Page 238 - A Knight of the White Cross

credit and honour that will certainly be given to all who have taken a part in
so crushing a defeat of the corsairs. As for myself, I do not for a moment

pretend that I am not sensible of the fact that, as second in command of the
galley, my chances of obtaining promotion in the Order are very greatly

improved."

It was nearly two hours before Caretto returned.

"It was well indeed that I went in," he said to Gervaise, "for I found the city

in an uproar. The alarm bells of the churches were calling all citizens to
arms, and troops were being hurried down to the forts and batteries.
Rumour had of course exaggerated the strength of the fleet, and half the

population believed that the safety of the city itself was menaced by the
approach of a mighty squadron. As soon as my news was bruited abroad,

and they learned that the fleet consisted solely of prizes captured from the
Moors by a galley of the Order, alarm quickly changed into delight, the
sharp, angry clang of the bells was succeeded by peals of gladness, and the

joy of the citizens at being relieved from the cloud of anxiety that had hung
over the city since my last visit, was unbounded. I went at once to the

council chamber, where I found many of the leading citizens already
assembled, having been summoned in hot haste as soon as our approach
was made out. At first they were almost incredulous when I told them that

every ship of the pirate fleet had been either destroyed or captured, and that
the fleet in the offing consisted entirely of your galley and the thirteen

corsairs she had captured. As soon as they really grasped the fact, they sent
off messengers to the churches to order the joy bells to be rung, and to the
dockyard to arrest all work upon the galleys. Then I had to give them a

short account of the surprise and destruction of the corsair fleet, and finally
they begged me to ask you to delay your entry to the port for a couple of

hours, in order that they might have time to prepare a suitable reception for
you."

"I suppose there is no help for it," Gervaise said. "Is there anything that we
ought to do?"