224 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book n.

with the aid of a parcel of stout citizens, wasupheld for two entire days, until at length Heavensent us victory, and we drove the infidels backthrough the breach; and on the right of it, lo! mypoor friend, who was mighty vigorous sprang fromhis horse, and seizing three of the enemy, one byone in his arms, threw them clear over the ram-part down into the ditch; but the third struggledso, that just as his heels disappeared in the fall,he undid Tom’s helmet, whose throat was instantlypierced through and through by the shot from a zem-bourek; whereupon I also dismounted, but in vain,for the faithful Christian was quite dead. And I toohad my share, for while in the act of rising frommy knees over his corpse, I was struck on thebreast-bone by something very small, so supposeit a zembourek’s bullet, which must have killedme but for my cuirass, which however it broke topieces, and glanced off. As it was, I was dread-fully wounded, nor to this day can I make theleast exertion without a spitting of blood, not evenascend a horse; and Marshal Claremont, seeingme drop, got down, and with his own handsexamined my wound, and pronounced it severeand dangerous, but not mortal, and added, “ Wereyou not thus, I should tell you to become an Hos-pitaller, but never attempt it; for you are an invalid