it out, producing, in proof of their
power to do so, a letter of the pasha, authorising them to make such
promises in his name.

Filelfo at once divulged the whole plot to D'Aubusson. The two men were
immediately arrested, tried by the council, and sentenced to death. They
were not, however, formally executed, for the populace, obtaining news
of their treachery, broke in upon their guards, and tore them to
pieces. Foiled in his attempt on the life of the grand master, the pasha
prepared for a renewal of the attack, and it was not long before the
knights on the lookout at the church of St. John perceived that the fort
of St. Nicholas was again to be the scene of the attack. It was ere long
discovered that a large number of men were busy some distance along the
shore in building a long structure, that could only be intended for a
floating bridge. Among the sailors who had aided in the attack with the
fire ships were several men belonging to an English trader in the port.
All who had done so had been handsomely rewarded for their conduct, and
five of the Englishmen had afterwards gone to the English auberge and
had asked to be enrolled for service against the Turks, as they were
weary of remaining on board in idleness when there was work to be done.
Their offer had been accepted, and they had, in common with all the
sailors in the port, laboured at the construction of the inner wall.
When that was completed, Sir John Boswell, under whose special charge
they had been placed, said to Gervaise, "I think that I cannot do better
than send these men down to St. Nicholas. It is probable that now the
Turks see that they can do nothing at the new breach, they may try again
there. Sailors are accustomed to night watches, and there are many of
our knights who are not used to such work, and can be better trusted to
defend a breach than to keep a vigilant watch at night. Will you take
these men down to Caretto, and tell him that he can sleep soundly if
he has a couple of them on watch? One of them, Roger Jervis, who is the
mate of their ship, can speak some Italian, and as he is in command of
them, Caretto will find no trouble in making them understand him."

St. Nicholas had now been put into a fair state of defence, as a party
had been kept steadily at work there. Gervaise had not been to the tower
since the morning after the assault, and saw with satisfaction how
much had been done to render it secure. He found that Caretto was fas