Page 272 - A Knight of the White Cross

consciousness. "Throw some water over the dog," the corsair said, as he
threw down the stick, panting with his exertions; and then, without waiting

to see if his order was obeyed, he took his place in the boat, and was rowed
ashore.

As soon as he had left, three or four of the ex galley slaves carried Gervaise
into the shade of the sail. The sailors, several of whom bore signs of the late

struggle, looked on sullenly, but offered no opposition when the men took
off the ropes and raised him into a sitting posture against the mast. He had

not entirely lost consciousness, and was now fast recovering himself.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" one of the men asked in Italian.

"No I shall soon be all right again, although I am bruised all over, and shall

be stiff for a day or two. You had best leave me now, or you will incur the
enmity of these fellows."

Gervaise was indeed bruised from his neck to his heels. Even in his passion
the pirate had avoided striking him on the head, as a disfiguring mark on

the face would diminish his value. Sitting there, he congratulated himself
that he had been beaten with a stick and not with a whip; a stick is a
weapon, and he did not feel the same sense of dishonour that he would have

experienced had he been beaten with a whip. That such might be his lot in
slavery he recognised. The backs of Caretto and his two companions were

seamed with the marks inflicted by the gang master's whip, and he could
scarce hope to escape the same treatment; but at present he hardly felt a
slave. There was another reflection that to some extent mitigated the pain of

his bruises; the pirate captain held his treasured gage, and it was his fixed
determination to recover it. The man had at first in a rough way treated him

fairly, and had allowed him more liberty than the other captives, and he
would have felt reluctant to take extreme measure against him to recover
the gage. Now he was not only free from any sense of obligation, but had a

heavy score to settle with him.

After a time he got up and walked stiffly and painfully up and down the
deck, knowing that this was the best plan to prevent the limbs from