Page 67 - A Knight of the White Cross

"Fall back, comrades, fall back; but keep together!" Sir John Boswell
shouted, as he cleft the skull of one of the pirate officers who sprang at him.

"Sir Louis will soon finish his work, and be here to our aid. Ah!" he
exclaimed, looking over his shoulder, as he retired a step, "Provence and

Germany are overmatched too."

This was indeed the case. Stoutly as they fought the knights were unable to

guard the whole of the line of bulwark, and the Moslems had already
obtained a footing on the deck. The discipline of the knights stood them in

good stead. Drawing closely together as they retreated, they made a stand
on the opposite side of the deck, and were here joined by Sir John Boswell
and his companions. They now formed a semicircle, each flank resting on

the bulwark, and the pirates in vain endeavoured to break their line. Again
and again they flung themselves upon the knights, only to be beaten off

with heavy loss. At length a loud cheer arose from the galley, and Sir Louis
Ricord, with the knights of Auvergne and Spain having cleared the galley
of their foes, and carried the pirate that had grappled with her, sprang on to

the deck of the ship, and fell upon the throng that were attacking the
knights there, oblivious of what was going on elsewhere. At once the

English knights and their comrades took the offensive, and fell upon their
assailants who, at the sight of the reinforcement, for a moment stood
irresolute. For a short time there was a fierce struggle; then the pirates

sprang back to their two ships, and endeavoured to cast off the grapnels.
But the knights followed hotly upon them, and, panic stricken now, the

pirates sprang overboard. Many were drowned, but the greater part
managed to swim to shore.