Page 345 - A Knight of the White Cross

The Turk answered with equal courtesy, complimenting the knights on their
defence.

"Had I not seen it with my own eyes," he said, "I should have deemed it

altogether impossible that so small a number of men could thus for hours
have withstood the attacks of some of the best of the sultan's troops. Tales
have come down to us from our fathers of the marvellous prowess of the

knights of your Order, and how at Smyrna, at Acre, and elsewhere, they
performed such feats of valour that their name is still used by Turkish

mothers as a bugbear to frighten their children. But the stories have always
seemed to me incredible; now I perceive they were true, and that the
present members of the Order in no way fall short of the valour of their

predecessors."

The knights remained with the Turkish commander and some of his officers
while the work of collecting and carrying away the dead was performed,
the conversation on their side being supported by Caretto and Gervaise. No

less than seven hundred bodies were carried down to the boats, besides a
great many wounded by the artillery fire. None were, however, found

breathing among the great pile of dead at the upper part of the breach, for
the axes and double handed swords of the knights had, in most of the cases,
cleft through turban and skull.

"This represents but part of our loss," the Turkish commander said sadly, as

the last party came down with their burdens to the boats. "At least as many
more must have perished in the sea, either in their endeavours to escape
when all was lost, in the destruction of their vessels by fire, by the shot

from your batteries, or by being run down by your galleys. Ah, Sir Knight,
if it had not been for the appearance of your fire ships, methinks the matter

might have ended differently."

"In that I altogether agree with you," Caretto said. "We were indeed, well

nigh spent, and must have soon succumbed had it not been that the fire
ships arrived to our rescue. You have a fair right to claim that the victory

would have remained in your hands, had not those craft gone out and
snatched it from you."