Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1899 — THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE

By CAPT FREDERICK WHITTAKER

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CHAPTER Vl.—(Continued.)

Quict brooded over the fleet till morning, and even the poor slaves at the oars were allowed to sleep in their places as well as their long chains would permit. But the first blush ot the morning brought them all up. and as soon as it was light they perceived that a number of sails were visible right ahead of their fleet. The intelligence spread through the fleet rapidly, and as the sun rose and disclosed the strangers more plainly, the young crusaders saw n number of galleys sweeping down toward them under oar and .sail, with the red flag and golden crescent of the Turkish standard displayed from every mast-hond. Their enemies were already on them, though they were only just out of sight of the coast of France, while the island of Corsica rose on their left hand, with its barren chains of mountains. They had expected to find the Turks in the Holy Band, but the Turks had found them on their own coasts. Then one might see of what stuff was made every member of the Children’s Crusade. The bld hermit, who had preached so bravely in the market place of V aucluwe, had turned pale and was saying his prayers by himself,with a strange ex-, pression of fear. The boys who had been vaporing (lit. 1 <|ay before of the number of Turks they were going to kill, had become silent all of a sudden; while the quiet ones, with pale faces, were looking to the strings of their cross-bows and getting ready for the battle that even the children saw could not be avoided. The boy count, his tine face full of enthusiasm that knew no fear, was encouraging them to tight bravely for the cross and promising the joys of heaven to those 1 who fell early; while Isabel, the queen of the crusade, with her little band of nurses, was busy getting the linen bandages ready for the expected wounds. They had not long to wait, for it was evident that the Turks had been lying in wait for them and were coming down with bad intent. In their fleet there were fifty or more galleys, and they came on with a rapid impetuosity that showed they expected an easy victory. Within half Hit hour from the time the sun rose, they wore close to the fleet of the Children’s Crusade, and the sounds of their drums and fifes—for the Turks were the inventors of that sort of military music—could be plainly heard, mingled with the hoarse shouts that accompanied their advance. The nearer they came and the louder they shouted, the more subdued was the appearance of the young crusaders. Even the boy Stephen, who had been dreaming of an easy victory, began to change countenance, and went up to the old hermit, saying: “Arouse thee, Father Hildebrand! The unbelievers approach! Now is the time to encourage the laggards in the fleet.” To his amazement and incredulous anger, the old man faltered and broke down, murmuring, confusedly: “It is not the place of a monk to fight. ‘Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it,’ saith the I,ord. Pray that ye may be helped, ns Gideon was, by a miracle. Alas! my son, we have fallen on evil days!” Then there was no more time for talk, for the shouts of the Turks grew louder and more menacing as they came; and the young leader, with all the fighting blood of his father in him, shouted: “Fight for the cross, children of heaven! Death at the hand of the unbeliever is a sure passport to heaven!” And as he said it, the foremost ship of the Turks struck his own galley, and, with a yell, the dark-faced men leaped aboard.

CHAPTER VII.

The contest between the Turks anti the boys of the Children's Crusade was too unequal to last long. The big, fierce, bearded men, with their wild yells ami ferocious faces, frightened the lads who dared to oppose them, almost before they had leaiied aboard; while the few whe fought were cut with merciless ferocity. The slaves, chained down at the oars, howling with delight, enught at the uphappy boys who came near them and dragged them down between the benches, to avenge the blows they had received. Even flight did not avail the few who tried it. Their galleys, rowed by Turkish slaves, who refused to work and bit and fought like tigers iu their des;>eration, were rapidly overtaken by the triumphant knfidels. Within an hour from the time the Turkish fleet had been fully recognized, every vessel ot the Children’s Crusade had been taken; every grown man on board stabbed or thrown overboard, save the old hermit. The poor boys, who had sailed forth, dreaming of regaining the sepulcher, found themselves cast into the holds of the enemy’s galleys, or chained at the oars of the slaves that had been released by the Turks; prisoners to masters who gloated over their miseries and jeered at them in their strange tongue, for wha,t the Turks evidently rated at its true worth, the “Mad Crusade.” The sole exception to the fate of the Crusaders was found in the person of young Count Stephen, who, fully armed auM expert with his weapon, bod fought like a tiger, killing three Turks with Ids own hand, through the skill taught him by his father. He had been at last overpowered by numbers, nuwounded on account of the goodness of his armor. The Turks, recognizing in hirh the leader, with a respect for his bravery which was not uncontmop in t>ose singular wars, -had granted him a sort of liberty, when he mas taken on board the ship of the adpnirai, whose prisoner he was. Utit Beier had fought by bis master till

grievously wounded, and had been taken with Stephen on board the Turkish admiral's ship, where he lay on the deck, tended by Blanche, who was weeping silently over him. The Turks had not harmed any of the girls, but had taken them all on board the admiral's ship, where they were huddled together in a shuddering group, fearing everything and complaining of the way in which “the old hermit had led them to destruction.”

Yes, it had come to that. The old man. crouched in the stern of the boy count’s galley, had been spared by the Turks and hauled on board their admiral's ship, where he sat in a corner in a stupor of despair, not daring so much as to raise his eyes from the deck. Isabel Durance, the queen of the crusade, the crown, with which she had been invested at Marseilles, still shining on her forehead as ff in mockery of her misfortunes, was trying to comfort her friends, with but ill success. Stephen, pale as death, an expression of utter despair on his face, stood by the stern of the Turkish admiral and listened stupidly to the words of his conqueror, who spoke broken French, and was trying to find from him, as well as he could, what had brought him forth on such a mad errand. “The medicine of adversity is bitter,” said the Turk, sententious!?, in the manner of his countrymen; “but the man that drinketh it lindeth his health. How came it, oh! Frank, that thou hast ventured out to fight with men ere thy beard be grown?” Stephen hung bis head lower, but as the tone of the Turk showed that he expected a reply, he said, in a low voice: “I trusted in heaven, and it deserted me. That is all.” The Turk—a fine-looking man, of stout figure—frowned. “That is not well said, Frank. There are many that call on the name of Allah, but he protects only those that obey bis word.” Then he continued, sternly: “Who is that old mnn that crouches yonder? Is he one of the mad mollahs* that they tell us about, who preaches that Allah wills his worshipers to kill each other?” Stephen looked at Hildebrand bitterly, saying: “He told us that the Lord would work a miracle, and we believed him.” The Turk bowed his head gravely, saying: “He is an old man. We have such among our dervishes, and they are under the protection of Allah. Let him live. His punishment has come already. But as for thee —who art thou that wishest Allah to work miracles for thee, when he refused to work them for his own prophet, on whose name be blessings?” Stephen, bred up from his babyhood in a fiery hatred of the Arabian prophet, instantly answered sharply, and with his native courage: “He was uo prophet. He was a liar, and could work no miracle. Our saints have worked them.” The Turk flushed deeply, and bis black eyes glowed, as he retorted: “That is ill said, foolish Frank. This day hast thou seen that the God of heaven is with us and against thee and thy saints. But thou art a brave youth, after all, (ind we will make a good Moslem of thee, so thou shalt fight as well for the crescent as thou hast done for the cross.” “That will I never!” retorted the boy, fiercely. “Do thy worst, infidel, and thou shalt see how a Christian gentleman can die so his faith. It was for our sins that we have been punished, and but for them we could have overcome all the armies of the false prophet Mahound.” He spoke With all the bitterness of disappointment, and with an idea of so goading the Turk by his taunts that he might kill him; for the excited boy, in his humiliation, could see no way in which life could lie made tolerable to him. The Turk for n moment looked as if he were about to strike him; but then, with a great effort, controlled his passion, saying: “Men war not with boys. When thou art a man, in thy turn, thou const tell other men that Dragut Aga spared his prisoner, though be reviled the prophet of God. But God hears such things daily, and he lets the offenders live. Who is Dragut Aga that he should be more than his God? Thou speakest like a child.” So saying, the indignant Turk walked away from his nngry prisoner, and was giving some directions to his men, when bis ship was hailed from one of the captured galleys—the very one in which Stephen had been taken prisoner. The hail and its answer were in a strange tongue, and the boy count did not understand them; but be perceived that the news sent from the captured vessel was of a nature that excited Dragut Aga greatly. The Turkish admiral gave orders to stop rowing, and as the other vessel dashed up alongside, they could see that the boy crusaders were working like madmen at the oars, while the late slaves, now turned masters, were flogging them unmercifully, accompanying every blow with laugh or jeer, ns if they were revenging themselves on their late tyrants. To poor Stephen, who saw it all ns he stood by the stern of the Turkish admiral’s ship, the scene was one of intense pain. Try as he might to Steel himself by memories of the great cause, as he thought it, in which he had embarked, he are Turkish priests. The Arabs call tluni “hnaums. Dervishes, marabouts and snutous nre different sects of priests, strongly resembling the monks aud friars of Christianity.

could not help the conviction that, but for his Joining the crusade as its leader, and rejecting the advice of his father and mother, these poor boys uow suffering the tortures of slavery might bare been safe at home in France. In spite of himself he uttered n groan, and as lie did so, his eyes fell on his sister Blanche, kneeling by the side of poor Peter, whose pale face, already of that peculiar sickly hue that gives token of approaching death, dealt him another stab in his self-esteem. Blanche caught his eye, and made him a signal to come to her. Then, as he knelt down by his dying foster-brother, Big Peter opened his eyes and smiled faintly, as he whispered: “Good by, my lord, 1 shall never see Vaucluse again.” Then the young leader of the Children’s Crusade broke down,utterly, and sobbed as he knelt by his faithful servitor: “Oh, Peter, Peter, if I Could but give my life for thee, I would give it gladly.” Big Peter faintly moved his head in dissent. “It is very easy to die, my lord," he whispered. “The hard thing will be to live.” Stephen buried his face in his hands, and sobbed. His stoicism had departed at last, and he had not a word to say, till Peter put out his feeble hand and touched him, whispering: “It is the place of the servanPto die for his lord. But you will see France again.” Stephen started at the words, and gazed earnestly in the face of his dying fosterbrother. “Alas! Peter, thou art not in thy right senses,” be said. “No one ever came back from captivity to the Turks. And if they would give me freedom, what should I be to take it, when all these poor Christians will toil out the rest of their lives under the lash?” Then, as he noted the face of his fosterbrother, he added: “Let me send Father Hildebrand to thee to soothe thy last moments.” Big Peter allowed nn expression of strong dislike to cross his face, as he said: “Any one but him, my lord. But for him, we should all be safe at home, and your lady mother happy, as she was a week since. No, no, my lord. If my sins cannot be forgiven without sending to save me the man who hath wrought all this mischief, let me die unshriven.” He closed his eyes in his weakness, and spoke no more. Just at that moment, the bustle on board the other vessel increased as the two ships came together, and a man stepped from the rail of the captured galley to that of Dragut Aga’s ship. Then arose a great shouting on bosrd the Turkish adhiiral's ship. The sailors and soldiers crowded round the newcomer, whom they received with every mark of the most extravagant joy; while Stephen. absorbed in the dying struggles of his foster-brother, did not look up till he heard his sister’s voice, saying: “It is all over, Stephen. He hath gone where there are no sepulchers or death. Peter was a faithful servant and will have bis reward, though he did not take the cross.”

Stephen saw that she spoke the truth. His foster-brotherhail gone, and the poor deluded boy bent his head lower, burying his head in his hands and groaning: “And he died for me, too.” Then he sank into a stupor of misery, from which he was roused by a rude hand on his shoulder; and looking up, he beheld Dragut Aga, with a young man by his side, who, from his dress, was a Turk, though that dress was only a slave's tunic. Dragut signed Stephen to get up, and said to him: “Now, young Christian, thou shalt see that the servants of the prophet are stronger than the servants of the cross. Kuowest thou who this youth beside me is?” Stephen stared stupidly at him, and then turning his head, beheld his sister Blanche gazing at the young Turk with an expression as if she recognized him. But he eould only shake his bead, saying: “I know him not.” Then the young Turk himself spoke, eying him with a smile of triumph that Stephen did not understand. “I am Saphadim, the son of the sultan of Jerusalem. I was a slave, toiling on the oar iu your ship. Your boys, who thought they were men, smote me with whips. I found in that galley but one who showed me kindness. But she wore no cross. Behold the one in all thy fleet who shall be set free and sent home again. But as for thee, who hast allowed a prince of the bouse of Saladin to be struck with whips, thy doom is sealed.. Ye shall all see Jerusalem, but ye shall curse the day in which ye saw it. Take the Christian dog and chain him to an oar, that he may know what it is to light against the servants of Allah.” Copyright. (To be continued.l