"What fear you from these Christian horsemen, for such they
seem?" he said to the Hakim.
"Fear!" said El Hakim, repeating the word disdainfully. "The
sage fears nothing but Heaven, but ever expects from wicked men
the worst which they can do."
"They are Christians," said Sir Kenneth, "and it is the time of
truce--why should you fear a breach of faith?"
"They are the priestly soldiers of the Temple," answered El
Hakim, "whose vow limits them to know neither truce nor faith
with the worshippers of Islam. May the Prophet blight them, both
root, branch, and twig! Their peace is war, and their faith is
falsehood. Other invaders of Palestine have their times and
moods of courtesy. The lion Richard will spare when he has
conquered, the eagle Philip will close his wing when he has
stricken a prey, even the Austrian bear will sleep when he is
gorged; but this horde of ever-hungry wolves know neither pause
nor satiety in their rapine. Seest thou not that they are
detaching a party from their main body, and that they take an
eastern direction? Yon are their pages and squires, whom they
train up in their accursed mysteries, and whom, as lighter
mounted, they send to cut us off from our watering-place.
Pages:
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501