though they lost heavily. The Italians ran for their lives. The
Germans whom Charles hurriedly despatched to the rescue came back at
the double without drawing a sword. The Emperor himself put on his
armour, spurred his charger into the midst of the fugitives, sword in
hand, and with vehement reproaches succeeded in shaming them into
fight. "Come, gentlemen," then said he to the nobles around,
"forwards!" And thus he led his dispirited troops once more to the
field; this time the panic alarm of the rank and file was controlled
and banished by the cool courage of the cavaliers, and the Turks were
driven back into the town. The skirmish had cost him three hundred men
and a dozen Knights of Malta. All that day the Emperor and his
officers, great signiors all, stood at arms in the pouring rain, with
the water oozing from their boots, vigilantly alert.

Had Charles now run his ships ashore at all hazard, and dragged up his
heavy siege train and stores and tents and ammunition, all might yet
have been won. But several precious days were wasted, and on the
morning of the 25th such a storm sprang up as mortal mariner rarely
encountered even off such a coast--a violent north-easterly
hurricane--still known in Algiers as "Charles's gale"--such as few
vessels cared to ride off a lee shore. The immense flotilla in the bay
was within an ace of total destruction. Anchors and cables were
powerless to hold the crowded, jostling ships. One after the other
they broke loose, and keeled over to the tempest till their decks were
drowned in the seas. Planks gaped; broadside to broadside the helpless
hulks crashed together. Many of the crews threw themselves madly on
shore. In six hours one hundred and fifty ships sank. The rowers of
the galleys, worn out with toiling at the oar, at last succumbed, and
fifteen of the vessels ran on shore, only to be received by the
Berbers of the hills, who ran their spears through the miserable
shipwrecked sailors as soon as they gained the land.

The worst day must come to an end: on the morrow the storm was over,
and Doria, who had succeeded in taking the greater part of the fleet
out to sea, came back to see what new folly was in hand. He was
indignant with the Emperor for having rejected his advice and so led
the fleet and army into such peril; he was disgusted with his
captains, who had completely lost their coolness in the hurricane, and
wanted to run their vessels ashore, with the certainty of wrec