Page 219 - A Knight of the White Cross

boat ashore at some point where the trees came down to the water's edge,
carry the boat up and hide it, and then move up into the hills until the

corsairs had gone.

"We waited there three or four hours, looking round the point occasionally.
At the end of that time all was quiet. Two or three of the lanterns still
burned, but there was no sign of life or movement on their decks. After

waiting another half hour to ensure the crews being asleep, we rowed
quietly up the creek, keeping within an oar's length of the rocks. There was

not much to see; the galleys lay two abreast, and as there was no space
between them, I supposed the whole were lashed together. There were eight
of them on the side we went along, but I think there were only seven on the

other side. As I thought it did not much matter whether there were fifteen or
sixteen, and as the men were in a state of horrible fright, we turned and

went back again, and I own I felt very glad myself when we got round the
point without an alarm being given. We came quietly out, and it was
fortunate we did so, for we had not gone a quarter of a mile when we heard

the sound of oars, and, lying silently under the cliff, we saw two large
galleys row past us."

"It is a strong force, Gervaise," Ralph said, as they paced up and down the
poop together. "Probably in each of those galleys are eighty or a hundred

men, in addition to the rowers. It is evident that unless Genoa sends us help
we shall not be able to interfere with their plans."

"I don't know, Ralph. I think we may injure them sorely, though we might
not be able to defeat them altogether. I want you tonight to take one of the

prizes, and row round to the bay we passed, and there to buy three coasting
vessels and six or eight fishing boats. Get as much pitch, oil, and other

combustibles, as you can purchase in the villages on the shore. If you can
engage a score of fishermen to man them, all the better. My idea is that if
Caretto returns with news that the Genoese have no galleys ready for sea,

we must do what we can to injure these corsairs. If we smear these craft
you are going to fetch with pitch and oil, and fill the holds with

combustibles, and so turn them into fire ships, we may at least do the
pirates a tremendous lot of harm. When we get to the mouth of this inlet,