command a galley manned by warriors
famous for their deeds of arms, even among us who are their foes."

"This galley was an exception," Gervaise replied; "the knights on
board were all young, as they could be better spared than those more
experienced, at a time when your sultan is known to be preparing for an
attack on Rhodes."

The captain was silent for a minute when this was interpreted to him; he
had at the time noticed and wondered at the youth of the four knights,
and the explanation seemed to him a reasonable one.

"I wish I had known it," he said after a pause; "for had I done so, I
would have fought and captured her yesterday; I have half a mind to go
back and seek her now."

He called up one of the ex slaves who was a native of Tripoli, and who
had now taken his place as a member of the crew, and asked him a number
of questions. Gervaise felt uncomfortable while the man was answering.
Fortunately, his rowers had agreed to say nothing whatever of the
destruction of the corsair fleet, of which no word had as yet reached
the pirates, deeming that, in their anger at the news, the pirates might
turn upon them for the part that they had, however involuntarily, borne
in it.

As soon as he perceived that the captain entertained the idea of
returning to engage the galley, the man felt that if he were to avoid
a return into captivity he must deter him from taking such a step. He
therefore, in answer to his questions as to the strength of the crew of
the galley and the fighting powers of the knights, reported the capture
of the three vessels. The captain listened almost incredulously to his
statement, and, calling up another two of the men, questioned them also
as to the occurrence. Having heard them, he turned away and paced the
deck, in evident anger; however, he gave no instructions for a change of
course, and, to the great satisfaction of the eight rescued slaves, the
vessel continued her course southward.

As they neared the African coast, Gervaise kept an eager lookout, in
hopes that Visconti's galley might appear in sight. The captain's temper
had not recovered from the effect of the news of the capture of three
Moorish vessels by the galley commanded by Gervaise, and the latter,
seeing the mood he was in, kept forward so as to avoid coming in contact
with him. He had early taken the opportunity of saying to one of the
released galley slaves, "I pray you, if you have any feeling of kindness
towards me for