evotedly as those who led the
first onset had done; but as the hours wore on, the assurance of victory
died out, and a doubt as to whether it was possible to break through the
line of their terrible foes gained ground. D'Aubusson himself, although,
in spite of the remonstrances of the knights, always in the thickest
of the fray, was yet ever watchful, and quickly perceived where the
defenders were hotly pressed, and where support was most needed.
Gervaise fought by his side, so that, when necessary, he could carry his
orders to a little body of knights, drawn up in reserve, and despatch
them to any point where aid was needed. The cannon still continued their
fire on both sides. A fragment of one of the stone balls from a basilisk
struck off D'Aubusson's helmet. He selected another from among the
fallen knights, and resumed his place in the line. Still the contest
showed no signs of terminating. The Turkish galleys ever brought up
reinforcements, while the defenders grew fewer, and more exhausted.
During a momentary pause, while a fresh body of Turks were landing,
Gervaise said to the grand master,

"If you will give me leave, sir, I will go out at the watergate, swim
up the inner harbour, and in a very short time turn a few of the craft
lying there into fire ships, and tow them out with a couple of galleys.
At any rate, we can fire all these craft that have grounded, and create
a panic among the others."

"Well thought of, Gervaise! I will write an order on one of my tablets.
Do you take my place for a minute." Withdrawing behind the line, the
grand master sat down on a fragment of stone, and, drawing a tablet
from a pouch in his girdle, he wrote on it, "In all things carry out
the instructions of Sir Gervaise Tresham: he is acting by my orders and
authority, and has full power in all respects."

He handed the slip of parchment to Gervaise, who hurried to the water
gate in the inner harbour, threw off his helmet and armour, issued out
at the gate, and plunged into the sea. He swam out some distance, in
order to avoid the missiles of the Turks, who were trying to scale the
wall from the mole, and then directed his course to St. Michael's, which
guarded the inner entrance to the fort. He had fastened the parchment
in his hair, and as some of the garrison of the tower, noticing his
approach, came down to assist him, he handed it to them and was at once
taken to the commander of St. Michael, answering as he went the anxio