“First, before all things, Sir Knight, let me express to you all our deep gratitude and our admiration of the gallant deed that you have accomplished in thus, single handed, capturing three vessels belonging to the fiercest and most dreaded of the corsairs of Tripoli.  God bless you all, sirs” —­ and his voice broke again —­ “for the deed you have done, and for bringing us out of this living hell!”

Gervaise called to three of the Italian knights, and, followed by them and the released captives, led the way to the galley.  Here he left them in charge of their countrymen.  “Give them each a draught of old Cyprus, and something to eat,” he said aside to one of the knights; “they sorely need refreshment before aught else, for, as you see, they are well nigh dazed with this unlooked for change.  I will put out clothes enough for one of them; the others you must supply for the present from your stores.  Now I must be off.”

There was indeed much to be done.  Four of the knights were told off to attend upon the most urgent cases among their own wounded.  Only two of their number had been killed outright, but there were four serious cases among the wounded, while eight or ten others had received wounds that required bandaging and attending to.  As fast as the slaves’ fetters were struck off, food and wine were given to them, together with such garments as could be found at the moment.  Then the bodies of the fallen pirates were thrown overboard, while the wounded were attended to, and the released Christians were divided equally between the three prizes.  To each of these the knights of one of the langues were told off, the seniors being appointed to the command.  There were in all some ninety Christian captives on board the three ships.  Thus each vessel had a complement of seven knights and thirty Christians, and to these were added ten of the thirty Moslems found at the oars, and fifteen of the pirates to whom quarter had been given.

It was past noon before all these arrangements had been made, and during the time so occupied, the ships lay idly side by side, drifting slowly before the wind, the sails having been lowered as soon as the struggle was over.  Up to this time, the knights had been too busily engaged to think of food, but they were right glad when they were summoned to a meal on board the galley.

Gervaise found the three knights in the cabin, dressed in the usual attire of the Order.  They presented a very different appearance, indeed, to that which they wore when he had first seen them.  They had bathed, and combed their matted hair, which was alone sufficient to transform them, but the feeling that they were once more free men, and knights of an honoured Order, had done even more to effect the change; and although they looked thin and worn, the martial bearing had come back naturally as they donned their knightly robes and buckled on swords.

“I am glad to see that you are better,” Gervaise said, as he went up to greet them.  “Twenty years seem to have dropped off your shoulders since this morning.”