"The demons shrieked in the forest--and the little fiends winked in the marshes--they showed us the way to the holy sepulchre--bridges of corpses--rusty armor--glaring eyeballs. How the wolves howled on our track--and the black ravens croaked over the dying--'Twas rare sport to hear them groan. "The goat led his followers up the steep rock, The goose flapped her wings, and headed the flock; List to the sound of the martyrs' bones;" and the lunatic broke into a wild fantastic dance, rattling his boxes and shaking his horrid rosary with demoniac frenzy. The countess was here relieved from her involuntary attendance upon the frightful exhibition, by the approach of Prince Henry, who having consigned the madman to proper care, dispersed the crowd, and permitted the train proceed. In reply to Adela's anxious inquiries, he informed her that the miserable creature whom she had seen, had belonged to a mad-rabble, that set off for the Holy Land without leader or guide, held together only by the strange infatuation of adoring a goat and a goose, which they believed to be filled with the divine spirit. Their malignant zeal was directed principally against the Jews, whom they exterminated wherever they came. The Hungarians denied them a passage through the country. The fanatics attempted to force their way across the Danube. The nation rose to arms, and for several days smote them with such slaughter, that the fields were strewed with the slain, and the very waters of the river were hidden by the multitude of the corpses. "Heaven punished their impiety with a loss of reason," said Adela, with a sigh. "Their impiety began with a loss of reason," said Henry, drily. "Thy pardon, sweet sister, but the heralds of thy grand expedition and the tidings they bear, remind one of the evil messengers of Job, each man having escaped alone to tell thee." "We have as yet gained intelligence only from the ill-appointed and barbarous hordes that encumbered rather than aided the expedition. When we shall receive news from warriors, whose heroic courage executes the plans of temperate wisdom, I trust that the disasters of our foes will form the theme of conversation," said Adela, with much spirit. "Nay, I meant not to vex thee," returned Henry, soothingly, "and to prove my desire of peace, I have brought with me a flag of truce," and he handed her a letter from her husband. * * * * * Adela's letter from Stephen contained the most gratifying intelligence. Completely duped by the artful policy of Alexius, the count gave a glowing description of his reception at Constantinople, and the splendid ceremony by which the Latin chiefs did homage to the Greek Emperor, for the cities they hoped to win in Palestine.