knights and their comrades took the offensive, and fell upon their assailants who, at the sight of the reinforcement, for a moment stood irresolute.  For a short time there was a fierce struggle; then the pirates sprang back to their two ships, and endeavoured to cast off the grapnels.  But the knights followed hotly upon them, and, panic stricken now, the pirates sprang overboard.  Many were drowned, but the greater part managed to swim to shore.

CHAPTER V SCOURGES OF THE SEA

Breathless and faint from their tremendous exertions, the knights removed their helmets.

“By St. Mary,” Sir Louis said, “this has been as hard a fight as I have ever been engaged in, and well may we be content with our victory!  Well fought, my brave comrades!  Each of these vessels must have carried twice our number at least, and we have captured four of them; but I fear the cost has been heavy.”

Seven knights had fallen, struck down by sword, arrow, or thrust of spear.  Of the rest but few had escaped unwounded, for, strong as was their armour, the keen Damascus blades of the Moslems had in many cases cut clean through it, and their daggers had found entry at points where the armour joined; and, now that the fight was over, several of the knights sank exhausted on the deck from loss of blood.

But the dressing of wounds formed part of a knight of St. John’s training.  Those who were unwounded unbuckled the armour and bandaged the wounds.  Others fetched wine and water from the galley.  The chains of the galley slaves were removed, and these were set to clear the decks of the Moslem corpses.  The anchors were dropped, for what little wind there was drifted them towards the shore.  They had learned from a dying pirate that the vessels were part of the fleet of Hassan Ali, a fact that added to the satisfaction felt by the knights at their capture, as this man was one of the most dreaded pirates of the Levant.  They learnt that he himself had not been present, the expedition being under the command of one of his lieutenants, who had fallen in the fight.

“Now, comrades, let us in the first place take food; we have not broken our fast this morning.  Then let us consider what had best be done, for indeed we have got as much in our hands as we can manage; but let us leave that till we eat and drink, for we are faint from want of food and from our exertions.  But we shall have to eat what comes to hand, and that without cooking, for our servants all joined the pirates when they boarded us, and are either dead or are ashore there.”

A meal was made of bread and fruit, and this with wine sufficed to recruit their energies.

“It seems to me, comrades,” Sir Louis said, when all had finished, “that the first thing is to search the holds of these vessels and see what valuables are stored there.  These may be all carried on board one ship, and the others must be burnt, for it is clear that, as there are four of them, we cannot take them to Rhodes; and even with one and our galley we should fare but ill, if we fell in with two or three more of Hassan’s ships.”