120 THE BOY CRUSADETS.

his Crusade, it was the custom, when two eastern
potentates went to war, for the conqueror to sell the
subjects of the vanquished enemy as slaves; and
many of these, bought by merchants, were carried to
Egypt, and sold to the sultan, who had them trained
from boyhood to serve him as soldiers. Carefully
were these young captives reared; and, when their
beards began to grow, they were taught to draw the
bow and wield the sword. After becoming expert in
military exercises, they were admitted into that
famous body, which Saladin the Great had instituted,
and known as Mamelukes. Their privileges were
many. ‘They were highly favoured by the sultan,
wearing his emblazonments of pure gold, only adding
bars of vermilion, with birds or roses or griffins for
difference, and acting as his body-guard in time of
war, and watching over his safety while he slept.

It seems that Bibars Bendocdar was originally
brought to Egypt as a slave, and, in course of time,
enrolled as one of the Mamelukes. As such he rose
rapidly. His ambition was intense; and, being both
able and unscrupulous, he had no reason to despair
of his ambition being one day gratified. No position,
indeed, could be more favourabie to a man eager to
emerge from obscurity to eminence, than that which
he occupied ; and he not only succeeded in winning
the confidence of the sultan, but contrived to in-
sinuate himself into the good graces of the soldiers.
In truth, this with him was no difficult matter. He
had profoundiy studied human nature as it was ex-
hbited around him; and he comprehended, above all
tuings, the arts by which the hearts of fighting men