202 THE BOY CRUSADERS.

if he did not return to his tent, and, still keenly
bent on completing their work of murder, ordered
the sultan to come down.

Touran Chah shook his head, as if declining the
invitation. |

‘Fool,’ cried the conspirators, scornfully, ‘ we have
the means of compelling you to descend, or to meeta
worse fate; and without further parley they com-
menced assailing the tower with Greek fire.

The Greek fire caught the cloth and timber, and
immediately the whole was in a blaze. Touran
Chah could no longer hesitate. One hope remained
to him, namely to rush towards the Nile, to throw
himself into the water, and to take refuge on board
one of the vessels that he saw anchored near the shore.
Accordingly he leaped from the blazing tower, with the
intention of rushing across the lawn. But the toils
were upon him. A nail having caught his mantle,
he, after remaining for a moment suspended, fell to
the ground. Instantly sabres and swords waved over
him; and he clung in a supplicating posture to
Octai, one of the captains of his guard; but Octai
repulsed him with contempt. Nevertheless, the con-
spirators hesitated; and they were still hesitating,
when Bibars Bendocdar, who was never troubled
either with fears or scruples, and who, indeed, had
struck the first blow, made a thrust go stern that
the sword remained sticking fast between the ribs of
the victim. Still resisting, however, the sultan con-
trived to drag himself to the Nile, with a hope of
reaching the galleys from which the captive Crusaders
witnessed the outrage; but some of the Mamelukes