything was
made ready for them to be crowned.

While St. George was employed in Egypt, the other six
champions had laid waste most of Persia, and the sultan was
forced to take shelter in a strong city. Osmond the necromancer,
who had done so much mischief to the country of the Amazons,
now came and told the sultan to sally out the néxt day with all
his forces; and, while the two armies were engaged, he went
into a dark valley, and used his horrid charms; on which the
sky was covered with blackness; lightning flashed around them ;
and from a pitchy cloud which descended in front of the Chris-
tians, there flew out a number of evil spirits, which threw down
both men and horses. But on the banner of the cross being
displayed, these spirits all vanished, and the Christians drove
the Persian troops from the field of battle. When Osmond
found he could not succeed by force, he raised an enchanted
tent, and changed sevoral of the spirits into the shapes of beau-
tiful virgins, that they might entice the six champions by their
charms. This would have proved the ruin of the Christian
army, had not St. George, by good fortune, arrived on the day
of battle. He rushed into the enchanted tent, and cut it in
pieces with his sword, on which the seeming virgins vanished
with a dreadful noise. Osmond was bound to a withered oak
with fetters of adamant, his magic power left him, and he re-
mained mourning and gnawing his flesh, till some evil spirits
carried him away. After making the conquest of Persia com-
plete, the seven champions took shipping for England, where
they were received with every demonstration of joy.

But an accident soon turned the publie joy into sorrow and
mourning. A stag-hunt being proposed by St. George and the