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him in his turn
almost entirely to blockade the Christians. The besiegers were themselves
besieged. On 31 October fifty of his galleys broke through the Frankish fleet,
though with the loss of some ships, to bring food and munitions into Acre; and
on 26 December a larger armada from Egypt reopened communications with the
harbour.
    Throughout the winter the armies faced
each other, neither venturing on a major engagement. There were skirmishes and
duels, but at the same time there was growing fraternization. The knights on
either side began to know and to respect each other. A fight would be
interrupted while the protagonists enjoyed a friendly conversation. Enemy
soldiers would be invited to come to the feasts and entertainments arranged in
either camp. One day the little boys living in the Saracen camp challenged the
Christian boys to a gay mock-combat. Saladin himself was distinguished by the
kindness that he showed to Christian prisoners and the courteous messages and
gifts that he would send to the Christian princes. The more fanatical of his
followers wondered what had happened to the Holy War that he had begged the
Caliph to preach; nor did newly-come knights from the West find the atmosphere
easy to comprehend. Superficially the bitterness had gone out of the war. But
both sides kept a grim determination for victory.
    Despite these pleasant courtesies life in
the Christian camp was harsh that winter. Food was short, especially as the
Franks had lost command of the sea. As the warmer weather approached, water
became a problem and sanitary arrangements broke down. Disease spread through
the troops. Chastened by the difficulties of their men, Guy and Conrad patched
up an agreement. Conrad was to hold Tyre, with Beirut and Sidon when they
should be recovered, and was to recognize Guy as king. When peace between them
was thus made, Conrad left the camp in March and at the end of the month
returned from Tyre with ships laden with food and armaments. Saladin’s fleet
sailed out of the harbour of Acre to intercept him; but after a sharp battle
the Saracen ships were driven back, in spite of their use of Greek fire, and
Conrad was able to land the goods. With the help of the material that he
brought, the Franks constructed wooden siege-towers, with which on 5 May they
tried to assault the city. But the towers were burnt. Soon famine and sickness
reappeared in the Christian camp; and it was little consolation to know that in
Acre too there was famine, although from time to time Saracen ships fought
their way into the harbour bringing new provisions. Throughout the spring
contingents of Moslems joined Saladin’s army. On 19 May, Whit Saturday, he
began an attack on the camp, which was only beaten off after eight days’
fighting. The next full-scale battle was on St James’s Day, 25 July, when the
Frankish soldiers, led by their sergeants and against the wishes of their
leaders, boldly attacked Taki’s camp, on Saladin’s right. They were terribly
defeated and many perished. A distinguished English Crusader, Ralph of Alta
Ripa, Archdeacon of Colchester, went to their rescue and was killed.
    1190: Desultory Fighting
    During the summer other high-born
Crusaders arrived in the camp and were made welcome, though every new soldier
meant another mouth to feed. Many of the greatest French and Burgundian nobles
were among them, hurrying ahead of their King. There were Tibald, Count of
Blois, and his brother Stephen of Sancerre, once a reluctant candidate for
Queen Sibylla’s hand, Ralph, Count of Clermont, John, Count of Fontigny, and
Alan of Saint-Valery, together with the Archbishop of Besancon and the Bishops
of Blois and Toul and other prominent ecclesiastics. Their leader was Henry of Troyes,
Count of Champagne, a young man of great distinction, for his mother, the
daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine by her French marriage, was half-sister to the
Kings of England and France; and both his uncles thought highly of him. He was
at