Page 111 - A Knight of the White Cross

The next morning at daybreak Gervaise and Suleiman Ali went on board
the Egyptian trader, and sailed for Acre. The current of opinion had

changed at the auberge when the knights came to think over the mission on
which Gervaise was about to start, and the slight feeling of jealousy with

which the younger knights had received the news was entirely dissipated.
While it did not seem to them that there was any chance of his
distinguishing himself, they perceived, as they thought it over, the

considerable danger there was of capture by pirates, and Ralph and some of
his companions came down to the mole to see him off, with feelings in

which envy bore no part whatever.

"I see now, Gervaise, that it is truly no holiday excursion on which you are

starting. I should envy you greatly were you going in command of an
armed galley, prepared to beat off any craft that might try to overhaul you;

but, going alone as you are, it is a very different thing. Should pirates meet
you, you could offer no resistance, and your position would be a perilous
one indeed. However, I think you are born to good luck, and am confident

that your patron saint will look after you, and therefore expect to see you
back here in a fortnight's time at the outside."

"I hope so with all my heart, Ralph. It will be no fault of mine if I tarry."

"Will you keep the open sea, or skirt the land, Tresham?" one of the others
asked.

"I shall keep the open sea. The grand master left me to choose my course;
but I think there is more danger by the coast -- where pirates may be hiding

in unfrequented bays, in readiness to pounce upon a passing craft -- than in
the open sea, where we should have at least the advantage that we could not

be taken by surprise, and might make a race of it. But the sun will be up in
a few minutes, and my orders were to set out at sunrise, so I must say
goodbye at once."

As soon as the vessel was under way, Gervaise took a seat on the poop by

the side of Suleiman Ali, and related to him the conversation he had had
with the grand master.