Page 230 - A Knight of the White Cross

rowing until the fire ships were all close up.

These were, as had previously been arranged, in two lines. Five fishing
boats, each manned by four men and having its small boat in tow behind it,

formed the first line; the three coasters, each with six men at the oars, and
the three other fishing boats, formed the second. The torches were now
lighted. Ralph took his place in the centre boat of the first line; Gervaise

went on board one of the coasters, and the order was given to the men to
row. What wind there was was favourable, blowing from the northwest,

and therefore right into the inlet. Scarcely had the first boats reached the
entrance when a shout was heard.

"Row, men, your hardest now!" Ralph shouted; the Sards bent to their oars,
and the five boats advanced rapidly towards the corsairs. As they did so, a

babel of shouts and cries rose from the dark mass of ships, which swelled
into a tumult of alarm as on Ralph's order, "Throw your torches into the
straw!" a flash of flame leapt up from each boat. Five more strokes, and

they were alongside the two outside ships. As they crashed heavily into
them, the men leapt from their seats and sprang over into the small boats,

threw off the painters, and rowed astern, opening on either hand to allow
the second line of fire ships to pass. These, by Gervaise's directions,
divided, and three bore along on either side of the corsairs, and then ran in

among them, throwing grapnels to fasten the fire ships alongside. Then, as
the flames sprang up from the holds, the crews betook themselves to their

boats, and rowed out of the inlet.

By the time they reached the galley and prizes, the eleven fire ships were a

mass of flame, which was spreading to the corsairs. Lying packed together
as these were, the confusion was terrible. Numbers of men endeavoured to

push off the fire ships, but it was too late; others tried to extricate their
galleys from the mass, throwing off the hawsers, and striving with hand and
oar to push their vessels out of the line. As soon as the boats were alongside

the galley, the guns of the four vessels opened fire with grape into the
crowded ships, now lit up by the flames as clearly as at noontide, while the

battle cry of the Order sounded high above the din.