A Knight of the White Cross_ A

a party of knights. Silence instantly fell upon the slaves; all straightened themselves up to the oars, and prepa

tion of the dye, he was surprised to find that he would not have known it to be his own face. Ralph was in command of the party, which consisted of young knights who had but r

vaise did not find it excessive. He congratulated himself, however, that the stain was, as he had been assured, indelible, save by time, for after a few minutes'

wo immovable, and then backed water, or turned to avoid the attack of an imaginary foe. Then for an hour she lay quiet, while the knights, divesting themselves of their mantles and armour, worked one of the guns on the poop, aiming at a floating

rk was similar to that which had been performed in the morning

rk?" one of the slaves asked Gervai

so bad if it wa

ary. Then you get so worn out and exhausted, that you can scarce move an oar through the water, until you are wakened up by a smart as if a red hot iron had been laid across your shoulders. It is terrible work then. The whip cracks

se said. "And do you never ge

shook

e done; but as far as I know no one has hit on a plan yet. Now and then men have managed to become possessed of a file, and have, by long and patient work, sawn through a chain, and have, when a galley has been lying near our own shore, sprung overboard and escaped; but for every attempt that succeeds ther

ose, is impossibl

ns, and taught to hold Moslems in abhorrence, but I think many of them, if they had their free choice, would cross to the mainland. Here they have no chance of ever being aught but what they are-overseers of slaves, or small prison officials. They are despised by these haughty knights, and hated by us, while were they to reach t

are kept in the commander's cabin. For an hour or two, when we are not on a long passage, the padlocks are unfastened, in order that we may jump over and bathe, and exercise our limbs; but at this time the knights are always on guard, and as we are without arms we are altogether p

money, and would I know be ready, if I could communicate with him, to pa

odded sig

pt to leak out. A muttered word or two in sleep, or the ravings of one down with fever, might afford ground for suspicion, and torture would soon do the rest. I myself know nothing of the secret, but I do know that there is something going on which, if successful, will give us our freedom. I am content to know no more until the time comes; but there are few, save those engaged in the matter, that know as much as this, and you can see that it is better it should be

nd that he was not leading this life in vain, but he thought it better to wait until the week passed, and he was taken away to have his colour renewed, than to make a sign that might possi

left the prison, th

a servitor; and as it is he who has sent down, it may be that a vacancy has occurred. If so, you are in luck, for the servitors have

itecture was Gothic in its character, and, although the langue was one of the smallest of those represented at Rhodes,

y he will not be considered of sufficient age for the post that is vacant. However, if this should not be so, I shall no doubt find a post

vaise to follow him to

s the door closed behind him, "have you found aught

amber in which we are shut up at night, and the foul state of the rushes on which we lie, I should have naught to complain of. No, I have as yet heard nothing of a surety-and yet eno

mises, and I am glad that I attached sufficient importance to your suspicions

s insistence in this matter, which I own I considered to be

take place. I may not hear of it until we are locked up for the night and the affair is on the point of ta

importance," the bailiff said.

t, in the first place, he might be himself in the plot, and if not, the slaves would almost ce

t least, of course there is a win

h of the side walls; they are but four inches across and three feet in leng

your arm to pass through, Sir Gervaise,

cotton a yard or so long in my clothes, scanty as these are, and

governor. He is a sturdy Englishman, and there is no fear of his having been bribed to turn traitor; but it were well to take no one into our confidence. I think we cannot do better than employ Ahmet on this business, as he already knows that Sir Gervaise is masquerading there. W

white mantle, tore a strip off th

ne on your right, standing inside. If the affair is not to come off at once, it were best for you to proceed as before. Ahmet will be outside when you go out with your gang, and on your nodding to him we will make some excuse to take you awa

e told until the blow is ready to be struck, as they would be afraid that so

r how extended this plot may be; it may include only the crew of a single galley, and, on the other hand, the whole of the slav

t the end of the room farthest from the door. Two of them took up arms full of the bedding, and stuffed it into the side windows. Gervaise saw, in the dim light, a look of intense excitement on the faces of the slaves. It had been vaguely known among them that a plot was in ha

n the Island, and has been engaged in arranging this affair. Two of our taskmasters belonging to the Order have been bribed by large sums of money, and several of the overseers, who are half of our blood, have eagerly embraced the prospect of returning to their mothers' country, and of avowing openly their belief in our religion. These, again, have bought over many of the guards, ours included, and tonight all will be ready for action. Those not of our party will be killed without ceremony. Duplicate keys have

Tower of St. Michael, and twenty to that of St. John. There will be, at the most, but three or four men keeping watch at each fort, and thus we shall have in our possession the three forts commanding the entrance to the harbour. There are, as you know, six galleys manned by crews from our prison there. The crew of each galley will embark upon it, and man the oars; the rest will divide themselves among the galleys. Before starting, we shall seize and set fire to all other galleys and ships in the port. The gangs in four of the rooms have been t

ht and approbation bu

this prison who are i

ut a small proportion of us can obtain weapons, we could not hope to overcome them. Were it not for the strong wall that separates their quarter from the town, we might make straight for their houses and slay them before the alarm could be given. As it is, that would be impossible, and therefore the plan will be carried out as I have told you. The loss of all their galleys and of over one thousand slaves will be a heavy blow for them. Great pains have been taken to prevent confusion w

m the port, and gave me the instructions, and all the others will have been told in the same way, or else by the guards in charge of them." The gang now broke up into little groups, talking excitedly over the unlooked for news, and exulting over the speedy advent of liberty. Gervaise strolled carelessly to the window, and dropped out the white stri

mself from his seat on the bedding. "I have done m

e; he has come to fetch you. It seems t

, "just when a road to freedom is open! I have a good

was naught the matter with you, would suspect that there must be some reason why you did not want

d a warder entered with a lighted torch. "Get up, you lazy

vaise grumbled. "I

The warder gave him an angry push, followed hi

the right man?" Sir

as taken over to your auberge the other day,"

red, and they passed out unquestioned. Sir John strolled on ahead. Gervaise followed him a p

"as we may have been watched. Keep

ent up at once to Sir J

ip of cotton was brought to

it out, lest it should not come to hand in time. As it is, you have till midnight t

all our galleys would have crippled us sorely, and the loss of over a thousand slaves would have been a serious one indeed, when we so urgently require them for completing our defences. Get rid of those c

ready in their coats of mail, and leaving the auberge they went to the grand master's palace. A servitor had al

rising of the slaves that is intended, or a plot by which a handful of slaves may seize a boat and escape, the

one prison: that

them," the gra

, are to seize the three water towers and to spike the guns, to burn all the

rious matter. But tell me all about it. There must be tre

him all the deta

m. As it is, we must be beforehand with them. A hundred men will be more than ample for our purpose. Do you take fifty of your knights, Sir John Kendall, and I will draw fifty of those of Auvergne. At eleven o'clock we will meet at the gate leading down into the town, and will march to the private entrance of the governor's house. I will go in first with a few of you, tell him what we have discovered, and post guards to prevent any one from leaving his house. Then, having admitted the others, we will go quietly out and place a party at each door of the overseers' house, with orders to seize any who may come out. The rest, in small parties, will then go round the prison, and, entering each room, sho

ed, one by one, down to the gate, and there await orders. Up to this time Gervaise had remained in the bailiff's room,

ed by four of the servants, who at once lighted the torches they carried, when he proceeded to go through the roll, and found that the muster was complete. Many of the knights had gazed in some surprise

whose appearance greatly heightened the surprise of the English knights. The torches were now extinguished, the

d, Sir Knight?" the latte

wly, Ralph," Ge

I did not know you, though I looked hard at you in the torch light. What have y

t be content to know that I have been

er and the council have the right to expel a knight from the Order after due trial and investigation, but not to condemn h

ve not disgraced you, you may judge from the fact that I am in the armour and mant

ned down a street to the right. After a few minutes' marching they halted under a high wall which all knew to be that of the prison of St. Pelagius. Six knights were posted

of Auvergne, being told off to accompany the grand master and Sir John Kendall. A note had been sent to the governor, informing him that the grand master intended