Page 84 - A Knight of the White Cross

CHAPTER VI

KNIGHTED

At three in the morning all on board the galley were astir. A ration of bread
and meat was served out to the slaves, and the boat was soon afterwards

under way. The rowers of the English knight's boat had been warmly
commended by the commander and placed in charge of the overseer, with

instructions that they were to be treated as free men. As soon as the galley
slaves set to work, however, they seated themselves on the benches and
double banked some of the oars, anxious to please the knights. With the

exception of those whose turn it was to be on watch, most of the knights
slept until daybreak.

"At the rate we are rowing, Gervaise," Harcourt said, as they went up on to
the poop together, "it will not take us very long to join our friends. We are

going through the water at fully six miles an hour; and as we have already
been two hours under way, in another three we shall be there."

An hour and a half later they passed the island where they had landed. The
two young knights pointed out to the others the valley into which they had

descended, and the point round which they had swum. In a few minutes
they caught sight of the landing place.

"Look, Gervaise, there is something black showing just above the water."

"I see it. I think it is a line of timbers. There were certainly no rocks there
when we ran ashore."

"Then Santoval must have found the craft still there and burnt her," one of
the knights standing by remarked, "and the pirates are caged up. It will take

them some time to make a raft that will carry them to the next island, and
before they can do that we shall be back again. I shall be sorry if they

escape, for they are as ruthless a set of villains as sail the seas."