One of these
struck the litter in which the Queen was seated, who loudly
screamed, and the red spot was on Richard's brow in an instant.
"Ha! Saint George," he exclaimed, "we must take some order with
this infidel scum!"
But Edith, whose litter was near, thrust her head out, and with
her hand holding one of the shafts, exclaimed, "Royal Richard,
beware what you do! see, these arrows are headless!"
"Noble, sensible wench!" exclaimed Richard; "by Heaven, thou
shamest us all by thy readiness of thought and eye.--Be not
moved, my English hearts," he exclaimed to his followers; "their
arrows have no heads--and their spears, too, lack the steel
points. It is but a wild welcome, after their savage fashion,
though doubtless they would rejoice to see us daunted or
disturbed. Move onward, slow and steady."
The little phalanx moved forward accordingly, accompanied on all
sides by the Arabs, with the shrillest and most piercing cries,
the bowmen, meanwhile, displaying their agility by shooting as
near the crests of the Christians as was possible, without
actually hitting them, while the lancers charged each other with
such rude blows of their blunt weapons that more than one of them
lost his saddle, and well-nigh his life, in this rough sport.
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