ntinue to reside there, to enjoy the
full exercise of their religion and of all other rights they possessed.
The pasha had no real hope that the knights would obey the summons,
but he thought that he might excite a spirit of disaffection among the
townspeople that would, when the crisis came, greatly hamper the efforts
of the defenders.

The Rhodians, however, were well satisfied with the rule of the Order.
The knights, although belonging to the Catholic Church, had allowed the
natives of the Island, who were of the Greek faith, perfect freedom in
the exercise of their religion, and their rule, generally, had been
fair and just. The wealth and prosperity of the Island had increased
enormously since their establishment there, and the population had no
inclination whatever to change their rule for that of the Turks. The
summons to surrender being refused, the enemy made a reconnaissance
towards the walls.

D'Aubusson had no longer any reason for checking the ardour of the
knights, and a strong body of horsemen, under the command of De
Monteuil, sallied out and drove the Turks back to their camp.

Maitre Georges, who was acting as the military adviser of the pasha, saw
at once that the weakest point of the defence was Fort St. Nicholas, at
the extremity of the mole along the neck of land dividing the outer from
the inner port. At a short distance away, on the opposite side of the
port, stood the church of St. Anthony, and in the gardens of the church
a battery was at once erected. The garden was but three hundred yards
from St. Nicholas, and the danger that would arise from the construction
of the battery was at once perceived, and an incessant fire opened upon
it from the guns on the wall round the grand master's palace. Numbers of
the workmen were killed, but the erection of the battery was pushed on
night and day, and ere long three of the immense cannon that had been
brought from Constantinople,--where sixteen of them had been cast under
the direction of Maitre Georges--were placed in position. These cannon
were eighteen feet in length, and carried stone balls of some twenty-six
inches in diameter.

Before these were ready to open fire, Gervaise had entirely regained his
health and strength. The grand master, being unwilling to appoint him to
a separate command over the heads of knights many years his senior, had
attached him to his person in the capacity of what would now be called
an aide-de-camp.

"I know, Ger