ught practical godliness by compelling the soldiers to
plant the fields about Antioch. This provided food and persuaded the
Turks of the indomitable spirit of the Crusaders. Provisions began to
come in greater abundance, and pestilence was stayed by the opening of
spring.

[Sidenote: _Egyptians Seek Reliance with Crusaders_]

It is a curious fact that at this time an alliance, wisely rejected for
the most part, was sought by the Egyptians with the Christians as
against the Turks. This condition would have put the Christians wholly
in the hands of the Caliph of Egypt the moment the allied armies had
possessed Jerusalem. The spirits of the Crusaders were greatly raised by
a victory over twenty thousand Turks who came to the relief of Antioch.
Two thousand men and one thousand horses were killed. The "gentleness"
of the Crusaders' conception of Christianity was shown by loading two
hundred Turkish heads on four camels and sending them as a present to
the departing Egyptian envoys, and two hundred more Turkish heads were
thrown into the city of Antioch, while many more were stuck on pikes
around the walls.

[Sidenote: _Carlessness Brings Attack_]

But they met disaster as well, because nothing seemed to make them see
the importance of discipline and of precaution against surprise. Going
unarmed in great numbers to St. Simeon to bring provisions from the
Italian fleets, they were dispersed by the Turks. Godfrey, whose great
figure is always seen when disaster is to be retrieved, follows the
Turks, heavy with their plunder, routs them, and, having made wise
disposition of troops, prevents the retreating army from re-enforcing
Antioch.

[Sidenote: _Slaughter of the Turks_]

[Sidenote: _Details of Valor_]

The besieged in Antioch witnessed the awful battle from their walls, and
the river Orontes drowned two thousand who escaped from the Crusaders'
swords. A great picture of personal valor is seen when, in hand-to-hand
battle with a Saracen leader, Robert of Normandy salutes him with the
words, "I devote thy impure soul to the powers of hell," and splits his
skull to the shoulders with a single blow. Even a greater tale of
ferocious strength is told of Godfrey, who, when his shield had been
broken by a great Saracen, raised himself on his stirrups and cut with
such appalling strength that one part of the Saracen remained on the
horse and the other fell to the ground. The Mohammedans having buried
most of their number wh