Page 206 - A Knight of the White Cross

among the wounded, while eight or ten others had received wounds that
required bandaging and attending to. As fast as the slaves' fetters were

struck off, food and wine were given to them, together with such garments
as could be found at the moment. Then the bodies of the fallen pirates were

thrown overboard, while the wounded were attended to, and the released
Christians were divided equally between the three prizes. To each of these
the knights of one of the langues were told off, the seniors being appointed

to the command. There were in all some ninety Christian captives on board
the three ships. Thus each vessel had a complement of seven knights and

thirty Christians, and to these were added ten of the thirty Moslems found
at the oars, and fifteen of the pirates to whom quarter had been given.

It was past noon before all these arrangements had been made, and during
the time so occupied, the ships lay idly side by side, drifting slowly before

the wind, the sails having been lowered as soon as the struggle was over.
Up to this time, the knights had been too busily engaged to think of food,
but they were right glad when they were summoned to a meal on board the

galley.

Gervaise found the three knights in the cabin, dressed in the usual attire of
the Order. They presented a very different appearance, indeed, to that
which they wore when he had first seen them. They had bathed, and

combed their matted hair, which was alone sufficient to transform them, but
the feeling that they were once more free men, and knights of an honoured

Order, had done even more to effect the change; and although they looked
thin and worn, the martial bearing had come back naturally as they donned
their knightly robes and buckled on swords.

"I am glad to see that you are better," Gervaise said, as he went up to greet

them. "Twenty years seem to have dropped off your shoulders since this
morning."

"We are not the same men, Sir Gervaise. We were slaves, and are now free.
We were Christian dogs; now we are Christian knights. We were subject to

scoffs and blows; now, thank God, we have swords to strike with, and
though as yet our arms may not have regained their full strength, we could