AmidthesecarelesswardersglidedthepunyformofalittleoldTurk，poorlydressedlikeamaraboutorsantonofthedesert，asortofenthusiasts，whosometimesventuredintothecampoftheCrusaders，thoughtreatedalwayswithcontumely，andoftenwithviolence。Indeed，theluxuryandprofligateindulgenceoftheChristianleadershadoccasionedamotleyconcourseintheirtents，ofmusicians，courtezans，Jewishmerchants，Copts，Turks，andallthevariedrefuseoftheEasternnations；
sothatthecaftanandturban，thoughtodrivebothfromtheHolyLandwastheprofessedobjectoftheexpedition，wereneverthelessneitheranuncommonnoranalarmingsightinthecampoftheCrusaders。When，however，thelittleinsignificantfigurewehavedescribedapproachedsonighastoreceivesomeinterruptionfromthewarders，hedashedhisduskygreenturbanfromhishead，showedthathisbeardandeyebrowswereshavedlikethoseofaprofessedbuffoon，andthattheexpressionofhisfantasticandwrithenfeatures，aswellasofhislittleblackeyes，whichglitteredlikejet，wasthatofacrazedimagination。
Dance，marabout，’’criedthesoldiers，acquaintedwiththemannersofthesewanderingenthusiasts-dance，orwewillscourgetheewithourbowstrings，tillthouspinasnevertopdidunderschoolboy’slash。’’-Thusshoutedtherecklesswarders，asmuchdelightedathavingasubjecttotease，asachildwhenhecatchesabutterfly，oraschoolboyupondiscoveringabird’snest。
Themarabout，asifhappytodotheirbehests，boundedfromtheearth，andspunhisgiddyroundbeforethemwithsingularagility，which，whencontrastedwithhisslightandwastedfigure，anddiminutiveappearance，madehimresembleawitheredleaftwirledroundandaroundatthepleasureofthewinter’sbreeze。
Hissinglelockofhairstreamedupwardsfromhisbaldandshavenhead，asifsomegenieupheldhimbyit；andindeeditseemedasifsupernaturalartwerenecessarytotheexecutionofthewildwhirlingdance，inwhichscarcethetiptoeoftheperformerwasseentotouchtheground。Amidthevagariesofhisperformance，heflewhereandthere，fromonespottoanother，stillapproaching，however，thoughalmostimperceptibly，totheentranceoftheroyaltent；sothat，whenatlengthhesunkexhaustedontheearth，aftertwoorthreeboundsstillhigherthanthosewhichhehadyetexecuted，hewasnotabovethirtyyardsfromtheKing’sperson。