ort bow, which he carried at his back; and putting
his horse to the gallop, once more described two or three circles of
a wider extent than formerly, in the course of which he discharged six
arrows at the Christian with such unerring skill that the goodness of
his harness alone saved him from being wounded in as many places. The
seventh shaft apparently found a less perfect part of the armour, and
the Christian dropped heavily from his horse. But what was the surprise
of the Saracen, when, dismounting to examine the condition of his
prostrate enemy, he found himself suddenly within the grasp of the
European, who had had recourse to this artifice to bring his enemy
within his reach! Even in this deadly grapple the Saracen was saved by
his agility and presence of mind. He unloosed the sword-belt, in which
the Knight of the Leopard had fixed his hold, and, thus eluding his
fatal grasp, mounted his horse, which seemed to watch his motions with
the intelligence of a human being, and again rode off. But in the last
encounter the Saracen had lost his sword and his quiver of arrows, both
of which were attached to the girdle which he was obliged to abandon. He
had also lost his turban in the struggle.

These disadvantages seemed to incline the Moslem to a truce. He
approached the Christian with his right hand extended, but no longer in
a menacing attitude.

"There is truce betwixt our nations," he said, in the lingua franca
commonly used for the purpose of communication with the Crusaders;
"wherefore should there be war betwixt thee and me? Let there be peace
betwixt us."

"I am well contented," answered he of the Couchant Leopard; "but what
security dost thou offer that thou wilt observe the truce?"

"The word of a follower of the Prophet was never broken," answered the
Emir. "It is thou, brave Nazarene, from whom I should demand security,
did I not know that treason seldom dwells with courage."

The Crusader felt that the confidence of the Moslem made him ashamed of
his own doubts.

"By the cross of my sword," he said, laying his hand on the weapon as
he spoke, "I will be true companion to thee, Saracen, while our fortune
wills that we remain in company together."

"By Mohammed, Prophet of God, and by Allah, God of the Prophet," replied
his late foeman, "there is not treachery in my heart towards thee. And
now wend we to yonder fountain, for the hour of rest is at hand, and
the stream had hardly touched my lip when I w