The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-08-15
THE CRUSADERS
A. D. 124S

~ VAo m i'i
Mahomet. To his followers he gener-
Ously gave Heaven, and as much OF the
earth rs they could get, so the true
believers made haste to occupy goodly
and fruitful possessions of Christian
powers, including the Holy Land. The
owners were useful as slaves.
Not having been consulted in this
matter, the Christians took offense,
making war upon Islam in seven warm
campaigns, wherein they held and lost
by turns the holy sepulcher, so that
the country was always drenched with
blood. In the end, our crusades were
not u success.
About Saint Louis and the sixth cru
SADIE:
At the opening of the story. that
holy, delightful king of France lay so
near death that his two lady nurses
had a squabble, the one pulling a cloth
over his face because he was dead,
while the other snatched it away be-
cause he was still alive. At last he
sent the pair of them TO fetch the
iCSE OI Ilt ~ hNhA
the Holy Land. Then he had to get
well, sc he did, sending word to his
barons TO roll up their men for war.
Among the mobiles was the young
Lord of JOinville. seneschal of Cham
pagne-a merry little man with eight
hundred pounds a year of his own.
But then, what with an expensive
mother. his wife, and some little wor-
ries, he had 10 pawn his lands before
he could take the field with his two
embellishments, nine knights, their
men-at-arms, and the servants. He
shared with another lord the hire of n
ship from Marseilles, but when they
Joined his majesty in Cyprus he had
only q few pounds left, and the knights
would have deserted but that the king
gave him a staff appointment at eight
hundred pounds a year.
The king was a holy saint, a glo-
rious knight errant, full of fun. but a
thoroughly incompetent general. In
stead of taking Jerusalem by surprise,
he must needs raid Egypt. giving the
3Oludl VI DdDN lpl lllt IstoH N1dlIoI
plenty of time to arrange a warm re-
ception. The rival armies had a battle
on the beach, after which Saint Louis
sat down in front of Damietta, where
he found time to muddle his commits
sariat.
On the other hand, the soldan was
not at all well, having been poisoned
by a rival prince, and paid nc heed to
the carrier pigeons with their despair
ing messages from the front. This dis
couraged the Moslems, who abandoned
Damietta and fed inland, holly pur-
sued by the French. AS a precaution,
however, they sent round their ships,
which collected the French supplies
proceeding 70 the front. The Chris
tians had plenty of fighting and a deal
of starving TO do, not to mention pesti-
lence in their ~iil-managed camps. So
they came to a canal which had to be
brldged. but the artful paynim cut
away the land in front of the bridge
head. so that there was no ground On
which the French could arrive. In the
end the Christians had to swim and, as
they were heavily armored, many were
drowned in the mud. Jofnville's party
found a dry crossing upstream, and
their troubles began at the enemy's
camp, whence the Turks were flying.
Here in the camp Joinville's detach-
ment was rushed by six thousand
Turks, who pressed upon me with
their lances. My horse knelt under
the weight. and | fell forw ard wei the
horses ears. [ got up as soon as ever
l could with my shield at my neck, and
my sword IN my hand.
again a great out of Turks came
rushing upon us, and bore me to the
ground and went over me, and caused
my shield 10 fly from my neck"
SO the little party gained the wall
Of a ruined house, where they were
sorely beset Lord Hugh of Ecot with
three lasee wounds in the face, Lord
Frederick Of Loupey with a lance
wound between the shoulders, so large
that the blood flowed from his body as
from the bunghole of a cask, and my
Lord Of Siyery with a sword-stroke il;
the face, $50 that his nose fell Over his
lips. J0inYiile, too badly wounded to
fight, was holding horses, while Turks
who had climbed to the roof We're prod
ding from above with their lances.
Then came Anjou to the rescue, and
presently The King with his main army.
The fight became a general engage
ment, while slowly the Christian force
was driven backward upon the river.
The day had become very hot, and the
stream was covered with lances and
shields. and with horses and men
drowning and peri5hing.
Near by De Jolnville's position a
streamlet entered the river, and across
that ran a bridge by which the Turks
attempted to cut the kings retreat.
This bridge the little hero, well mount
ed now, held for hours, covering the
flight Of French detachments. At the
head Of one such party rode Count Pc
ter Of Brittany. splitting the blood from
his mouth and shouting. "Ha! by
Gods head, have you ever seen such
ritfraff?i
In front OF US were two of the
kings sergeants; and the Turks
brought a large number of churls