f by a victory over the Moguls or Tartars, hordes of wandering
warriors who were now making themselves terrible both to Europe and
Asia. Unfortunately for Koutouz, however, he at that time renewed a
truce with the Christians of Syria, and raised the anger of his soldiers
to such a height that his death was decreed. Accordingly, one day, when
he had ridden out from Sallhie to hunt, a Mameluke chief suddenly
spurred into the camp, his garments stained with blood.

'I have slain the sultan,' said he.

'Well, then, reign in his stead,' replied the bystanders.

The Mameluke chief was Bibars Bendocdar; and, having been proclaimed as
successor to the man he had murdered, he ascended the throne, and, as
sultan of Egypt and Syria, began to govern with despotic power.

Meanwhile, Louis was anxious to redeem from captivity the Crusaders who
had been left in Egypt, and sent ambassadors to Cairo with the money
that had been agreed on as their ransom. But the ambassadors could
hardly get a hearing. At length they did obtain the release of four
hundred of the Christian prisoners, most of whom had paid their own
ransom; but when they pressed for the liberation of the others, they
were plainly told that the King of France might deem himself fortunate
that he had regained his own liberty; and that if he gave more trouble,
he might expect the Mamelukes to besiege him at Acre. On hearing this
Louis was much perplexed, and consulted his nobles, especially the Lord
of Joinville.

'Sire,' said Joinville, after some consideration, 'this is a serious
question, and one not to be hastily disposed of; for I remember that
when I was on the eve of leaving home, my cousin, the Seigneur de
Bollaincourt, said to me, "Now you are going beyond the seas, but take
care how you return; no knight, either rich or poor, can come back
without shame, if he leaves behind him, in the hands of the Saracens,
any of the common people who leave home in his company." Now,' added the
seneschal, 'these unhappy captives were in the service of the king, as
well as the service of God, and never can they escape from captivity if
the king should abandon them.'

On hearing this Louis was more perplexed than ever. In his anxiety,
however, he bethought him of the caliph, and resolved, great as was the
distance, to send ambassadors to Bagdad, where reigned Musteazem the
Miser, the thirty-seventh of his dynasty.

Now, albeit Moslems were in the habit of paying great reveren