adoption of western usage, bore his arms, took on himself the command.

In the mean time the French army was advancing on Cairo, or, as the crusaders called it, Babylon.

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CHAPTER IV.

It was a clear night in March: the moon and the stars looked down brightly through the warm air; the Nile flowed sluggishly over his bed of slime, but no longer through a deserted and desolate country. A little to the south, a faint redness on the horizon shewed the position of the city of Massourah, and along the course of the stream there were the lights of two hosts, the occasional call of a trumpet, or roll of the drum; the frequent passing of the watchword and military command. The army of the Franks was encamped between two branches of the Nile; that to their right, which entered the sea at Damietta, we shall usually mention as the river; that to their left was known by the name of the Ashmoum canal. Into the fork of these two they had now penetrated, so that further advance, without crossing one or the other, was impossible. Fachr' Addin had chosen his position at the other side of the Ashmoum canal; but he was enabled to command both external sides of the fork, from his possession of a ford on the Nile itself, higher than the spot where it branched into these two divisions. It is necessary, in all stories, that the locality should be strongly impressed on the reader's mind; more especially is it so in our present tale, where otherwise the whole tactics of both Christian and Mussulman hosts will present one unintelligible scene of confusion.

The interior of the tent of the Sieur de Joinville shewed that, late as it was, its occupants were not yet thinking of rest. His daughters, who had insisted on following their father, when the Queen and the Countesses of Artois and Poictiers remained at Damietta, were standing by that knight, who, in complete armour, appeared just to have

ASHMOUM 1

CANAL

3

MASSOURAH

SWAMP

ASHMCUM

CANAL

entered the tent. Sir Amaury de Chatelherault and Sir Everard de Blechingley, partially armed, stood a little further off, and seemed to be listening eagerly to the account that the Sicur de Joinville was giving.

"We are in a sore strait, sir knights," said that brave leader; "in a sore strait, if ever Christian host were. There were high words and fierce looks in the council that hath but now broken up; and yet, our Lady knows, marvellous little was determined."

"But what was done there, my father?" asked Isabelle de Joinville.

"We were all agreed," answered the sieur, " that we cannot be cooped here between the river and the canal for ever. Το go back were unchristian and unknightly; to go on we cannot; and how to cross the canal is beyond the skill of Master Josselin de Couvant."

"The chaussées seemed to promise well this afternoon," said De Blechingley; "the galleries were well nigh half across the stream.'

"Well nigh half," replied De Joinville, "and never will be more. Who can drive piles and weave wattles in the face of a shower of poisoned arrows? And yet there is some talk in the army, though none know whence or where, that there is a ford."

"If once we were passed," said De Chatelherault-" if once we were passed, there would be goodly gests indeed! But here we be, day after day, insulted by the Mussulmans and ashamed of ourselves, and no one whit nearer to the Sepulchre than we were months agone."

"Does Josselin de Couvant give any hope?" demanded Sir Everard.

"Marry," replied the sieur, "he says that his part should be done gallantly, which is to conquer the waters, but he can find no hands to help him, on account of the accursed Paynims."

"But why not make the attempt by night?" asked Sir Everard again. They could not then aim so truly from the

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