Page 137 - A Knight of the White Cross

the afternoon he called down that he could make out a black speck some
twelve miles away. She carried no sails, and he judged her to be a galley.

"It will be dark before she comes along," Sir John Boswell said. "You can

hoist your sails, captain, and return to within half a mile of the port, or she
may pass us beyond hailing distance."

Gervaise at once retired to the cabin that had been set aside for their use,
and proceeded to disguise himself. An hour later Sir John came down. He

looked at Gervaise critically.

"You are all right as far as appearances go. I should take you anywhere for

a young Turk. Your clothes are not too new, and are in accordance with the
tale you are going to tell, which is that you are the son of a Syrian trader. If,

as Suleiman says, you speak Turkish well enough to pose as a native, I
think you ought to be able to pass muster. How long will that dye last?
Because if it begins to fade they will soon suspect you."

"It will last a fortnight; at least, so Sir John Kendall says. But he has

arranged that if at the end of ten days I have not succeeded in finding out
anything, he will send down to the prison, and under the pretence that he
wants to ask me some questions about what ransom my father would be

likely to pay for me, he will have me up to the auberge, and there I can dye
myself afresh."

"How are you to communicate with him in case of need?"

"His servant Ahmet, who got the things for me, is to come down every
morning, and to be near the door of the prison at the hour when the slaves

are taken out to work. If I have aught to communicate I am to nod twice,
and Sir John Kendall will send down that evening to fetch me, instead of
waiting until it is time for me to renew my dye."

"What is going to be said to Harcourt and the others to account for your

absence?"