He dismounted for an hour to allow his steed to rest itself, fed it with dates from his wallet, and gave it a drink of water at the stream.  Then, when he felt that it had thoroughly recovered its strength and freshness, he remounted, and rode briskly on as before.  He passed unchallenged, attracting no more notice than a person nowadays would do in walking along a crowded street.  Without hesitation he passed through the tents and started across the open country.  Bands of horsemen were seen here and there, some going, and some coming from the direction of the Christian camp.  As it was doubtless supposed that he was on his way to join some band that had gone on in advance, the passage of the solitary horseman excited no comment until he approached within about two miles of the Christian camp.  There were now, so far as he could see, no enemies between him and the point he so longed to gain.  But at this minute a group of Arab horsemen, gathered, apparently on the lookout against any movement of the Christians, shouted to him “Halt!” demanding whither he was going.

Up to this point Cuthbert had ridden at a gentle canter; but at the challenge he put spurs into his steed and made across the plain at full speed.  With a wild yell the Arabs started in pursuit.  They lay at first some two hundred yards on his right, and he had therefore a considerable start of them.  His horse was fairly fresh, for the journey that he had made had only been about fifteen miles—­an inconsiderable distance to an Arab steed.  For half a mile he did not think that his pursuers gained much upon him, riding as they had done sideways.  They had now gathered in his rear, and the nearest was some one hundred and fifty yards behind him.  A quarter of a mile further he again looked around, and found that two of the Arabs, far better mounted than the others, had come within half the distance which separated them from him when he last glanced back.  His horse was straining to the utmost, and he felt that it could do no more; he therefore prepared himself for a desperate fight should his pursuers overtake him.  In another quarter of a mile they were but a short distance behind, and an arrow whizzing by Cuthbert’s ear told him they had betaken themselves to their bows.

Half a mile ahead he saw riding toward him a group of Christian knights; but he felt that it was too late for him to hope to reach them, and that his only chance now was to boldly encounter his pursuers.  The main body of the Arabs was fully two hundred yards behind—­a short distance when going at a gallop—­which left him but little time to shake off the pursuit of the two immediately behind him.