ts. Two fresh columns of flame
had already shot up, and satisfied that all was going well, Gervaise
continued his attack upon the smaller craft, six of whom were overtaken
and sunk. Three or four of the larger vessels endeavoured to lay
themselves alongside the galley, but her speed was so superior to theirs
that she easily evaded the attempts, and, sweeping round, rejoined
the other galley which had just issued from among the Turks, who were
already in full retreat. The defenders of St. Nicholas, reanimated by
the sight of the discomfiture of the Turkish fleet, with a loud shout
rushed down from the spot which they had held for so many hours, drove
their assailants before them, and flung themselves upon the crowd
assembled at the foot of the breach.

These had already suffered terribly from the fire of the batteries.
Again and again they had striven to storm the mound of rubbish, and had
each time been repulsed, with the loss of their bravest leaders. Seeing
themselves abandoned by the ships, a panic seized them, and as the
knights rushed down upon them they relinquished all thoughts of
resistance, and dashed into the shallow water. Many were drowned in the
attempt to swim across the deep channel in the middle, some succeeded,
while others made their escape in the boats in which they had been
brought ashore from the ships.

The struggle was over. The two galleys made for the breach, and the
knights leapt out as soon as the boats grounded, and, wading ashore,
joined the group that had so long and gallantly sustained the unequal
fight. Fatigue, exhaustion, and wounds, were forgotten in the triumph
of the moment, and they crowded round the grand master and Caretto, to
whose joint exertions the success of the defence was so largely due.

"Do not thank me, comrades," D'Aubusson said. "No man has today fought
better than the rest. Every knight has shown himself worthy of the fame
of our Order. The meed of praise for our success is first due to Sir
Gervaise Tresham. At the moment when I began to doubt whether we could
much longer withstand the swarms of fresh foes who continued to pour
against us, while we were overcome by heat and labour, Sir Gervaise, who
had throughout been fighting at my side, offered to swim into the port,
to fit out a dozen of the merchant craft there as fire ships, and to tow
them round into the midst of the Turkish vessels behind the two galleys
that were lying ready for service. I remembered how he