men to lie in wait for the Muslims at a certain difficult part of the road and attack them at a disadvantage. But a company of Mohammedan troops happened to come across a straggler from this party, who, to save himself, betrayed his companions, and pointed out the ambuscade in the valley.. The whole two hundred were captured and brought to the Saracen leader. Amongst the prisoners were two chiefs of the Knights Hospitallers, and being carried before the Sultan one of them said, " Thank God, we shall come to no harm, now that we have looked upon your highness's face." · ' " This speech," says the Arab writer, " must have teen dictated by divine inspiration, for nothing else could have induced the Sultan to spare their lives ; as it was, he set them both at liberty." The great addition to the besieging force, combined with the extreme cold and scarcity of provisions, proved too much for the endurance of the garrison of Kokeb, and in the beginning of January, 1189, it was added to the list of the Sultan's conquests. After this, Saladin and his brother returned to Jerusalem, where the latter took leave of him and set out for Egypt with his division of the army. The Sultan then proceeded to Acre, and spent some time in fortifying and otherwise providing for the safety and good government of the town, which he handed over to the care of one Bahâ-ed-din Caracosh, who had, in the meantime, arrived from Egypt with a large following. Towards the end of March he commenced a tour of inspection throughout his Syrian dominions, visiting in turn, Tiberias, Damascus, and other places. On the 21st of April he reached the Shakif Arnon, near which he encamped in the plain called Merj 'Ayun. The fortress of the Shakif was in the hands of Benaud, Lord of Sidon, who came in person to the Sultan, and begged for three months' grace to enable him to remove his family from