oment later the crowd separated, and a man
was seen to spring overboard.

"They will riddle him with their spears when he comes up; we shall have
nothing to do but to avenge him. To your stations, comrades! It is our
turn now, and we have no time to lose, for the other two Turks will
be up in twenty minutes, and I had orders not to fight if it could be
avoided: but we must take this fellow."

Five minutes later the galley ran alongside the Turk, to which those who
had captured the boat had already hastily returned. The ships discharged
their guns into each other, and then, as the galley ran alongside, the
knights tried to leap on board of her. They were opposed by a dense mass
of Turks, for in addition to her usual crew the Moslem was crowded with
troops. For three or four minutes the knights tried, but in vain, to get
a footing on board; then Sir John shouted to them to forbear, and gave
orders to the rowers at once to push off. A cloud of arrows swept across
the poop as they did so; but for the most part these fell harmless from
the armour of the knights. For a time the cannon on both sides continued
to fire, but as the Christians increased their distance it gradually
ceased.

They had gone but a hundred yards from the Turk when a head appeared
over the stern railing of the poop, and a figure swung itself on to the
deck. The man was attired in Turkish garments, but his head was bare,
and the exclamation, "A Christian!" broke from the knights.

The man strode up to Sir John Boswell.

"You used to say you would make matters even with me some day, Sir John,
and you have more than kept your word."

Sir John fell back a pace in astonishment, and then with a shout, "By
St. George, it is Tresham!" threw his arms round Gervaise's neck, while
the knights thronged round with exclamations of satisfaction.

"And it was you whom we saw keep the Turks at bay for three good minutes
single handed," Sir John said, holding Gervaise at arm's length to gaze
into his face. "Truly it seemed well nigh impossible that any one who
was like to be on that craft could have performed so doughty a deed. And
how did you escape?"

"It was simple enough," Gervaise replied. "As soon as I dived I turned
and swam along under the boat and came up by the stern, and then held on
by the rudder, sheltered from their sight. I saw that the galley would
be up in five minutes, and had no fear of their wasting time to look for
me. Directly you came along