The king followed them out upon the plain, driving them
before him as a lion would drive a flock of sheep, and then returned
triumphant into the city.
The next day, some more ships having arrived, King Richard found that in
all, including the garrison, he could muster two thousand combatants.
The enemy renewed the attack in great numbers, and the assaults upon
the walls were continuous and desperate. King Richard, who loved
fighting in the plain rather than behind walls, was impatient at this,
and at one time so fierce was the attack that he resolved to sally out.
Only ten horses remained in the town, and King Richard, mounting one,
called upon nine of the knights to mount and sally out with him. The
little band of ten warriors charged down upon the host of the Saracens
and swept them before them. It was a marvelous sight indeed to see so
small a group of horsemen dashing through a crowd of Saracen warriors.
These, although at first beaten back, yet rallied, and the ten knights
had great difficulty in fighting their way back to the town.
Pages:
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287