238 THE BOY CRUSADERS.

grasp, Bisset sunk into silence, and indulged in
reflection.

‘Sir knight,’ said Walter, after a long pause, ‘ I
have made a strange discovery. Guy Muschamp, the
English squire, my brother-in-arms, is a captive in
this palace, and in danger of death, because he will
not abandon his faith as a Christian. I have seen
him; I have spoken with him; I implore you to ob-
tain his release; for,’ added Walter, with tears in his
eyes, ‘I must tell you frankly, that otherwise I
must remain to share his fate.’

‘Fear not, boy,’ said Bisset, touched with the
squire’s emotion ; ‘I will see to his being ransomed.
In truth, I hardly think there will be much diffi-
culty; for this caliph is a miser—a mean, detestable
miser—and would sell anything for bezants—even
his soul, if he had not already pawned it to Satan,
through his brokers Mahound and Termagaunt.’
And, too much occupied with his dream of seizing
Bagdad, and carving out a kingdom with his sword,
the knight relapsed into silence, and scarcely moved
till evening fell.

It was just after sunset, and Bisset was rapt in
thought, and Walter Espec perplexing his soul about
Guy Muschamp, when suddenly they were aroused
by the voice of the Muezzin, who, according to the
custom of the Saracens, standing on the minaret of a
mosque hard by, solemnly proclaimed three times—
‘There is but one God, and Mahomet is his pro-
phet.’

Walter sprang up, quivering with pious horror,
and hastily crossed himself.