of the Frank Lozelle, setting them loose upon the beach, together with a Frankish woman, who was the servant of the lady here, to find their way to the nearest city.  This woman I would have killed, but the lady your captive begged for her life, saying she had come from the land of the Franks to seek her husband; so, having no orders, let her go.  Yesterday morning we started for Masyaf, the prince Hassan riding in a litter together with that Frankish spy who was here a while ago, and told you of the coming of the ship.  At night they slept in the same tent; I left the prince bound and set a guard, but in the morning when we looked we found him gone—­how, I know not—­and lying in the tent the Frankish spy, dead, with a knife-wound through his heart.  Behold!” and withdrawing the cloth from the stretcher he revealed the stiff form of the spy Nicholas, who lay there dead, a look of terror frozen on his face.

“At least this one has come to an end he deserved,” muttered Wulf to Godwin.

“So, having searched without avail, I came on here with the lady your prisoner and the Frank Lozelle.  I have spoken.”

Now when he had heard this report, forgetting his calm, Sinan arose from the cushion and stepped forward two paces.  There he halted, with fury in his glittering eyes, looking like a man clothed in a black bell.  For a moment he stroked his beard, and the brethren noted that on the first finger of his right hand was a ring so like to that which hung about the neck of Godwin that none could have told them apart.

“Man,” Sinan said in a low voice, “what have you done?  You have left the emir Hassan go, who is the most trusted friend and general of the Sultan of Damascus.  By now he is there, or near it, and within six days we shall see the army of Salah-ed-din riding across the plain.  Also you have not killed the crew and the Frankish woman, and they too will make report of the taking of the ship and the capture of this lady, who is of the house of Salah-ed-din and whom he seeks more earnestly than all the kingdom of the Franks.  What have you to say?”

“Lord,” answered the tall fedai, and his hand trembled as he spoke, “most mighty lord, I had no orders as to the killing of the crew from your lips, and the Frank Lozelle told me that he had agreed with you that they should be spared.”

“Then, slave, he lied.  He agreed with me through that dead spy that they should be slain, and do you not know that if I give no orders in such a case I mean death, not life?  But what of the prince Hassan?”

“Lord, I have nothing to say.  I think he must have bribed the spy named Nicholas”—­and he pointed to the corpse—­“to cut his bonds, and afterwards killed the man for vengeance sake, for by the body we found a heavy purse of gold.  That he hated him as he hated yonder Lozelle I know, for he called them dogs and traitors in the boat; and since he could not strike them, his hands being bound, he spat in their faces, cursing them in the name of Allah.  That is why, Lozelle being afraid to be near him, I set the spy Nicholas, who was a bold fellow, as a watch over him, and two soldiers outside the tent, while Lozelle and I watched the lady.”