ing to Gervaise, he went on: "It was a daring and brilliant exploit
indeed, Sir Gervaise, and in due time honour shall be paid to you and
your brave companions, to whom and to you I now tender the thanks of the
Order. But tell me the rest briefly, for I would fain hear from these
noble knights and old friends the story of what has befallen them."

"My tale is a very brief one, your Highness. The Cavalier Caretto sailed
at once in a swift craft from the south of Sardinia, to carry warnings
to the cities on the coast of Italy of the danger that threatened them,
and in order that some war galleys might be despatched by Genoa to meet
the corsair fleet. During his absence we discovered the little inlet in
which the pirates lay hidden, waiting doubtless the arrival of the three
ships we had captured, to commence operations. On the return of the
knight with the news that it would be at least a fortnight before Genoa
could fit out any galleys, and fearing that the pirates might at any
moment put to sea, we procured some small Sardinian craft, and fitted
them as fire ships; with the captives we had rescued, and some Sard
fishermen, we manned the three prizes, distributing the knights between
them, and at night launched the fire ships against the corsairs, whose
ships were crowded together. Eleven of them were burnt; six we captured
as they endeavoured to make their way out, and took possession of four
others whose crews had run them ashore and deserted them. None escaped."

Exclamations of astonishment and almost of incredulity broke from the
knights.

"And is it possible, Sir Gervaise, that these thirteen vessels that
follow you are all prizes captured by your galley alone?"

"It is, as I have the honour to tell your Highness. But their capture,
except in the case of the first three, was due almost solely to good
fortune and to the position in which we found them, almost incapable of
defence."

"What think you, knights and comrades?" the grand master said to his
companions. "There were some of you who deemed it rash to entrust a
galley to so young a commander and so youthful a crew. What say you now?
Never in the annals of the Order has such a sight been witnessed as that
of thirteen prizes being brought in by a single galley, to say naught
of eleven others destroyed. Caretto, you and your comrades must have had
some share in this marvellous victory."

"By no means," the Italian replied; "beyond having the honour of aiding