“There is a great deal in what you say, Sir Gervaise,” one of the knights, who had before taken the opposite point of view, said.  “There is no reason why our galley should not be a model one, and though, like enough, the seniors will laugh at our making innovations, D’Aubusson is a reformer, and will certainly support anything that he sees to be beneficial, from whatever quarter it comes.”

Supper was now served, and the young knights were well pleased with the entertainment provided for them.  It was the principal meal of the day.  Their fast was broken by a glass of wine, a manchet of bread, and fruit soon after rising.  At eleven o’clock they sat down to a more substantial meal; but in that climate the heat was at that hour considerable, and as there were duties to be performed, there was no sitting long at table.  At supper the day’s work was over, their appetite was sharpened by the cool evening breeze, and the meal was hearty and prolonged.  After it was concluded, several of the knights brought up from below viols and other instruments of music; for the ability to accompany the voice with such an instrument was considered an essential part of the education of a knight.

For some hours the songs and romances, so popular at the time, were sung in the various languages represented on board; then the knights, one by one, went down to their sleeping places, until only the seven knights of the langue of Auvergne, who were to watch the first night, remained on deck.  Five of these wrapped themselves in their mantles and lay down on the benches.  One of the others descended to the waist, walked along the plank between the lines of sleeping slaves, and took up his place in the bow, while the other paced up and down the poop, the fall of his footsteps being the only sound to break the silence that reigned throughout the ship.

In the morning, as soon as the knights had all taken a plunge in the sea, the oars were got out, and the galley proceeded on her way.  Passing through the islands and skirting the southern shore of Greece, she continued her course west.  Malta was sighted, but they did not put in there.  Pantellaria was passed, and in a fortnight after leaving Rhodes, Cape Bon, at the entrance to the bay of Tunis, was sighted.  Until Greece was left behind them, the nights had generally been spent in small ports, where supplies of fresh meat, fish, and fruit, were obtainable.  So far no incident had marked the voyage.  The weather had continued fine, and they had heard nothing, from ships they had fallen in with, of any Moslem pirates having been seen.  A few hours, however, after sighting the coast of Africa, a dark object was seen ahead.

“It is a ship of some sort,” Ralph said; “but her masts have gone.  It may be that she is a merchantman that has been captured and sacked by the Moorish pirates.”