h wise that it missed him, and the knight, by a
back-hand blow on the Saracen's arm, made his sword fall to the ground,
and then made a good retreat with the infantry. These three famous
actions did the Genoese knight perform in the presence of the constable,
and before all the principal persons of the town who were assembled on
the battlements.'

Nevertheless, the Saracens advanced with 'fierce faces threatening war,'
when suddenly a band of those military monks who at the cry of battle
armed 'with faith within and steel without,' and long white mantles over
their chain mail, spurred with lances erect from the Castle of St.
Katherine near the gate of St. Anthony, and, interposing between the
Saracens and the city, formed a barrier that seemed impenetrable. They
were the knights of the Order of St. Katherine of Mount Sinai, an Order
instituted in honour of that saint in 1063, and bearing on their snowy
mantles the instruments by which she suffered martyrdom--the half were
armed with spikes and traversed by a sword stained with blood.

The Saracens halted in surprise at the sight of the Knights of St.
Katherine, who were supposed at the time to be at the Castle of Kakhow;
and, as if to provoke a conflict that they might have the satisfaction
of conquering, one of the warrior monks, who seemed very young, at a
signal from the marshal of the Order left his companions, and spurring
gallantly forward, with marvellous skill unhorsed two of the Saracens
without breaking his lance. On this, the leader of the Saracens,
perceiving that the knight was alone, rode forward to meet him; but the
youth charged him so fiercely that he was fain to retreat desperately
wounded, and then returned leisurely to his comrades.

After some hesitation the Saracens withdrew, and the Knights of St.
Katherine rode calmly back to their castle.

And now let us follow Bisset and Walter Espec.

About the distance of a league from Acre is a place which was then known
as Passe-Poulain, where, shaded by foliage, were many beautiful springs
of water, with which the sugar-canes were irrigated. It was at
Passe-Poulain that the Saracens who carried off Adeline de Brienne
halted to await the report of their comrades, and, little thinking of
their danger, dismounted to quench their thirst and rest their steeds;
the Saracen who had charge of the damsel alone remaining on horseback,
and tenaciously keeping hold of his prize.

Suddenly all of them started in