Boy Crusaders: A Story of the Days of Louis IX. Read online

  CHAPTER XVII.

  FACE TO FACE.

  WHILE the Crusaders were preparing to leave Damietta, march up the Nile,and attack Cairo, Melikul Salih, after struggling desperately with thegreat destroyer, yielded to his fate, and breathed his last atMansourah. The death of the sultan was regarded by the emirs as mostuntimely; for his son, Touran Chah, was then in Mesopotamia, and theywere apprehensive of the most serious troubles. At this crisis, however,a woman, whose great ability enabled her to comprehend the emergency andto deal with it, suggested measures for averting the ruin with which theempire of Egypt was menaced.

  Her name was Chegger Eddour, and she is said to have been an Armenian.She had originally been brought to Cairo as merchandise, and purchasedby Melikul Salih as a slave. But her wit and beauty won the sultan'sheart, and he became so enamoured that he elevated her to the positionof favourite sultana, and carried her about with him wherever he went.One son whom she had by the sultan died young. Nevertheless herinfluence daily increased; and the Arabian historians, while eloquentin praise of her courage, agree in saying, that 'no woman surpassed herin beauty, and no man excelled her in genius.'

  No sooner did Melikul Salih depart this life, than Chegger Eddourassembled the principal emirs at Mansourah, and made them acknowledgeTouran Chah as sultan. Moreover, she impressed upon them the necessityof concealing the death of her husband till the arrival of hissuccessor. The policy she recommended was adopted. Orders were stillissued in Melikul Salih's name; the Mamelukes still guarded the gates ofthe palace as if he had been living; and prayers for his recovery werestill offered up in the mosques, where the Moslems worshipped. All theseprecautions, which were the work of the sultana, were skilfully taken,and for a time the Saracens hoped that Melikul Salih might yet recoverfrom his malady, and save them from the foe by whom they werethreatened.

  Ere long, however, suspicion was aroused, and it became more and moredifficult to conceal the truth. Of itself this was sufficient to createconsternation; but, at the same time, rumour brought to Mansourahintelligence that the French, having left Damietta, and marched inhostile array along the banks of the Nile, had reached Pharescour; andthe approach of the Crusaders converted the consternation into panic,which rapidly extended its influence to Cairo. Every cheek grew pale;and the Egyptians exhibited such anxiety and terror as had never beforebeen felt in their cities.

  At this crisis, Fakreddin, to whom the sultana had entrusted the commandof the Egyptian army, took measures to reanimate his countrymen withcourage and confidence, and called upon them to hazard their livesfreely for their religion.

  'In the name of God, and Mahomet his prophet,' said the emir, 'hasten,great and small--the cause of God has need of your arms and of yourwealth; the Franks--Heaven curse them!--are arrived in our country, withtheir standards and their swords. They wish to obtain possession of ourcities, and to ravage our provinces. What Mussulman can refuse to marchagainst them, and avenge the glory of Islamism?'

  But, at Cairo and Mansourah, the Egyptians only answered with sighs andgroans; and, at first, Fakreddin's appeal failed to produce the effecthe intended. The emir, however, was not dismayed. Indeed, he showed acourage worthy of the fame he had won by his military exploits, andgradually rallied the more courageous of his countrymen around him.Marching from Mansourah, he encamped at Djedile, on the side of thecanal known as the Achmoun, which has a deep bed and steep banks; andhalted with the Nile on his left and the city in his rear.

  'Here,' said he, addressing his men, 'I await the invaders. Be brave; wewill yet avenge Islamism; and on Sebastian's-day I will dine in thescarlet tent of the French king.'

  Meanwhile, the Crusaders continued their march, and they soon approachedMansourah. At this point, however, their progress was arrested by twoobstacles--the canal of Achmoun, and the army of Fakreddin.

  'Who is the leader of that army?' asked King Louis, as he lookedearnestly across the canal to where the Saracens were encamped.

  'Sire,' answered one of his knights, 'it is Fakreddin, the emir, whofled from Damietta; but who, nevertheless, as I learn, does not hesitateto boast that it is his intention to dine in your red tent on St.Sebastian's-day.'

  'Does the emir intend to dine in my tent on St. Sebastian's-day?' saidLouis, mildly; 'however, I will take good care to prevent him.'

  'In truth, sire,' said the knight, smiling, 'I hold that you are muchmore likely to dine in the sultan's palace.'

  'Be that as it may,' replied the king, 'one thing is certain. We and ourfoes are now face to face.'

  And so they were. Face to face, separated only by the canal Achmoun,Christian and Moslem, headed by the King of France and the EmirFakreddin, lay encamped and awaiting a favourable opportunity to fight,and to conquer or die for their countries and religions.

  And it speedily appeared that face to face they were for some timelikely to remain.