Page 338 - A Knight of the White Cross

Gervaise said to the grand master,

"If you will give me leave, sir, I will go out at the watergate, swim up the
inner harbour, and in a very short time turn a few of the craft lying there

into fire ships, and tow them out with a couple of galleys. At any rate, we
can fire all these craft that have grounded, and create a panic among the
others."

"Well thought of, Gervaise! I will write an order on one of my tablets. Do

you take my place for a minute." Withdrawing behind the line, the grand
master sat down on a fragment of stone, and, drawing a tablet from a pouch
in his girdle, he wrote on it, "In all things carry out the instructions of Sir

Gervaise Tresham: he is acting by my orders and authority, and has full
power in all respects."

He handed the slip of parchment to Gervaise, who hurried to the water gate
in the inner harbour, threw off his helmet and armour, issued out at the

gate, and plunged into the sea. He swam out some distance, in order to
avoid the missiles of the Turks, who were trying to scale the wall from the

mole, and then directed his course to St. Michael's, which guarded the inner
entrance to the fort. He had fastened the parchment in his hair, and as some
of the garrison of the tower, noticing his approach, came down to assist

him, he handed it to them and was at once taken to the commander of St.
Michael, answering as he went the anxious questions as to how matters

stood at the breach.

"Aid is sorely needed. The Turks have gained no foot of ground as yet, but

many of the knights are killed and most of the others utterly exhausted with
heat and labour. Unless aid reaches them speedily, the tower, with all its

defenders, will be lost."

The instant the commander knew what was required, he bade six of the

knights embark with Gervaise in a boat moored behind the tower, and row
up the harbour to the spot where the shipping was all massed together,

protected by the high ground of the fortress from the Turkish fire. Gervaise
waved his hand, as he neared the end of the harbour, to the officer on the