“Do suffer us to go, we do not fear death,” pleaded Francis and Illuminato, again and again.

“I do not know what is in your minds in this,” said the Cardinal, “but beware—­if you go—­that your thoughts are always to God.”

“We only wish to go for great good, if we can work it,” replied Francis.

“Then if you wish it so much,” the Cardinal at last agreed, “you may go.”

So Francis and Illuminato girded their loins and tightened their sandals and set away from the Crusading Army towards the very camp of the enemy.

As he walked Francis sang with his full, loud, clear voice.  These were the words that he sang: 

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

As they walked along over the sandy waste they saw two small sheep nibbling the sparse grass growing near the Nile.

“Be of good cheer,” said Francis to Illuminato, smiling, “it is the fulfilling of the Gospel words ’Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves.’”

Then there appeared some Saracen soldiers.  They were, at first, for letting the two unarmed men go by; but, on questioning Francis, they grew angrier and angrier.

“Are you deserters from the Christian camp?” they asked.

“No,” replied Francis.

“Are you envoys from the commander come to plead for peace?”

“No,” was the answer again.

“Will you give up the infidel religion and become a true believer and say ‘There is no God but Allah, and Mahomet is his prophet?’”

“No, no,” cried Francis, “we are come to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Sultan of Egypt.”

The eyes of the Saracen soldiers opened with amazement:  they could hardly believe their ears.  Their faces flushed under their dark skins with anger.

“Chain them,” they cried to one another.  “Beat them—­the infidels.”

Chains were brought and snapped upon the wrists and ankles of Francis and Illuminato.  Then they took rods and began to beat the two men—­just as Paul and Silas had been beaten eleven centuries earlier.

As the rods whistled through the air and came slashing upon their wounded backs Francis kept crying out one word—­“Soldan—­Soldan.”  That is “Sultan—­Sultan.”

He thus made them understand that he wished to be taken to their Commander-in-Chief.  So they decided to take these strange beings to Malek-Kamel.

As the Sultan sat in his pavilion Francis and Illuminato were led in.  They bowed and saluted him courteously and Malek-Kamel returned the salute.

“Have you come with a message from your Commander?” said the Sultan.

“No,” replied Francis.

“You wish then to become Saracens—­worshippers of Allah in the name of Mahomet?”

“Nay, nay,” answered Francis, “Saracens we will never be.  We have come with a message from God; it is a message that will save your life.  If you die under the law of Mahomet you are lost.  We have come to tell you so:  if you listen to us we will show all this to you.”