feat of his advanced post of two thousand men aroused
him from his apathy.

The crusaders, after this first victory, advanced joyfully towards the
mountains, hoping to draw the Turks to a place where their cavalry
would be unable to manoeuvre. Their spirits were light and their
courage high, as led on by the Duke of Normandy, Count Robert of
Flanders, and Hugh of Vermandois, they came within sight of the
splendid camp of the enemy. Godfrey of Bouillon and Adhemar, Bishop of
Puy, followed immediately after these leaders, the latter clad in
complete armour, and bearing the Holy Lance within sight of the whole
army: Bohemund and Tancred brought up the rear.

Kerbogha, aware at last that his enemy was not so despicable, took
vigorous measures to remedy his mistake, and, preparing himself to meet
the Christians in front, he despatched the Sultan Soliman, of Roum, to
attack them in the rear. To conceal this movement, he set fire to the
dried weeds and grass with which the ground was covered, and Soliman,
taking a wide circuit with his cavalry, succeeded, under cover of the
smoke, in making good his position in the rear. The battle raged
furiously in front; the arrows of the Turks fell thick as hail, and
their well-trained squadrons trod the crusaders under their hoofs like
stubble. Still the affray was doubtful; for the Christians had the
advantage of the ground, and were rapidly gaining upon the enemy, when
the overwhelming forces of Soliman arrived in the rear. Godfrey and
Tancred flew to the rescue of Bohemund, spreading dismay in the Turkish
ranks by their fierce impetuosity. The Bishop of Puy was left almost
alone with the Provencals to oppose the legions commanded by Kerbogha
in person; but the presence of the Holy Lance made a hero of the
meanest soldier in his train. Still, however, the numbers of the enemy
seemed interminable. The Christians, attacked on every side, began at
last to give way, and the Turks made sure of victory.

At this moment a cry was raised in the Christian host that the saints
were fighting on their side. The battle-field was clear of the smoke
from the burning weeds, which had curled away, and hung in white clouds
of fantastic shape on the brow of the distant mountains. Some
imaginative zealot, seeing this dimly through the dust of the battle,
called out to his fellows, to look at the army of saints, clothed in
white, and riding upon white horses, that were pouring over the hills
to the resc