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?"