volume one

HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES. 107
rity ; but on the morrow, at daybreak, the scouts and clouds
of dust on the heights announced to them the presence of
the enemy. Immediately the camp was roused, and all flew
to arms. Bohemond, thus become the leader of the army in
the midst of peril, hastened to make the necessary dispositions
for receiving the Tiu-ks. The camp of the Christians
was defended on one side by the river, and on the other by
a marsh covered with reeds. The prince of Tarentum caused
it to be surrounded with chariots, and with pahsades made
of the stakes employed in erecting the tents. He next
assigned the posts to the infantry, and placed the women,
the children, and the sick in the centre of them. The
cavalry, divided into three bodies, advanced to the head of
the camp, and prepared to dispute the passage of the river.
One of these bodies was commanded by Tancred, and William
his brother, and another by the duke of Normandy and
the count de Chartres. Bohemond, who commanded the
centre, placed himself with his horsemen upon a height,
whence he might observe everything, and follow the order
of the battle.
Scarcely had the prince of Tarentum finished his preparations,
when the Saracens, uttering loud cries, descended
from the mountains, and, when within bow-shot, discharged
a shower of arrows upon the Christians. This did very
little harm to the horsemen, who were defended by their
shields and their armour, but it wounded a great many
of the horses, which threw the ranks into disorder. The
archers, the sliugers, the crossbow-men, scattered here and
there upon the flanks of the Christian army, were not able
to return to the Turks all the arrows that were launched at
them. The horsemen becoming impatient to make use of
the lance and the SAvord, the most eager of them imprudently
crossed the river and fell upon the Saracens. But
the latter avoided the melee; as fast as the Crusaders presented
themselves before them, they opened their ranks,
dispersed, rallied at some distance, and darkened the air
with a fresh cloud of arrows. The speed of their horses
seconded them in these evolutions, and secured them from
the pursuit of the Crusaders, whom they fought whilst
appearing to fly.
This mamier of fighting was quite in favour of the