Page 214 - A Knight of the White Cross

gain some idea of their numbers and the position in which they are
anchored, and bring us back news."

"Shall I go myself, Gervaise?"

"I could not spare you, Ralph. The risk of capture does not seem to me to
be great, but there certainly is a risk, and I dare not part with you. It had

better be an Italian, because there will doubtless be an opportunity of
landing at villages and questioning the inhabitants, therefore we will send

Fosco. If there are some eight or ten corsairs gathered in any of these bays
the news is sure to travel along the shore, and we may get some tidings in
that way. The first thing is to send off to the village again to fetch two

young fishermen; they must be active fellows, strong, and possessed of
some courage. I will ask da Vinci to go himself and select them. While he

is away we will paint our boat black, and make ready for her to start at
once; the sooner she is off the better."

The Italian knight at once undertook the mission, and started for the shore.
Fosco, who had been chosen principally because he was light of frame, as

well as very shrewd and intelligent, was then called up, and his mission
explained to him. He was delighted at having been selected. Gervaise took
him down to the cabin, and they consulted the maps with which the galley

was furnished.

"You will row on to Muravera; it is some twenty miles from here. You see,
the village lies at the mouth of a river. As soon as you arrive there, you will
land and find out whether there is any report of Moorish pirates having

been seen along the coast. We shall be there this evening, and you will
come on board and report. Next day you will get to Lunasei, which is about

five miles on this side of Cape Bellavista, and they will certainly know
there if the pirates are lying behind the cape. If they are so, you will row
back to meet us; if they are not, you will remain there until we come up in

the evening. Remember that, should you on either day be seen and chased,
and you find they are overtaking you, you will make for the shore, land,

and conceal yourselves. We shall keep along near the coast, and as we pass
you can come down to the water's edge and signal to us to take you off.