“We are not the same men, Sir Gervaise.  We were slaves, and are now free.  We were Christian dogs; now we are Christian knights.  We were subject to scoffs and blows; now, thank God, we have swords to strike with, and though as yet our arms may not have regained their full strength, we could at least bear a share in a fray.  Our comrades have been telling us somewhat of how this wonderful thing has come about, and have been explaining what at first filled us with surprise, that a galley should be manned solely by young knights, of whom their commander is one of the youngest.  We can testify, at least, that had the grand master been himself in command, and his crew composed of veteran knights, he could have done no better.”

“We were fortunate in taking them so much by surprise that the first of their ships fell into our hands before her consorts could come to her assistance; and her guns did us good service in our struggle with the others.”

“The matter was well arranged, as well as gallantly fought,” one of the other knights said.  “Had you first fallen foul of the chief’s galley, it would have gone hard with you, for his crew were so strong that you could scarce have overcome them before the other two vessels came up to his assistance.”

“Now let us to our meal,” Gervaise said.

The three knights were placed at the head of the table by him, and it was pleasant to see how they enjoyed their food.

“I can scarce persuade myself that I am not dreaming,” Caretto said.  “Sometimes, when lying at night, wet through with the damp air, I have wondered to myself whether I could ever have lived thus, and whether I should ever exchange my hard bread and water for what seemed to me fabulous luxuries, though at the time one had taken them as a matter of course.  You cannot tell how strange it feels to me to come back to the old life again.”

“You will soon be accustomed to it,” Gervaise said, with a smile, “and then you will look upon your captivity as a dream, just as you then regarded your past life.”

“I suppose, Sir Gervaise,” Pietro Forzi said, “that you will sail direct for Rhodes with your prizes?”

“No indeed,” Gervaise replied.  “At the same time that we learned, from a dying man left on board the ship the pirates captured yesterday, of the course they had taken, and were so enabled to follow them, we also learned that they were on their way to join a corsair fleet that was collecting at some point on the eastern side of Sardinia, with the intention of sweeping the coast of Italy.  It was this, rather than the capture of these three vessels, that induced us to disobey the general instructions we had been given to cruise along the northern coast of Africa, and determined us to push north to give warning along the coast from Naples to Genoa of the danger that threatened, and, if possible, to enable Genoa to fit out her galleys to encounter the corsairs.  That duty has still to be fulfilled, though I fear that Genoa will be able to do little, for of late she has been engaged in a long civil struggle between her great families, and has taken but a small part in maritime affairs.  However, we can at least warn her, as well as Naples, Pisa, and other towns, and may possibly find some opportunity for ourselves striking another blow against the pirates.”