CHAPTER XITI.
INCURSIONS.

ND what were the sultan and the Saracens
saying and doing while the Crusaders were
establishing themselves at Damietta, and delighting
their souls with visions of the conquest of Egypt ?
In order to ascertain we must, in imagination, pass
from the camp at Damietta to the palace of Cairo.
Melikul Salih was under the influence of a malady
which his physicians pronounced to be incurable.
On that point there was no mistake. Nevertheless,
when pigeons carried to Cairo intelligence of the
French king’s victory and Fakreddin’s defeat, the
sultan roused himself to energy, and, after having
sentenced fifty of the principal fugitives to execution,
and taken Fakreddin severely to task for allowing
his men to be vanquished, he caused himself to be
removed to Mansourah. On reaching that city,
Melikul Salih expended his remaining strength in
rallying his army and strengthening the fortifications,
and at the same time sent men to attack the Cru-
saders in their camp, to kill the Franks and cut off
their heads,—promising a golden besant for every
head brought to him. |