“Certainly, impossible for us who have no money to bribe them with, but easy enough if any one outside, with ample means, were to set about it.  These overseers are, many of them, sons of Turkish mothers, and have no sympathy, save that caused by interest, with one parent more than another.  Of course, they are brought up Christians, and taught to hold Moslems in abhorrence, but I think many of them, if they had their free choice, would cross to the mainland.  Here they have no chance of ever being aught but what they are —­ overseers of slaves, or small prison officials.  They are despised by these haughty knights, and hated by us, while were they to reach the mainland and adopt their mothers’ religion, everything would be open to them.  All followers of the Prophet have an equal chance, and one may be a soldier today, a bey tomorrow, and a pasha a year hence, if he be brave, or astute, or capable in any way beyond his fellows.  Men like these warders would be sure to make their way.

“They cannot have gathered much during their service, therefore the offer of a large sum of money would find plenty among them eager to earn it.  But, you see, they are but the inferiors.  On our voyages on board the galley, the knights inspect our fetters twice a day, and the keys are kept in the commander’s cabin.  For an hour or two, when we are not on a long passage, the padlocks are unfastened, in order that we may jump over and bathe, and exercise our limbs; but at this time the knights are always on guard, and as we are without arms we are altogether powerless.  It is the same thing here.  The senior warders, who all belong to the Order, although of an inferior grade, come round, as you have seen, to examine our fetters, and themselves lock and bar the doors.  If one or two of these could be corrupted, escape would be easy enough.”

“But is it impossible to do this?” Gervaise asked eagerly.  “My father has money, and would I know be ready, if I could communicate with him, to pay a handsome sum, if sure that it would result in my obtaining my freedom.”

The man nodded significantly.

“There may be other means of doing it,” he said.  “Perhaps it will not be long before you hear of it.  You seem a stout fellow, and full of spirit, but, as yet, anything that may be going on is known but to a few, and will go no further until the time comes that all may be told.  I think not so badly of men of our faith as to believe that any one would betray the secret for the sake of obtaining his own freedom and a big reward; but secrets, when known by many, are apt to leak out.  A muttered word or two in sleep, or the ravings of one down with fever, might afford ground for suspicion, and torture would soon do the rest.  I myself know nothing of the secret, but I do know that there is something going on which, if successful, will give us our freedom.  I am content to know no more until the time comes; but there are few, save those