Page 259 - A Knight of the White Cross

As the Santa Barbara slowly rowed up the harbour, the State barge of the
grand master put off to meet it, and D'Aubusson, with a party of knights,

soon stepped on board.

"Welcome back, Sir Gervaise! although I little expected to see you return
so soon. What is the meaning of this procession that follows you? By their
rig and appearance they are Moors, but how they come to be thus sailing in

your wake is a mystery to us all."

"They are Moors, your Excellency; they form part of an expedition fitted
out by the corsairs of Algiers, Tripoli, Tunis, and other piratical
strongholds, for the purpose of destroying the commerce and ravaging the

coasts of Western Italy. Fortunately, we fell in with a ship that had been
plundered by three of them on their way north, and learned from the dying

captain, who was the only one of her crew left with life on board, the
direction they were taking, and something of the nature of the expedition.
We pursued the three galleys, came up with them, had the good fortune to

capture them, and then had the delight of finding among their rowers the
noble knights, Fabricius Caretto, Giacomo Da Vinci, and Pietro Forzi."

The grand master, and the knights with him, uttered an exclamation of joy,
and, as the three knights named stepped forward, embraced them with the

liveliest pleasure.

"My dear Caretto," the grand master exclaimed, "it is almost a resurrection,
for we have all long mourned you as dead; and your return to us at the
present time is indeed fortunate; for upon whose judgment and aid could I

better rely than those of my old comrade in arms?" Then, turning to
Gervaise, he went on: "It was a daring and brilliant exploit indeed, Sir

Gervaise, and in due time honour shall be paid to you and your brave
companions, to whom and to you I now tender the thanks of the Order. But
tell me the rest briefly, for I would fain hear from these noble knights and

old friends the story of what has befallen them."

"My tale is a very brief one, your Highness. The Cavalier Caretto sailed at
once in a swift craft from the south of Sardinia, to carry warnings to the