76 TIE BOY CRUSADERS.

placed crossbowmen to harass and keep off the foe.
Nor did Louis in that hour appear in any way un-
worthy to be the leader of brave men. Attended by
his brothers and his knights, the King of France,
arrayed in chain-mail, with his helmet on his brow,
his shield on his neck, and his lance in his hand,
figured prominently on the right of his array. By
his side stood the cardinal legate; and in front of
him was a boat in which the oriflamme, brought
from the abbey of St. Denis, was proudly dis-
played.

It was an exciting occasion, and the hearts of the
saint-king and his mailed comrades beat high as
the barques moved onward to the Egyptian strand.
The warriors, standing steady and silent as graven
images, gazed earnestly on their multitudinous foes.
For a time no attempt was made to oppose their
progress. No sooner, however, were they within
bowshot, than a shower of arrows and javelins rattled
against the mail of the Crusaders. For a moment
the ranks of the Christian warriors were shaken.
But the crossbowmen, without the delay of an
instant, retaliated with damaging effect; and while
their shafts carried death into the Saracen host, the
rowers redoubled their efforts to reach the shore,
and bring Christian and Moslem hand to hand and
foot to foot. |

Again the silence was unbroken, save by the
plashing of oars and the tumultuous shock of the
barques pressing on in disorder. Ere long, however,
there was a loud shout. The Lord of Joinville,
closely followed by Baldwin de Rheims, had reaehed-