Page 313 - A Knight of the White Cross

craft off before she can gain the port."

He hurried to D'Aubusson, who was standing a short distance apart from
the others, gazing at the Turkish fleet. A minute later he was running down

the hill to the town, accompanied by three or four other knights; they made
direct for the outer port, where two galleys were lying in readiness, leapt on
board one of them, which already contained its quota of knights, and at

once rowed out of the port. Just as they did so the Turkish galley fired a
gun.

"I fear we shall be too late," Sir John said; "the Turk is gaining fast on the
other craft, whatever she may be. There goes another gun. Row your

hardest!" he shouted down to the slaves.

The Turkish ship did not fire again; the wind was light, and they were
going two feet through the water to every one sailed by the other craft. The
galley from Rhodes was still half a mile away when the Turk was close to

the boat that was trying to escape. Sir John and the knights chafed as they
saw they would be too late.

"I can't make out why the boat did not use her oars," the former said. "Of
course, she could not have kept away from the galley, but if she had rowed

it would have made some difference, and we might have been nearly up."

"I can only see one man on board of her, Sir John," one of the younger
knights said; and two or three others murmured that they were of the same
opinion.

"The others must be lying down; she cannot have less than from fifteen to

twenty men. The Turk is close alongside. They still hold on. There! She has
gone about and escaped the attempt to run her down. Now she is heading
for us again! Brave fellows! brave fellows!" Sir John exclaimed, while a

cheer broke from those around him; "but they have done for themselves.
They must have seen us coming out, and if they had surrendered might

have hoped to have been retaken. Their chance of getting quarter was truly
not great, for expecting -- as the Turks do -- to carry off both us and all the