Page 235 - A Knight of the White Cross

swine, and herds of goats, up among the forests on the hills. We must send
up and drive in as many of these as possible, and of course we shall send

messengers to Tempe; but it will need a very large force to combat these
pirates, who will be able to come down and plunder and destroy, and then

retire to the hills, whence it will be hard to dislodge them."

"I am sorry indeed that such trouble should have been caused to you,"

Gervaise replied; "but I am afraid that I can give you no assistance."

"We shall hunt them down in time," the Sard said confidently.

"There are many villages scattered about Tempe, and what with us

fishermen, and the woodmen and charcoal burners, we shall soon get a
strong body together. Besides, we know the mountains, and they do not."

"I should say that you had best avoid a pitched battle with them, but keep
on harassing them by night and day, cutting off all who separate themselves

from the main body, until at last they are completely worn out."

"We shall deal with them, Sir Knight. We are all hunters, for there are wild
boars and stags in the forest, and wolves too, and wild sheep on the higher
mountains. Every man among us can use his bow skillfully, and wield pike

and hatchet. The hunt will not be unprofitable, either, for we can get a good
price for all we take alive, to work in the mines."

An hour later one of the galleys started with the Sards for their villages in
the bay of Tempe. After landing them, she was to rejoin the rest of the fleet

at their former anchorage at Madalena. By nightfall all were gathered there,
and the next morning they set out for Genoa. The wind was light; but in

their anxiety to return home as soon as possible the released captives all
volunteered to take their former places on the benches, and the vessels were
kept going at a fair rate of speed. Two days' rowing took them to Bastia,

where their approach created unbounded excitement until the banner of the
Order was seen floating from the stern of the Santa Barbara, while smaller

flags, that had been hastily manufactured, flew from the mastheads of the
thirteen prizes. Even then the inhabitants feared to put out, believing that