n no gentle
terms, and even went so far as to strike the titled shirker. Whereupon
the archduke straightway left the camp and hied him back to his own
country.

Other bitter disputes broke out among the chiefs, and actual fighting
took place between the troops of different countries. Conrade of
Montferrat and Richard fell out again, and the marquis left the camp and
entered into a secret treaty with Saladin, who agreed to aid him in his
schemes of conquest.

Now, Richard, hearing that his brother John was conspiring against him,
thought at first that he must return to England. It was necessary to
have a leader in Richard's stead, and the council of chiefs elected
Conrade to be chief of the armies, and also declared him King of
Jerusalem. Richard consented to this choice, though he had no love for
Conrade. But shortly afterwards, ere the coronation could take place,
the marquis was murdered in the streets of Tyre. It is most probable
that he fell a victim to the hatred of "The Old Man of the Mountains."
This mysterious and dreaded personage was Sinan, the chief of a strange
and fanatical sect of robbers and murderers, called the Ismaelians. He
had many castles and strongholds in the mountains of Syria, and his very
name struck terror to the hearts of its inhabitants. For this Sinan held
despotic rule over his followers, and at his slightest word they were
ready to kill themselves or any one else. He was accustomed to send
these deluded disciples of his to assassinate any person who displeased
him, promising paradise to the murderers in reward for their deed.

This Sinan sent two of the assassins to murder Conrade, who had seized
goods from one of his followers. But some of the friends of the marquis
accused Richard of the infamous deed,--as if the bold King of England
would have stooped to rid himself of an enemy in that cowardly way. The
suspicion, though without any foundation, strengthened the enmity that
many of the chiefs felt for the English king, because of his
haughtiness.

When at last Richard had led them within a few leagues of Jerusalem the
second time, disputes arose about the advisability of then attacking the
Holy City. Many of the princes did not wish Richard to have the glory of
the conquest. Finally, the council of twenty knights, to which the
matter was referred, decided that the siege should not be attempted at
that time. So the order was given to retreat. It was sadly obeyed by the
soldiers, who