the group who appeared to have turned their backs, delivering the
punishment they deserved by attacking the Turks with all his forces.
He killed many of them, made others prisoners, and brought those he
had captured back to the gate of the city, where, to terrify the
citizens who were watching, he ordered that they be decapitated.
Some of the citizens, however, climbed to the top of this gate and
wore out our men by discharging so many arrows that a cloud of
missiles flowed in the midst of Bohemund's camp, and one woman died
when struck by one of the arrows. Finally the leaders consulted with
each other, and decided to set up a fort at the top of a mountain
which they called Malregard, and which, as a formidable stronghold,
might serve to drive away the Turks. Thus the fort was being
constructed, and there you would have seen the greatest princes
laboring at carrying rocks. There no poor man might complain that he
had to endure hardships inflicted upon him by the power of great men,
since those who were in charge would permit themselves no rest in
bringing the work to completion. For they knew by the instinct of
pious nature, even if they had not read it, what Marius, according to
Sallust, said, "If you behave gently, but rule the army firmly, you
will be a master, not an general."[156] And when the fort was built,
the leaders took turns guarding it. Christmas was near, and the
grain and other food for the body began to diminish severely, and
throughout the army everything that was for sale was expensive.
There was no energy to go even a moderate distance to seek food;
within the territory held by those who called themselves Christians
almost nothing to eat could be found; no one could go into the
Saracen region without large military force. Therefore, compelled by
hunger, the leaders held a meeting to discuss how to deal with the
danger of such a large group of men starving unless something were
done for them. Finally they decided to send part of the army to