Page 353 - A Knight of the White Cross

and seemed to me to be settling it firm. I had half a mind to jump up and let
fly at him, but then I thought it would be better to let him finish what he

was doing, and go off with the idea that no one had seen him. So I kept hid
until he started again. He waded a short way before he had to swim, and I

could see that as he went he was paying out a rope over the stern. It was
clear enough now what he had been up to: he had been fixing an anchor.
What he did it for, or what use it could be to him, I could not say, but it was

certain that he would not take all that trouble, with the chance of being
knocked on the head, for nothing; so I waited for a bit till he had got out of

sight, and over to the other side of the port.

"Then I got up and felt about, and, chancing to get my foot under the rope,

went right over into the water. After that you may guess I was not long in
finding the anchor. I unknotted the rope from it and carried it ashore; then it

struck me that the Turks might take it into their heads to give a pull on it in
the morning, and if they did; they would find out that their game, whatever
it was, had been found out; so I got hold of a stone of about twenty pound

weight, and fastened the rope's end round it. That was enough to prevent
the rope getting slack and make them think that it was still fast to the

anchor; but, of course, if they pulled hard on it it would come home
directly. I went and reported the matter the first thing this morning to the
governor. He seemed to think that it was important, and told me to bring

the anchor up to the grand master, who would get one of the English
knights to find out all about it; for he could not make out much of what I

said."

"It is very important," Gervaise said, "and you behaved very wisely in the

matter, and have rendered a great service by your discovery. I will take you
in at once to the grand master."

Still bearing the anchor, the sailor followed Gervaise into an apartment
where D'Aubusson was taking council with some of the senior knights.

"Pardon my interrupting your Highness," Gervaise said; "but the matter is

so important that I knew you would listen to it, however occupied you
were." And he then repeated the narrative of the sailor's discovery.