“Then I got up and felt about, and, chancing to get my foot under the rope, went right over into the water.  After that you may guess I was not long in finding the anchor.  I unknotted the rope from it and carried it ashore; then it struck me that the Turks might take it into their heads to give a pull on it in the morning, and if they did; they would find out that their game, whatever it was, had been found out; so I got hold of a stone of about twenty pound weight, and fastened the rope’s end round it.  That was enough to prevent the rope getting slack and make them think that it was still fast to the anchor; but, of course, if they pulled hard on it it would come home directly.  I went and reported the matter the first thing this morning to the governor.  He seemed to think that it was important, and told me to bring the anchor up to the grand master, who would get one of the English knights to find out all about it; for he could not make out much of what I said.”

“It is very important,” Gervaise said, “and you behaved very wisely in the matter, and have rendered a great service by your discovery.  I will take you in at once to the grand master.”

Still bearing the anchor, the sailor followed Gervaise into an apartment where D’Aubusson was taking council with some of the senior knights.

“Pardon my interrupting your Highness,” Gervaise said; “but the matter is so important that I knew you would listen to it, however occupied you were.”  And he then repeated the narrative of the sailor’s discovery.

“This is indeed of the highest importance,” D’Aubusson said, “and the knowledge that it gives us may enable us to defeat an attempt, that might otherwise have proved our ruin.  You see, knights, it solves the question that we were just discussing.  We agreed that this long floating bridge that they have been constructing, was intended to enable them to cross the outer port and again attack St. Nicholas; and yet it seemed to us that even by night our batteries would be able to keep up such a fire on the boats, towing the head of the bridge across, as to render it well nigh impossible for them to get it over.  Now you see what their plan is.  With the aid of this rope, the end of which they think is firmly fixed on our side, they mean to haul the bridge across, and that so silently that they hope to be upon us almost before we have time to don our armour.  We shall now be fully prepared, and need have no fear of the result.”

There could now be little doubt that the attack would be made without loss of time, especially as the Turks believed that they could get their bridge across unseen.  The fire ships —­ which were altogether more formidable than those Gervaise had improvised —­ were ordered to be made ready for action.  This being arranged, the admiral left the council at once, that no time should be lost in getting them in readiness.  D’Aubusson then turned to the English sailor.