Page 89 - A Knight of the White Cross

that will resound through the Levant; but the cost is heavy."

"It is indeed," Ricord agreed. "The four vessels are well filled with rich
spoil that the scoundrels had gathered, and I doubt not the one you captured

is equally rich. Still, had they been ten times as valuable, the booty would
be dearly purchased at such a price."

There was now a consultation among the leaders, and it was agreed that six
knights should be placed in each of the captured ships, with ten of the

galley slaves to work the sails, the others being equally divided between the
three galleys. They were, in the first place, to row to the island where the
pirates were imprisoned, and to slay or capture the whole of them;

afterwards they were to make direct for Rhodes; with so numerous a fleet
there was no fear of their being attacked. The arrangements took but a short

time to complete. An hour later they left the port, the three galleys rowing
ahead, while the five prizes, under easy sail, followed them.

Sir John Boswell had been wounded, but not so seriously as to altogether
disable him, and he was in command of one of the prizes, having Sir Adam

Tedbond, Harcourt, Gervaise, and a German knight, with him. Sir
Marmaduke Lumley, who, after the first fight was over, was found, to the
surprise and pleasure of his comrades, to be still living, was, with the rest of

the wounded, on board one of the galleys. Two of the pirates had fallen
dead across him, and in the ardour of their attack on the knights, he had lain

there unnoticed until the return of Sir Louis and his comrades had driven
the pirates overboard. The leech was of opinion that he might yet recover
from his wound.

On arriving at the island, sixty of the knights disembarked. The woods near

the shore were first searched, but were found untenanted. They were about
to advance up the hill when a man appeared on the crest above them
waving a white flag. He was told to come down, and on his arrival said that

he was sent by his companions to offer to surrender, on the promise that
their lives should be spared. The knights were well pleased to be saved the

trouble of a long search through the woods, and the messenger left at once
to acquaint the pirates that their terms were accepted. In a short time some