Page 302 - A Knight of the White Cross

"Will you please to follow me into this courtyard?" Gervaise said. He had,
while waiting, reconnoitred the neighbourhood, and found an enclosure

with the walls still perfect, and had determined to bring Hassan there, in
order to prevent him from taking to flight. Hassan entered it

unsuspectingly, followed by his two men. Gervaise fell back a little, so as
to place himself between them and the entrance. Then he threw back the
hood of his bernouse.

"Do you recognise me, Hassan?" he said sternly. "I am the captive whom

you beat almost to death. I told you that some day I would kill you; but
even now I am willing to forgive you and to allow you to depart in peace, if
you will restore the amulet you took from me."

The corsair gave a howl of rage.

"Christian dog!" he exclaimed. "You thought to lead me into a trap, but you
have fallen into one yourself. You reckoned that I should come alone; but I

suspected there was something hidden behind the story of that black, and so
brought two of my crew with me. Upon him, men! Cut him down!" So

saying, he drew his scimitar, and sprang furiously upon Gervaise. The latter
stepped back into the centre of the gateway, so as to prevent the men, who
had also drawn their swords, passing to attack him from behind. He had

undone the clasp of his bernouse, and allowed it to fall to the ground as he
addressed Hassan, and his long sword flashed in the moonlight as the

corsair sprang forward.

Hassan was a good swordsman, and his ferocious bravery had rendered him

one of the most dreaded of the Moorish rovers. Inferior in strength to
Gervaise, he was as active as a cat, and he leapt back with the spring of a

panther, avoiding the sweeping blow with which Gervaise had hoped to
finish the conflict at once; the latter found himself therefore engaged in a
desperate fight with his three assailants. So furiously did they attack him

that, foot by foot, he was forced to give ground. As he stepped through the
gateway one of the pirates sprang past him, but as he did so, a figure leapt

out from beyond the wall, and plunged a dagger into his back, while at the
same moment, by cutting down another pirate, Gervaise rid himself of one