ed, but to obtain sight of the beauteous princess
Rosamund. Thereon the common talk began of homage that must be
paid before food was granted, failing which the Emperor would bid
his seamen capture the ship. Hassan listened a while, then
suddenly issued an order that the lords should be seized.

"Now," he said to Lozelle, "bid your sailors haul up the anchor,
and let us begone for Syria."

"But," answered the knight, "we have neither food nor water for
more than one day."

"I care not," answered Hassan, "as well die of thirst and
starvation on the sea as rot here with fever. What we can bear
these Cyprian gallants can bear also. Bid the sailors lift the
anchor and hoist the sail, or I loose my scimitars among them."

Now Lozelle stamped and foamed, but without avail, so he turned
to the three lords, who were pale with fear, and said:

"Which will you do: find food and water for this ship, or put to
sea without them, which is but to die?"

They answered that they would go ashore and supply all that was
needful.

"Nay," said Hassan, "you bide here until it comes."

In the end, then, this happened, for one of the lords chanced to
be a nephew of the Emperor, who, when he learned that he was
captive, sent supplies in plenty. Thus it came about that the
Cyprian lords having been sent back with the last empty boat,
within two days they were at sea again.

Now Rosamund missed the hated face of the spy, Nicholas, and told
Hassan, who made inquiry, to find--or so said Lozelle--that he
went ashore and vanished there on the first day of their landing
in Cyprus, though whether he had been killed in some brawl, or
fallen sick, or hidden himself away, he did not know. Hassan
shrugged his shoulders, and Rosamund was glad enough to be rid of
him, but in her heart she wondered for what evil purpose Nicholas
had left the ship.

When the galley was one day out from Cyprus steering for the
coast of Syria, they fell into a calm such as is common in those
seas in summer. This calm lasted eight whole days, during which
they made but little progress. At length, when all were weary of
staring at the oil-like sea, a wind sprang up that grew gradually
to a gale blowing towards Syria, and before it they fled along
swiftly. Worse and stronger grew that gale, till on the evening
of the second day, when they seemed in no little danger of being
pooped, they saw a great mountain far away, at the sight of which
Lozelle thanked God aloud.