ared himself to
sustain a siege, and planted engines upon the castle walls.

Abu Obeidah next deliberated in a council of war what measures were most
proper to be taken. Some were of opinion that the best way would be to
besiege the castle with some part of the army, and let the rest be sent
out to forage. Kaled would not hear of it, but was for attacking the
castle at once with their whole force; that, if possible, it might be
taken before fresh supplies could arrive from the Emperor. This plan
being adopted, they made a vigorous assault, in which they had as hard
fighting as any in all the wars of Syria. The besieged made a noble
defence, and threw stones from the walls in such plenty that a great
many of the Saracens were killed and a great many more maimed. Youkinna,
encouraged with his success, determined to act on the offensive and turn
everything to advantage. The Saracens looked upon all the country as
their own, and knowing that there was no army of the enemy near them,
and fearing nothing less than an attack from the besieged, kept guard
negligently. In the dead of night, therefore, Youkinna sent out a party
who, as soon as the fires were out in the camp, fell upon the Saracens,
and having killed about sixty, carried off fifty prisoners. Kaled
pursued and cut off about a hundred of them, but the rest escaped to the
castle with the prisoners, who by the command of Youkinna were the next
day beheaded in the sight of the Saracen army. Upon this Youkinna
ventured once more to send out another party, having received
information from one of his spies (most of which were Christian Arabs)
that some of the Mussulmans were gone out to forage. They fell upon the
Mussulmans, killed a hundred and thirty of them, and seized all their
camels, mules, and horses, which they either killed or hamstrung, and
then they retired into the mountains, in hopes of lying hid during the
day and returning to the castle in the silence of the night. In the mean
time some that had escaped brought the news to Abu Obeidah, who sent
Kaled and Derar to pursue the Christians. Coming to the place of the
fight, they found their men and camels dead, and the country people
making great lamentation, for they were afraid lest the Saracens should
suspect them of treachery, and revenge upon them their loss. Falling
down before Kaled, they told him they were altogether innocent, and had
not in any way, either directly or indirectly, been instrumental in the