168 THE BOY CRUSADERS,

prophet, they became more and more eager for
carnage and blood, and the Crusaders less and less
capable of a stubborn resistance. At length, on
reaching the little town of Minieh, the Crusaders
acknowledged that they could no longer continue the
retreat; and, halting, they drew up ina body outside
the town, with the ake resolution of eee till
they fell.

But by this time Louis was utterly exhausted ; and
Negrines, conducting him into the court, lifted him
from his steed, and carried him, ‘ weak as a child in
its mother’s lap,’ into a house, expecting every mo-
ment to be his last. Nor did the prospects of the
Crusaders outside improve in the king’s absence.
Alarming rumours, vaguely flying about the town,
reached their ears and depressed their hearts; and,
while they were still in panic and incertitude, the
Saracens made an onset with more than their former
ferocity. Soon all was confusion and carnage. It
seemed, indeed, that nothing but the hearts’ blood
of the Crusaders would satisfy the vindictive cravings
of their foes; and so utterly dispirited by adversity
and defeat, and pestilence, were knights formerly
renowned as brave among the bravest that they al-
lowed themselves, ates without resisting, to be
slaughtered in heaps.

Naturally, however, there were striking exceptions;
and none were more remarkable than Chatillon an
Bisset; who, when Louis was conducted into Munieh,
took up their post hard by an orange grove, and close
to awall at the entrance of the narrow street leading
to the house into which Segrines had carried the king.