rison, looked astonished indeed
when, upon his opening the door, the grand master and the bailiff of
the English langue, with the twelve knights behind them, entered. He had
been puzzled when, four days before, he had received an order from
the grand master that Ahmet, a servitor in the auberge of the English
langue, should be permitted to pass the night in his house, with
authority to move freely and without question, at any hour, in the
courtyard of the gaol, and to depart at any hour, secretly and without
observation, by the private gate. Still more had he been surprised when
he received the message that the grand master would pay him a secret
visit at eleven o'clock at night.
"Let no word be spoken until we are in your apartments," D'Aubusson said
in a low voice, as he entered. "But first lead four of these knights and
post them so that none can enter the gaol from the house. If there are
more than four doors or windows on that side, you must post a larger
number. It is imperative that there shall be no communication whatever
between your servants and the gaol."
As soon as this was done, the rest of the party were taken to the
governor's rooms.
"I can now explain to you all," the grand master said, "the reason of
our presence here. I have learned that at twelve tonight there will be
a general rising of the slaves in this prison, and that, aided by
treachery, they will free themselves from their fetters, overpower and
slay such of the guards in their rooms as have not been bribed, throw
open the gates, make their way down to the port, burn all the shipping
there, and make off in the six galleys manned by them, having first
overpowered the sentries in the three forts commanding the entrance, and
spiked the guns."
Exclamations of astonishment burst from the knights, who now, for the
first time, learnt the reason of their being called out. The governor
listened with an expression of stupefaction.
"With all deference to your Highness," he said hesitatingly, "it seems
to me that some one must have been deceiving you with this tale. It is
altogether incredible that such a plot should have been hatched without
a whisper of the matter coming to my ears. It could only be possible
were there, not one but many, traitors among the officials; if this is
so, then indeed am I a dull ass, and unfit for my duty here, of which
I shall pray you to relieve me, and to order such punishment as the
council may deem just to be al
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