h it will not relieve me from the responsibility of deciding,
it will at least, in the event of things turning out badly, be a
satisfaction to know that the course had your approval, and that it was
your desire, as well as ours, that we should undertake it. First, then,
let all who are in favour of following the pirates go to the starboard
side of the deck, while those who are in favour of joining Visconti, and
laying this serious matter we have discovered before him, move to the
larboard side."

There was a rush of the knights to the right, and not one moved to the
other side.

"Your decision is the same as ours," Gervaise said. "To the north, then!
If there is great peril in the adventure, there is also great honour to
be gained."

The knights gave a shout of satisfaction at finding that their choice
was also that of the officers.

"Lay her head to the north," Gervaise said to the pilot. Then he went
to the end of the poop, and ordered the slaves to row on. "Row a long,
steady stroke, such as you can maintain for many hours. We have a long
journey before us, and there is need for haste. Now is the time for
willing work."

The oars dipped into the water, and the galley was soon moving along
at a much faster pace than that at which they had performed the journey
from Rhodes. The slaves had not, from their benches, been able to see
what had passed on board the dismantled vessel, but from the order and
the change of course, they had no doubt that the knights had obtained
some clue to the direction taken by the corsairs who had captured and
sacked the ship.

"There is but little wind," Gervaise said to Ralph, "and their sails
will be of slight use to them; therefore we shall go fully three feet to
their two. It is quite possible that we may not catch sight of them,
for we cannot tell exactly the course they will take. We shall steer for
Cape Carbonara, which is some hundred and thirty miles distant. If we
do not see them by the time we get there, we shall be sure that we have
passed them on the way, unless, indeed, a strong wind should spring up
from the south. However, I hope that we shall catch sight of them before
that, for we shall be able from our lookout to discover their masts and
sails some eight or ten miles away, while they will not be able to see
us until we are within half that distance. They cannot be more than
twenty miles away now, for the light breeze will aid them but little,
and as they will see n