Page 140 - A Knight of the White Cross

When he landed, Sir John asked which was the officer from St. Pelagius.
One stepped forward.

"This is the only slave for you," he said, pointing to Gervaise. "He is of a

better class than the rest, and in the future may be he will do for a servitor
at one of the auberges, but none have at present occasion for one, and so he
is to go to you. He says that his father is a merchant, and will be ready to

pay a ransom for him; but they all say that, and we must not heed it
overmuch. As he seems a smart young fellow, it may be that he will be sent

to one of the auberges later on; but at present, at any rate, you can put him
with the rest, and send him out with the gangs."

"He is a well built young fellow, Sir John," the officer remarked, "and
should make a good rower in a galley. I will put him in the crew of the St.

Elmo. Follow me," he said, in Turkish, to Gervaise, and then led the way up
to the prison. On entering he crossed a courtyard to a door which was
standing open. Within was a vaulted room, some forty feet long by twenty

wide; along each side there were rushes strewn thickly.

"The others have just started to their work," he said, "so that for today you
can sleep."

After he had left, Gervaise looked with some disgust at the rushes, that had
evidently been for weeks unchanged.

"I would rather have the bare stones, if they were clean," he muttered to
himself. "However, it can't be helped."

He presently strolled out into the courtyard, where some other slaves,

disabled by illness or injuries, were seated in the sun. Gervaise walked
across to them, and they looked listlessly up at him as he approached.

"You are a newcomer," one said, as he came up. "I saw you brought in, but
it didn't need that. By the time you have been here a week or two, your

clothes will be like ours," and he pointed to his ragged garments. "When
did you arrive? Are there no others coming up here?"