Part 63 (1/2)
For a moment all were dumb. Musa spoke first.
”As the Most High lives, this is a magician's work!”
G.o.dfrey only smiled gravely.
”No, fair sir, it is the army of Kerbogha. When I quitted camp, we hoped he was still delaying before Edessa. But come he has, and unless I greatly fail, there are none in the army that dream he is so near.”
”So near, and not discovered?” demanded Longsword. The Duke laughed wearily. ”Even you, De St. Julien, do not know how feeble has been our scouting. From the lowlands about Antioch we can see little of this host; only a few advance squadrons that will retire when charged. I greatly fear--”
But Richard interposed: ”That the Army of the Cross is near surprise, as Iftikhar vaunted. But are not Christ and Our Lady still with us?
Has G.o.d ceased to hear prayer?”
The elder knight crossed himself. ”It is true, fair sir, our faith is very weak. We are still stronger than ten thousand thousand paynims!”
Then he turned almost fiercely upon Musa. ”And you, Sir Infidel, is your heart with this army and its purpose? They are of your own faith.
Do you wish them well?”
Musa shook his head thoughtfully:--
”They fight not for Islam, but for their own dark ends. Can any good thing come from Kerbogha, Iftikhar's ally? I serve the kalif of Egypt, not the emir of Mosul.”
They said no more. What was left to say? The hopes of a day had been blasted in an instant. Seemingly the army of the emir lay directly across their road to the city. As the hilltop was exposed to view, they retired behind to where a tiny brooklet started amid a clump of date palms. And well they did, for as they drew rein came a click and canter, and a single Arab horseman whirled down the hill slope, thinking least of all to meet an enemy. Before any knew it, he was face to face with them, had halted with a yell, stared once, turned to fly; but G.o.dfrey had touched Marchegai, and he bounded beside the Arab, whom the Duke unsaddled before he could draw cimeter. Richard ran to him, as also Musa. So they held the prisoner fast, and led him to the brooklet, nipping his throat tightly to choke an outcry. Then, when the horse also had been taken, and his captors had him on his back, G.o.dfrey held a dagger at his throat to give good reason for talking softly. The rascal whined piteously to be killed without torture; for, he moaned, the Franks were wont to broil prisoners alive for eating.
”Stop croaking, frog,” commanded Longsword, fiercely. ”Only as you speak truly, may you keep a whole windpipe;--if not--” The silence was the most terrible threat. So the wretch told a story that seemed likely enough. He was a light rider serving with Dekak of Damascus.
Kerbogha's host had advanced from Edessa, constantly swelling in numbers. There were twenty-eight emirs from Syria and Mesopotamia with him; Kilidge Arslan, burning to avenge the defeat at Dorylaeum, the former emir of Jerusalem, and many princes more had led their myriads.
The army had solemnly sworn by the beard of the Prophet to leave not one Christian to return to Frankland to tell the tale. They had advanced by stealthy marches from Afrin, and were now within a few leagues of Antioch itself; but to the prisoner's best knowledge the Christians had not discovered them. Then came an astonis.h.i.+ng piece of news: while Kerbogha had advanced, Antioch had fallen. Two days earlier,--so the tale in the Moslem camp ran,--Phirous the Armenian had betrayed a tower to Bohemond, and all the city except the citadel had fallen to the Crusaders. This was the sum of the fellow's tale, and G.o.dfrey liked it little.
”So Bohemond made s.h.i.+ft to take the city while he thought me away on the southern foray!” growled he, almost bitterly. ”_Gratias Deo_,--I ought to say. But I know the manner of these knaves that follow us.
Seven days long they will plunder, kill, and revel, thinking of ten thousand things before scouting. They will be snared one and all.
Kerbogha will surprise the city. It will be their grave,--the grave of fools!”
”And why is not the army moving?” demanded Richard.
”We wait for Cid Iftikhar with all his Ismaelians. Men whisper that it is he in private council, not Kerbogha, who will rule the war.”
Richard smiled grimly.
”Cid Iftikhar has had cause to delay. But tell me: does the line of Kerbogha compa.s.s the whole city? How may we enter?”
The dagger's edge was cold against the Arab's throat, a goodly check to lying, and there was something in Richard's eye that made it dangerous to haggle with the truth.
”Cid,--I tell you truly,--it will be a great peril for any Christian to try to enter Antioch. But if you ride to the south and then westward, touching the river below the city, I think you might pa.s.s, if Allah favor.”
Longsword withdrew the dagger.
”See!” commented he; ”the word of a Frank is inviolate. Swear you will whisper, not even to the winds, you were met by us; and you are free.
Only we must keep your horse.”