Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-07-13

fortress tbhtifilic, NIL tls attacks Of the
Moslem were rcntlscd, all sl,er strp.auenS
discovered and trcnuvelHpd fotIiukr,f.
ilt had spies III The very tNtnp of the encs
my. who gave him intelligence Ivy word
or signal of every p'hn apd movement,
Aln 0beilal, despnired of reducing this
lnpregnabIe castle, which llnpeded him j.,
his c'irerr of conquest, aud wrote to the
Caiph, proposing to abindon the seigs
aud proceed hgnin<t Antioeht The Ca
| liph, in reply, ordered him by 10 means to-
desist, as that would give courage to the
enemy, bnt to press the seue hard, and
trust the evett 10 God. As M addition.
III relli,nce, lie sent him Reimbursement
Of horse ind foot, with twenty cHlnels to
iacitate the mhrll Of the infantry. Not.
| wltlISianding all this, tlr siege was contin.
ued for sevon-nud-ftrfy days, with no
greater prospect of surccsss
While IN this state of vesHtiotl, rnIes
diinent and delay, AIN Ole,tlnh was ono
day aCcosted by one Ut the newly arrived
soldiers, who told him tIlut, if he would
give him thirty mem NIL strong and val
inrt, he would pledge his l'ead to put him
in possession Of the cHstie Tic man who
made this singular proposition was tmmed
Dumas he was Of lierculcan strength and
gigantic size, Il brave soldier, and OF pren,
natural shghcty, although uuiilnprcyed by
education as lie was born slhve. W Khal-
ed backed his application, haying heard vi
| great exploits performed by him in Arabia.
A I,u Ii,pIt,I IN, HE
| ling to adopt airy expediem TO get possess
| sion Of this obstinate castle, and tie Arabs
were always prone to strnttge Ind extra.
VACANT stratagems in their warfare. He
accordingly placed thirty Of the brtvess
| men under the coHinund Of Dalnas,
charging them to Obey him implicitly not.
wtl,standlng his base conditiot,-.-at the
same time, III compliance with his request,
he removed with his hrny ~ the distance
Of a leagte, us though abottt TO abandon
the seige.
1t vas now night, and Dumas conceal.
ed his thirty hten near to tie castle, cIlarg-
ing them not 10 stir, nor utter d sound.
He then went out alone, and brought in
six Christian prisoners, one after another.
He questioned them in Arabic, but thcy
were ignorant OF the language, and replied
III their own tongue, ...... ...s.
"I'he curse of Allah OF these Christian
dogs and their bhrbarohs prgon, which no
ruan can understand,' cried the rude Arab,
and in his rage lie stnote off their heads.
lie went forth again and saw rnan
sliding down the wall, whom he seized the
moment he touched the ground. lie was
n Christian Arab, aud whs endeavming to-
eschpe from the tyranny of Youketina
and from him Danias obtained the infor-
nation he dasifed He instantly despatched
two men to Abu Obcidah, requesting him
to send him some horses about sunrise.
He then took n goat-skin from his wallet,
with which lie covered his back ard shout
ders, and dry crust Of bread in his hand,
and crcpt on a!I-four close to tile wall Of
the castle. Ills men cfeJH silently utter
him. When he heard a uJlse he gnn wed
his crust with q sound like that Of a dog
gnawing bone, md his followers remain.
ed motioDsss, In this way he reached q
part Of the castle wall which WIS easiest
VI NStDSSs ith StHtlp4 tHIINtIs bH tfl8
ground, he made one Of his men ss,t him.
self on his shoulders, md so on until seven
were thus mounted ON eaell other, Then
be who was npermost stood upright, and
so did the Others iIl succession, until Damas
rose from the ground upon his feet and
sustained the whole by his wondrous
strength, each rendering such aid as he
could Try bearing against the wall. TIE
upperinost man Wits now enabled to
scramble upon the battlemeni, where bg
found Christian sentinel drunk and
asleep. He seized him and throw him
down to the MosIefns below the wall, who
instantly dispatched him. lie then mn
folded his turban and drew mp tie man
below him, and they two the next, and so
OH until Damas was also on the wall.
Do,nas now euioincd silence on tliem
all, and then .lcf, them He found two
other scntinels sleeping, whom tic diapafcIIi
ed with his dagger, and tisn malelIis
way to an aperture for the discharge of
arrows, looking through which he behed
Yonkcnna in spacious chamber, richly
clad, seated ON tapestry Of scarlet silk,
howered with gold, drinking and making
merry with large company for it would
seem as #, on the apparent departure Of
the besiegfng arniey, the whole castle had
been given MP to feasting and caromsing.
Damas considered the company too
numerous 10 be attacked; returning to his
men, therefore, he expofedcautjously with
them the interior Of the castle. Coming
suddenly upon the guards at the main
entrance, who had no apprehension Of
danger from within, they killed tiem,
threw open the gate let down the draw
bridge, und were joined by the residue Of
their party. Tie castle was by this time
alarmed; the garrison, hafdrunk aud half
asleep, came rushing from all quarters, in
wild confusion. The MosIems defended
themselves stouty on the barbican until
the dawn Of day, when shout Of Allah
Achbar was heard, and khaied, with a
troop of horses, came laundering through
the gate.
The Christians threw down their arms
and cried for metcy. khaled offered them
their choice, death or the faith of Islam,
Ioukenna was the first TO raise his finger
and pronounce the formula: his example
was followed by several of his leading men
whereupon their wives and ScliIdrcn and
property were secured to them. The
castle having been. taken by storm was
completely plupdered, and the spoiis were
divided among the army, except the usual
fifth-part reserved for the CaIiph. Danss
and his brave companions, who had been
almost cut to pieces in the fight, were