Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/123

Rh halted in their course and turned fiercely on their pursuers, and whilst the Saracens were preparing to re-form themselves into some semblance of order to receive this unlooked-for attack, they were dismayed by hearing the tumult of strife suddenly arise in their rear and on both flanks. Thrown into the wildest and most hopeless confusion by this sudden appearance of enemies on every side, little or no resistance was offered; the struggle became a massacre, and the battle-field was strewn with the corpses of the slain, a very slender remnant of the whole force surviving to carry to the sultan of Egypt the news of this fresh and still more serious disaster to his arms.

Aroused to a pitch of frenzy by the double defeat which he had sustained at the hands of the Order of St. John, the sultan vowed a deep and bitter revenge against the Christians. From this purpose he never swerved, although for some years the internal disturbances of his kingdom were so numerous as to prevent his being able to accomplish the design. At length, taking advantage of an interval of repose, he advanced in person against Margat at the head of a formidable army in the year 1287. Fore-warned of his intention, de Lorgue had thrown a strong reinforcement into the fortress, the garrison of which calmly awaited the attack. The sultan, on arriving in front of the walls, commenced the siege in due form; the place was invested, trenches were dug, battering rams, towers, and other military engines constructed, and all the usual routine strictly adhered to. On the part of the defenders every possible impediment was thrown in the way of the assailants, and their constant and energetic sorties created so many obstructions to the advance that the sultan seemed to gain little or no advantage.

During the time this open warfare was being carried on so much apparently in favour of the besieged, a secret and insidious advance was in progress, by which their speedy downfall was to be compassed. The visible attack had been a mere blind on the part of the sultan, who, whilst thus diverting the attention of the defenders, was quietly making his approaches below ground. In this manner he stealthily advanced, until he had at length succeeded in undermining the ramparts in every direction, temporarily supporting the walls with huge beams of