Indeed, a blow from one of their long knives fell upon Godwin's shoulder, but the good mail turned it.
"Give way," he cried to Wulf, "or they will best us." So suddenly they gave way before them till their backs were against the door, and there they stood, shouting for help and sweeping round them with their swords into reach of which the fedai dare not come.

Now from without the chamber rose a cry and tumult, and the sound of heavy blows falling upon the gates that the murderers had barred behind them, while upon the further side of the door, which he could not open, was heard the voice of the Sultan demanding to know what passed.
The fedai heard these sounds also, and read in them their doom.
Forgetting caution in their despair and rage, they hurled themselves upon the brethren, for they thought that if they could get them down they might still break through the door and slay Salah-ed-din before they themselves were slain.

But for awhile the brethren stopped their rush with point and buckler, wounding two of them sorely; and when at length they closed in upon them, the gates were burst, and Hassan and the outer guard were at hand.
A minute later and, but little hurt, Godwin and Wulf were leaning on their swords, and the fedai, some of them dead or wounded and some of them captive, lay before them on the marble floor.
Moreover, the door had been opened, and through it came the Sultan in his nightgear.
"What has chanced ?" he asked, looking at them doubtfully.
"Only this, lord," answered Godwin; "these men came to kill you and we held them off till help arrived." "Kill me! My own guard kill me ?" "They are not your guard; they are fedai, disguised as your guard, and sent by Al-je-bal, as he promised." Now Salah-ed-din turned pale, for he who feared nothing else was all his life afraid of the Assassins and their lord, who thrice had striven to murder him.
"Strip the armour from those men," went on Godwin, "and I think that you will find truth in my words, or, if not, question such of them as still live." They obeyed, and there upon the breast of one of them, burnt into his skin, was the symbol of the blood-red dagger.

Now Saladin saw, and beckoned the brethren aside.
"How knew you of this ?" he asked, searching them with his piercing eyes.
"Masouda, the lady Rosamund's waiting woman, warned us that you, lord, and we, were to be murdered tonight by eight men, so we made ready." "Why, then, did you not tell me ?" "Because," answered Wulf, "we were not sure that the news was true, and did not wish to bring false tidings and be made foolish.

Because, also, my brother and I thought that we could hold our own awhile against eight of Sinan's rats disguised as soldiers of Saladin." "You have done it well, though yours was a mad counsel," answered the Sultan.