wed
back rapidly to the town from which she had come.

Among the slaves who rowed the galley were many white men, and their
cries of joy at their liberation greatly affected those who had thus
unexpectedly rescued them. Hammers were soon brought into requisition,
the shackles struck off them, and a scene of affecting joy took place.
The slaves were of all nationalities, but Italians and Spaniards, French
and Greeks formed the principal part. There was no time, however, to be
lost; the arms and munitions of war were hastily removed from the Rose,
together with the most valuable of the stores.

The galley-slaves again took their places, and this time willingly, at
the oars, the places of the weakest being supplied by the English,
whose want of skill was made up by the alacrity with which they threw
their strength into the work; and in an hour from the time that the
galley had arrived alongside of the Hose, her head was turned north, and
with sixty oars she was rowing at all speed for the mouth of the bay.

CHAPTER XI.

IN THE HOLY LAND.

As soon as the galley which had escaped reached the town from which it
had started, it with three others at once set out in pursuit; while from
a narrow creek two other galleys made their appearance.

There were a few words of question among the English whether to stop and
give battle to these opponents, or to make their way with all speed. The
latter counsel prevailed; the earl pointing out that their lives were
now scarcely their own, and that they had no right on their way to the
holy sepulcher to risk them unnecessarily.

Fortunately they had it in their hands to fight or escape, as they
chose; for doubly banked as the oars now were there was little chance of
the enemy's galleys overtaking them. Gradually as they rowed to sea the
pursuing vessels became smaller and smaller to view, until at last they
were seen to turn about and make again for land.

After some consultation between the earl and the captain of the lost
ship it was determined to make for Rhodes. This had been settled as a
halting point for the fleet, and the earl thought it probable that the
greater portion of those scattered by the storm would rendezvous there.

So it proved; after a voyage, which although not very long was tedious,
owing to the number of men cramped up in so small a craft, they came
within sight of the port of Rhodes, and were greatly pleased at seeing a
perfect forest of masts there,