Page 164 - A Knight of the White Cross

behind a buttress, were watching the doors of the officials' houses.

Ten minutes later one of these doors was heard to open, and five dark
figures came noiselessly out. They were allowed to go a short distance, in

order to see if any others followed; but as no others came out, the governor
stepped forward.

"Whither are you going, at this time of night?" he asked. There was a
momentary pause, a few hasty words were exchanged, then the five men

rushed towards him with bared swords or knives; but before they reached
him the knights poured out from their hiding place.

"We are betrayed," one of the men shouted in Turkish. "Fight to the last.
Better be killed than tortured and executed." With a yell of fury and

despair, they rushed upon the knights. So desperate was their attack that the
latter were forced to use their swords, which indeed, burning with rage at
the treachery of these men, they were not backward in doing, and in less

than a minute the five traitors lay, with cloven heads, dead on the
pavement.

"It is as well so," D'Aubusson said, looking sternly down upon them;
"perhaps better so, since it has saved us the scandal of their trial. We might

have learned more from them, but we have learnt enough, since, doubtless,
they have no accomplices among the warders, or they would have been

with them. Now we will deal with the arch traitors. There is no need for
further concealment; the noise of this fray will assuredly have been heard
by them, for they will be listening for the sounds that would tell them the

slaves had been liberated."

Followed by the knights, he went to the door of the house occupied by the
overseers, all of whom were members of the lower branch of the Order. It
was indeed evident that an alarm had been given there, for lights appeared

at the windows. As they opened the door and entered the hall, several
half-dressed men rushed down the stairs with drawn swords, two of them

carrying torches in their left hands. As the light fell upon the figures of the
grand master and the knights, they paused in astonishment.