would be an ill hour for me, and my debt is paid. Farewell, brave
knight. Would I could hope that we should meet in Paradise! Take
that star jewel, the badge of my House, from my turban and wear
it in memory of me. Long, long and happy be your days."

Then, while Wulf held him in his arms, Saladin came up and spoke
to him, till he fell back and was dead.

Thus died Hassan, and thus ended the battle of Hattin, which
broke the power of the Christians in the East.

Chapter Nineteen: Before the Walls of Ascalon

When Hassan was dead, at a sign from Saladin a captain of the
Mameluks named Abdullah unfastened the jewel from the emir's
turban and handed it to Wulf. It was a glorious star-shaped
thing, made of great emeralds set round with diamonds, and the
captain Abdullah, who like all Easterns loved such ornaments,
looked at it greedily, and muttered:

"Alas! that an unbeliever should wear the enchanted Star, the
ancient Luck of the House of Hassan!" a saying that Wulf
remembered.

He took the jewel, then turned to Saladin and said, pointing to
the dead body of Hassan:

"Have I your peace, Sultan, after such a deed?"

"Did I not give you and your brother to drink?" asked Saladin
with meaning. "Whoever dies, you are safe. There is but one sin
which I will not pardon you--you know what it is," and he looked
at them. "As for Hassan, he was my beloved friend and servant,
but you slew him in fair fight, and his soul is now in Paradise.
None in my army will raise a blood feud against you on that
score."

Then dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand, he turned to
receive a great body of Christian prisoners that, panting and
stumbling like over-driven sheep, were being thrust on towards
the camp with curses, blows and mockery by the victorious
Saracens.

Among them the brethren rejoiced to see Egbert, the gentle and
holy bishop of Nazareth, whom they had thought dead. Also,
wounded in many places, his hacked harness hanging about him like
a beggar's rags, there was the black-browed Master of the
Templars, who even now could be fierce and insolent.

"So I was right," he mocked in a husky voice, "and here you are,
safe with your friends the Saracens, Sir Knights of the visions
and the water-skins--"

"From which you were glad enough to drink just now," said Godwin.
"Also," he added sadly, "all the vision is not done." And
turning, he looked towards a blazoned tent which with the
Sultan's great pavilion,