The San Francisco call., 1909-03-06
S TIE PHI EN- % GLOVES.
What Became @His Armyg~Boys ana Girls
6v Robert Il Fuller

Falcons, and when, long afterward. it
became known the Christians built a
church there in memory of the lost
: children and called it the church of the
New Innocents
ltrwas sad fate that befelI the chill
dren in the two ships that were cast
away but sadder still was the fate that
awaited the children who escaped ship
wreck and continued their voyage In
the five ships that remained. They had
no more storms and for many days
they sailed on in the direction of the
Holy Land. At least they thought that
they were sailing toward the Holy Land,
but as a matter of fact the wicked
sailors turned aside to the south and
took them to the northern coast of
Africa, which then, as it is today, was
in the hands of the Mohammedans. One
day the hearts of the children were
gladdened by the sight of land and
houses and trees. The sailors told
them that the land was Palestine. and
they fastened to make ready for the
victory over the infidels, which they
felt so certain of winning Two of the
ships were made fast to the wharves in
/ the harbor and the children were per-
mitted to step on shore. But hardly
had they landed when hundreds of
Mohammedans surrounded them and
they were sold as slaves
1t turned out that the two merchants
OF Marseilles. whom they had thanked
so warmly for providing them with the
ships, were black hearted and evil men.
They had intended from the first to de-
liver the helpless children into the
hands of the heather when once they
had them safely in their power I'm
fortunately their treachery was not
known for years. and so they were not
punished for it, but they became so bold
after time that they were discovered
in another act of treachery and both OF
them were hanged. 1t is some salts
faction to know that even if it did not
save the children.
The crusaders who were in the three
ships which did not land at the first
stopping place Were carried farther
some to Egypt and some far beyond
the Holy, Land, which they had come
to redeem. All of them were sold into
slavery and of the 5000 children who
sailed not one ever returned to France
In fact for many years the friends
and relatives whom they had left be-
hind heard not a word from them.
Long they waited for tidings which did
not come. OF course, news spread
much more slowly in those days, when
few people travelled at. all and the
postoffiee and the telegraph had not
been invented At last a pilgrim came
from the country of the infidels and
brought the sad truth to the fathers
and mothers, brothers and sisters who
had been left behind.
And this was the result of the proph-
ecies of stephen the Prophet. What
became of Stephen himself is not def
nitely known, but it is likely that he
was sold to an infidel owner and had
leisure during long years of toll for
his master to regret his flock and his
peaceful home in the village of Cloyes
He had been the means of leading 5000
companions who trusted him to cap
tivity or death; and even this was not
all the harm that he did, for his
preaching spread to Germany and start
ed a crusade among the German chill
dren, whose adventures were in some
respects more wonderful than those
of the French children.