The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-04-15
CHAPTER VI

This news proved true: and the chill
dren commanded by Nicholas separated
from those under Stephen and marched
toward Italy, the peasants on the way re-
ceiving them with all the demonstrations
Of welcome which had greeted the whole
body wherever it had gone.
The old hermit, at first inclined to per
suade Nicholas to come back. had encOun-
tered, in Stephen, an unexpected obstacle.
The young count had absolutely refused
to be bound by the orders of the old man,
and declared that he was captain of the
crusade, and as long as he performed his
VOW he would take orders from his own
conscience. He insisted that, the ships
being ready to take the children, it would
bc tempting of Providence to let go the
opportunity that might never return: and
the old hermit was compelled to acquicsco,
and embarked on the evening of the sec
ond day after their arrival at MarseilIeS
Then it was found that the crusade.
which had already torn so many children
from their parents had been unable to
keep them together, as the hermit had
hoped. Thirty thousand children had come
from Nendome with Nicholas; twenty
thousand of these had gone off with Mich
olas on their way to Italy; and half OF
the rest dropped off at Narseilles. leaving
five thousand only as the strength of the
crusade that was to capture the sepuIchcr
from the Turks.
The same number of grown men. picked
warriors of Europe, would have been too
feeble a force under the best general in
the world: but such was the enthusiastic
confidence Of the age in its wild ENTERPRISE
that half the population Of MarseiIIcs
came down 10 sec the children embark,
and the ships sailed out Of the harbor. tho
boy warriors singing the hymn of '.Neni
Creator Spiritus," with the cheerful con
tidencc that they had only to show thom-
selves for all the Turks in the East to fall
down and abjure their religion.
Still, there was something ahout tb;c
crusade. under the boy count which
makes it different from others of those
ill-starred enterprises. Stephen, boy as
he was. had brain that was strong and
sensible. though his romantic belief in tho
dreams of the old hermit had carried him
away. He had but five thousand boys
with him; but they were all armed, bv the
offerings Of the piouS, on the way; and
had they been men of experience, might
have rendered good account Of them
was sixteen, and the majority were as old
IS Stephen himself. Moreover. they wc-e
for the most part youths Of noble fami-
lies, who had been brought up to the ex-
erCiscs of arms, in way with which We
arc unfamiliar to-day. They could all
shoot the bow or cross bow-thc latter n
weapon then being introduced in France.
though not yet common. They all had
~ 8 8
buckler; md provisions were plenty on the
fleet, thanks to the offerings Of the pious
people of Marseiles aud Provence in gen
cral
Resides the boys who were the war
riors of the expedition. there were nearly
hundred girls on the fleet. under the
leadership of Isabel Durance. who had
been crowned Queen of the Crusade. with
due solcmnity. by Hildebrand, Just be
fore their departure from Marseilles.
Their duties were TO wait on the sick
and wounded, when such were to be found
III the fleet, and among them Blanche de
Naux was the only one who did not wear
the cross on her shoulder and obey the
orders of the Queen of the Crusade
In fact, ii was easy to sec that the same
jealousy that had existed between stephen
chlldrenS crusade into two bodies. was
operating between Isabel and Blanche.
but in n different way. Blanche did not
ike Isabel, who returned the compliment
with interest, though both were evidently
fond Of Stephen. for they were always
near him.
But EkinSs and Iislkings apart. the
wind blew fair for the Young crusaders
and the skies were bright. and the boy
count, as he stood on the lofty carved
stern of the galley in which he led his lit
tie fleet. wore an expression of rapt enthu-
siasm on his handsome young face as he
said softly 10 Blanche:
Al last. my sister, we are on the way
10 the land which was once trod by the
feet Of our Lord. Dost thou not feel al.
ready the blessing Of heaven rests upon
uS:''
Blanche sighed slightly. Isabel. who
was on the other side Of the young leader
answered for her. in her usual impetuous
way:
The lady Blanche IS not with Us,
though she sails With Us, But when We