The San Francisco call., 1905-01-29
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Battle of Hattin.

Many a day had gone by since the
brethren bid farewell to Rosamund at
Damascus. Now, 0ne burning July
night they sat upon their horses, the
moonlight cleaning on their mail, look
ing out from a rocky mountain top
across that gray and arid plain which
stretches from near Nazareth to the
lip of the hills at whose foot lie Tiber-
ras and the Sea of Galilee. Beneath
them, camped round the fountain of
Seffurieh, were spread the hosts of the
Franks to which they did sentinel thir-
teen hundred knights, twenty thousand
foot, and hordes of Turcopoles-that is,
natives of the country. armed after the
fashion of the Saracens.
Two miles away to the southeast
glimmered the white houses of Naz-
areth, set IN the lap of the mountains
Nazareth, the holy city, where for thir-
ty years lived and toiled the Savior
of the world. Doubtless, thought God
win, his feet had often trod that noun
tain whereon they stood, and in the
watered wales below his hands had
sped the plow or reaped the corn. Long,
long had his voice been silent, yet in
Godwin's ears it still seemed to speak
In the murmur of the vast camp, and
to echo from the Slopes of the Galilean
hills, and the words it said were: II
bring not peace. but a sword"
Tomorrow they were to advance, so
rumor said, across yonder desert plain
and give battle to Saladin, who lay
with all his power by Hattin, above
Tiberias. Goodwin and his brother
thought that it was a madness; for
they had seen the might of the Sara
Gems and ridden across that thirsty
plain beneath the sumQer sun. But
who were they, two wandering unat-
tended knights, that they should dare
to lift up their voices against those of
the lords of the land, skilled from their
birth in desert warfare? Yet Godwin's
heart was troubled and fear took hold
of him, not for himself, but for all the
countless army that lay asleep yonder,
and for the cause of Christendom,
which staked its last throw upon this
battle.
II go to watch yonder; bide YOU
here" he said to Wulf, and turning the
head of Flame, rode some sixty yards
over a shoulder of the rock to the fur
ther edge of the mountain which looked
toward the north. Here he could
see neither the camp, nor Wulf,
nor any living thing. but in
deed was utterly alone. Dis
mounting, and bidding the horse
stand, which it would do like a dog,
he walked forward a few steps to
where there was a rock and, kneeling
down, began to pray with all the
strength of his pure, warrior heart
20 Lord" he prayed, who once
vast man and u dweller in these
mountains and knowest what is in
man, hear me. L am afraid for all
the thousands who sleep round Naz-
areth, not for myself, who care moth
ing for my life, but for all those, thy
servants and my brethren. Yes, and
for. the cross upon which thou didst
hang and for the faith itself through
out the East. "Oh! give me light! OH
let me hear and see, that / may warn
them, unless my fears are vain''
And he beat his hands against his
brow, praying, ever praying, as he had
never prayed before that wisdom and
vision might be given to his soul.
1t seemed to Goodwin that a sleep
fell on hin-at least, his mind grew
cIouded and confused. Then, it
cleared again, slowly, as stirred water
clears, till it was bright and still; yet
another mind to that which was his
servant day by day which never could
see or hear those things he saw and
heard in that strange hour. Loi he
heard the spirits pass, whispering as
they went; whispering, and. as it
seemed to him, weeping also for some
great woe which was to be; weeping
yonder over Nazareth. Then like cur
tains the wells were lifted from his
eyes and as they swung aside he saw
further and yet further.
He saw the King of the Franks in
his tent beneath, and about him the
council Of his captains, among them
the .fierce-eyed master of the Tenn
plars, and man whom he had seen
in Jerusalem where they had been
dwelling. and knew for Count Ray
mond OF Tripoli, the Lord of Tiberias.
They were reasoning together, till.