216 THE BOY CRUSADERS.

left the city and marched to the mount, where was
the churchyard of St. Nicholas, to defend the gardens;
while bowmen posted between them and the town
kept up a brisk discharge of arrows, and Bisset at
the head of a band of horsemen, attended by Walter
Espec, charged forward and skirmished with the
Saracens so as to retard their approach. Neverthe-
less, the Saracens continued to advance, and the
Christian magnates who had been walking in the
squares came to the battlements, and with anxiety on
their faces watched the feats of arms that were per-
formed, and especially those wrought by the young
knight of Genoa. |

Meanwhile Bisset and Walter Espec,while skirmish-
ing with the Saracens, skirted their lines and madea
circuit of the garden with the object of defending a
gate by which it was feared an entrance might be
effected. And in truth they found they had come
too late to prevent the evil that was apprehended.
Just as they approached their ears were hailed with
loud cries of ‘Help! help!’ and to their horror they
perceived that ten or twelve Saracens, well mounted,
were issuing from the garden, one of whom was
forcibly carrying off a lady without regard to her
screams or her struggles.

‘In the name of wonder!’ gaid Bisset, staring in
amaze, ‘ what is iuis I see?’

‘By Holy Katherine!’ exclaimed Walter wildly,
‘the pagan dogs are carrying off a lady, and she is
no other than Adeline de Brienne. To the rescue,
sir knight! to the rescue!’ |

‘ Hold,’ cried Bisset, ‘or you will ruin all, See