Page 152 - A Knight of the White Cross

manage, unobserved, to drop it outside the window."

"Then the rest is for us to contrive, Boswell. We must have some one
posted in the yard of the prison, with instructions to go every ten minutes

throughout the night to see if a strip of white cotton has been dropped out.
When he finds it he must go at once to William Neave, the governor. He is
a sturdy Englishman, and there is no fear of his having been bribed to turn

traitor; but it were well to take no one into our confidence. I think we
cannot do better than employ Ahmet on this business, as he already knows

that Sir Gervaise is masquerading there. We will have William Neave up
here presently. Tell him that for certain reasons we wish Ahmet to pass the
night for the present in the prison, and arrange with him on what excuse we

can best bestow him there without exciting suspicion. At any rate, Sir
Gervaise, that is our affair."

He went to a closet and took out a white mantle, tore a strip off the bottom,
and gave it to Gervaise.

"It would be best not to keep you here any longer," he said, "so renew your

stain while I speak. As soon as you learn the details of the plot, you will
drop this out from the loophole on the right hand side of the door; that is to
say, the one on your right, standing inside. If the affair is not to come off at

once, it were best for you to proceed as before. Ahmet will be outside when
you go out with your gang, and on your nodding to him we will make some

excuse to take you away on your return. I say this because if you see that
the affair, whatever it is, is not imminent, you might think it better to
remain with them longer, so as to learn their plans more fully, instead of

having the thing put a stop to at once."

"I understand, Sir John; but, as I have said, I do not think we should all be
told until the blow is ready to be struck, as they would be afraid that some
one might inform against them, if time and opportunity were granted them."

"I think so too, Sir Gervaise. This afternoon we will call upon the grand

master, for we have no means of knowing how serious or how extended
this plot may be; it may include only the crew of a single galley, and, on the