192 THE BOY CRUSADERS.

‘Seigneurs,’ said he, interrupting the conference,
‘noble knights of France, surrender yourselves all!
The king commands you by me. Do not cause him
to be put to death.’

On hearing this message, the emir withdrew his
~ hand, returned De Montfort’s ring. put on his turban,
and intimated that the negotiation was at an end.

‘God is powerful,’ said he, ‘and it is not customary
to treat with beaten enemies.’

And now it was that there ensued such a scene as
Minieh had never witnessed. Almost as the nego-
tiation ended, Louis was seized, violently handled
and put in chains. Both the Count of Poictiers and
the Count of Anjou were at the same time made
prisoners ; and the bulk of the warriors accompanying
the king had scarcely the choice between surrender
and death; for nothing, as has been said, but their
hearts’ blood would satisfy the vindictive cravings of
their foes; and, when the king’s captivity became
known, many of those who had formerly been most
intrepid, remained motionless and incapable of the
shihtest resistance.

About the time when King Louis was put in
chains, and when Bisset, the English knight, was
endeavouring to escape death or rather captivity, the
suitan arrived at Minieh, and, without any display
of generosity for the vanquished, took measures for
improving his victory to the utmost. The king and
his brothers who, like himself, were bound hand and
foot, were conducted in triumph to a boat of war.
The oriflamme—that banner so long the pride of
France —was now carried in mockery; the crosses