Page 85 - A Knight of the White Cross

The galley had traversed half the remaining distance when the sound of a
gun was faintly heard. For a moment there was an absolute hush on the

poop; then three or four shots in rapid succession were heard.

"Some more pirate ships must have come up," the commander exclaimed.
Then he shouted down to the slaves, "Row, men -- row for your lives!
Overseer, do not spare your lash if any hang back from their work."

The galley had been travelling fast before, but her speed greatly increased

as the slaves rowed their hardest. Fast as she was travelling, the impatience
of the knights was extreme. They walked up and down the deck, making
vows of candles that should be burnt at the shrine of St. John if they arrived

in time to take a share in the fight, stopping at times to listen to the sound
of artillery, which was now so frequent as to show that a severe

engagement was being fought. Many of the younger knights ran down to
the waist and double banked the oars, and in a shorter time than it seemed
possible the galley arrived at the mouth of the bay.

A desperate fight was going on. Ricord's ship lay, idle and deserted, at

anchor. Five pirate crafts surrounded Santoval's galley. Two of them were
alongside of her; the others were raking her fore and aft with their shot. The
young knights left the oars, sprang up to the poop and joined in the shout of

encouragement raised by the others, and then, resuming their helmets and
armour, stood ready to leap on board an enemy as soon as they reached her.

Piccolomini directed the helmsman to lay him alongside one of the ships
grappling with Santoval. As they came up, their galley's cannon poured
their fire into her, and a moment later the knights sprang on board.

In the din of battle their shout had been unheard. The pirates thronging the

other side of their ship were intent only on overcoming the resistance of the
knights, and even the discharge of cannon had not called their attention to
their foe, until the latter, shouting the war cry of the Order, fell suddenly

upon them. A panic at once seized them. Some were cut down almost
unresistingly, but the great majority, running to the bow or stern, threw

themselves overboard and swam to the other ships. The pirate ship on the
other side of Santoval's galley instantly threw off the grapnels and thrust off