A Knight of the White Cross_ A

Vrados's; and he could see no means of following the matter up. It would not, he felt, be honourable to go again to the merchant's house, and to avail himself of his hospita

orway to let them pass. He was on the point of stepping out to follow them, when he saw a man, who had been standing in the shadow of the wall, fall in with their ranks, and, as he walked engaged in an earnest conversation with one of the slaves. He kept beside him for a hundred yards or so,

reets, the man turned into a refreshment house. The door stood open, and as the place was brightly lit up, Gervaise, pausing outside, was able to see what was going on inside. The man he had followed was o

t he had spoken to any of the slaves, and Gervaise could not point out the one he had conversed with. At any rate, nothing could be done now, and he required time to think what steps he could take to follow up the matter. He resolved, however, to wait and follow the Greek when he came out. After a few minutes he again repassed the d

e the other walked towards Gervaise. The latter passed him carelessly, but when the man had gone nearly to the end of the street, he turned and followed him. He could see at once that he was a lay brother of the Order. This class consisted of men of an inferior social posi

ve to Gervaise that, after some deliberation, he thought it was too important for him to endeavour to follow out alone, and that it was necessary to lay it before the bailiff. Accordingly, after the evening m

Gervaise?" he asked pleasantl

consideration; but it seems to me of such importa

ve, and, seating himself in a chair,

hear what it

ff's face as he mentioned that he had met the Greek on the roof of the

air daughters, has

s the only visit that I ever paid there, or,

the man enter into communication with a slave; and he frowned heavily w

how to get to the bottom of it. Of course, the grand master might order the arrest of this Greek and of the prison officer, but you may be sure that neither would commit himself unless torture were applied; and I, for one, h

yet, Sir John; and certainly

upon you more than myself to carry it farther. There may possibly be some simple explanation of the matter. He may come from an island where the Turks are masters, and has, perhaps, brought a message from some relatives of a slave; as to the talk with the prison officer, it may be wholly innocent. If we should find that it is so we will keep this matter to ourselv

aise again called u

s matter. I confess that I myself, though I have had a sleepless night over it, have not been a

I should disguise myself as a Turkish slave, and as such Sir John should hand me over to the officer in command of the galley, giving him a letter of private instructions from you as to my disposal. If they have other slaves on board I would ask that I should be kept apart from them, as well as from the rowers of the galley. On being landed I should be sent to the prison where I saw the officer enter last night, and the slaves and rowers should be distributed among the other prisons. Thus, then, th

ve? To keep up the disguise long enough to be taken into the confidence of the plotters, you might have to stay there for some time; and

approval," Gervaise replied. "It will no doubt be unpleasant, but we did not enter the Order to do pleasan

e you must remember that if detected you might be torn in pieces

that I can do

would you

hip I was on by a galley-which would not be altogether false, as I crossed one as I landed. I think there would be very little question

wn into the town to buy garments suitable for you, and also stains for your skin. It will, of course, be necessary for you to shave a portion of your head in Turkish fashion. I will also see Sir John Boswell, and ask him t

order that I should be sent to one of the auberges as a servant; and my afterwards being herded with the others would be explained by its being found that there was no opening for me in such a capacity. I should think there would be

wn to the port with Sir John Boswel

n, from what the bailiff tells me, that there must be some treacherous plot on hand, and when that is the case it is necessary that

y one need not mind a few weeks' inconvenience. I shall, at any ra

oubtfully. "But that was from necessity, and not from choi

of one's own free will than because

was a stout fighting man

ankly that if I were in his place I would not permit you to try such a venture. However, as I could think of no other plan by which there would be a chance of getting to the bottom of this matter, my words had no effect with hi

s, or he may be arranging some plan of communication by which, in case of siege, news of

hoisted at once, and she rowed out from the port. Having proceeded some three or four miles, they lowered her sails, and lay to in the course a galley making for the port would take. A sailor was

. "You can hoist your sails, captain, and return to within half

de for their use, and proceeded to disguise himself. An hou

th the tale you are going to tell, which is that you are the son of a Syrian trader. If, as Suleiman says, you speak Turkish well enough to pose

ceeded in finding out anything, he will send down to the prison, and under the pretence that he wants to ask me some questions a

mmunicate with him

on at the hour when the slaves are taken out to work. If I have aught to communicate I am to nod twice, and Sir J

o Harcourt and the others t

away by ship, on a private mission. They may wonder, per

will turn out well. I was against the scheme at first, but I own that I do not see now why it shoul

already in the water, and Gervaise, wrapped up in his mantle, followed Sir John out of his cabin and descended wi

calls?" a

take me on board, Sir Almeric. I

d the boat ran alongside. Gervaise unclasped his mantle

n having, as your letter stated, made a prosperous voyage," Si

with you aside," he

th him a few paces f

lm? My instructions are that he is not to mingle with the other slaves; and as there are reasons why it is wished that his coming on board in this manner shall not be known to them, I myself am to take him up to one of the prisons, or at le

d anything about it, Sir John

ined the other knights, who were all too anxious to learn the latest news-who had left the island, and who had come to it since they sailed-to interest themselves in any way

ng, an account being sent on shore of the number of captives that had been brought in. No thought was given to Gervaise, who slept curled up on the poop. Sir John Boswell passed the night on board. In the morning an offic

rning Sir John went ashore in one of the boats conveying the slaves, of whom some forty had been captured. Gervaise followed him int

which was the officer from St

at present occasion for one, and so he is to go to you. He says that his father is a merchant, and will be ready to pay a ransom for him; but they all say that, and we must not heed it overmuc

the St. Elmo. Follow me," he said, in Turkish, to Gervaise, and then led the way up to the prison. On entering he crossed a courtyard to a d

to their work," he said, "so

th some disgust at the rushes, that h

if they were clean," he muttered to

disabled by illness or injuries, were seated in the sun. Gervaise walke

hat. By the time you have been here a week or two, your clothes will be like ours," and he

ot land us until this morning. I wish they had killed me rather

id. "But somehow one clings to life. We sha

er with your foot

weeks, and I own that the Christian dogs treated me well. A slave has his value, you see. I am nearly c

have you b

l us much, but we hear things sometimes, and they say that the sultan is goin

The sultan has had troubles in the East, and that has delayed him, but he

ring as we have suffered, toiling at oars in one of our galleys, or at the fortifications of o

t the sailors said it would only throw away their lives. There was but little on board, and they allo

rest save in their own misery, and Gervaise soon left them, and

brought Gervaise in went up to the overseer of the galley slaves and infor

e. I hear that he had been set aside to be appointed a servitor, but there are no vacancies, so they s

or if I had done so, no doubt they would have sent me some more men. However, this fellow will make up an

interest in anything. The food consisted of rye bread, with thin broth, brought in a great iron vessel. Each slave had a horn, which was used for soup or water, and which, wh

. A few men sat in groups together, talking in undertones, but the greater number threw themselves down on the rushes, either to sleep or to think alone. Gervaise was struck by the manner in which most of them lay, without making the slightest movement, so long as there was light to enable him to make out their figures. He

elf. As soon as it was dark, he lay down in a vacant space on the rushes. Shortly afterwards talking ceased altogether, and there was quiet in the vaulted room. With the first gleam of daylight they were astir, and, when the doors were opened, poured out into the

companion at the oar. The slaves were more cheerful now. As there was no work to do at present, they were allowed to talk, and an occasional laugh was heard, for the sun and brightness of the

rest, I became accustomed to it in time. After all, the work is no harder than one would do at home. There is no stint of food, and it is no worse than one would have, were one labouring in the fields. Were it not for the loss of those we love, it would be n

k hard?" Ge

s only when they are in chase of another craft that we have really to exert ourselves greatly. Then it is terrible. We may be doing our best, our very best, and yet to the impatient knights it seems that we might do more. Then they shout to the overseer, and he lays his whip on our backs without mercy. Then we row until sometimes we drop, senseless, off the benches. But this, you understand, is not ve

e small boats. Some men are foolish and obstinate, but, so far from doing any good, this only brings trouble on themselves; they come in for punishment daily, they are closely watched, and their lives made hells for them. Even as a help to escape it pays best to be cheerful and alert. We all think of escape, you know, though it is seldom indeed that a chance ever comes to any of us. It is the one thing except death to look forward to, and there is not a man among us who d