re indeed reduced to extremity; with their ammunition nearly
exhausted; their weapons battered and broken; their fortifications
yawning with breaches, like some tempest-tossed vessel with its seams
opening in every direction, and ready to founder; the few survivors
covered with wounds; and many of them so far crippled as to be scarcely
able to drag their enfeebled body along the ramparts. One more attack,
and the scene would be closed.

In this deplorable state, they determined to make an effort to
communicate with their friends on the other side of the harbor, and
report to them their condition. The distance was not great; and among
the Maltese were many excellent swimmers, who, trained from childhood to
the sea, took to it as to their native element. One of these offered to
bear a message to the grand-master. Diving and swimming long under
water, he was fortunate enough to escape the enemy's bullets, and landed
safe on the opposite shore.

La Valette was deeply affected by this story, though not surprised by
it. With the rest of the knights he had watched with straining eyes the
course of the fight; and though marvelling that, in spite of odds so
great, victory should have remained with the Christians, he knew how
dearly they must have bought it. Though with little confidence in his
success, he resolved to answer their appeal by making one effort to aid
them. Five large barges were instantly launched, and furnished with a
reinforcement of troops and supplies for the garrison. The knights
thronged to the quay, each eagerly contending for the perilous right to
embark in them. They thought only of their comrades in St. Elmo.

It turned out as La Valette had foreseen. The landing-place was
commanded by a battery of heavy guns, and by hundreds of musketeers,
menacing instant death to whoever should approach the shore. But the
knights were not allowed to approach it; for the Turkish admiral, lying
off the entrance of the Great Port, and aware of the preparations that
were making, sent a flotilla of his lighter vessels into the harbor, to
intercept the convoy. And so prompt were their movements, that unless
the Christians had put back again with all speed, they would have been
at once surrounded and captured by the enemy.

The defenders of St. Elmo, who had watched from the ramparts the boats
coming to their assistance, saw the failure of the attempt; and the last
ray of hope faded away in their bosoms. Their doom was sea