“Their gunners were skilful, and, as you see, they have completely riddled our poop.  Twenty knights have been killed, and eleven others are sorely wounded.  Scarce one has escaped unscathed.  You may guess, then, how welcome was your aid, which we had not expected for another three hours.  We were on the point of abandoning the waist and gathering on the poop, which we could still have defended for a considerable time, when, as if dropped from the skies, you fell upon the pirates, and turned the tables.  How is it that you were here so early?”

“We started at three o’clock, instead of waiting for daybreak.  It seemed, from the story of the two young knights, that it was possible you might be attacked early, and, crippled as your command was, and with four prizes on your hands, I deemed it best to come on as soon as the rowers had had a few hours’ rest.”

“It is well that you did so; it would have been a grievous affair had two of our galleys been captured by the pirates.  It would have been a blow to the prestige of the Order, and would have brought such strength to Hassan Ali and other pirate leaders that nothing short of sending out a fleet would have recovered our ascendancy; and as every ducat we can spare has to be spent on the fortifications, it would have been a misfortune indeed had we been obliged to fit out such an expedition at present.”

“Who have fallen, Sir Louis?”

“Five more of the knights of my galley —­ Pierre des Vignes, Raoul de Montpelier, Ernest Schmidt, Raymond Garcia, and Albert Schenck.  Here is the list of the knights of Santoval’s galley.”

“’Tis a long list, and a sad one,” Piccolomini said, after reading the names.  “With the seven who fell in your first fight, twenty-seven knights have fallen, all brave comrades.  Truly, we can ill spare such a loss.  It is true there are five prizes to show for it, and we have struck Hassan Ali a blow that will resound through the Levant; but the cost is heavy.”

“It is indeed,” Ricord agreed.  “The four vessels are well filled with rich spoil that the scoundrels had gathered, and I doubt not the one you captured is equally rich.  Still, had they been ten times as valuable, the booty would be dearly purchased at such a price.”

There was now a consultation among the leaders, and it was agreed that six knights should be placed in each of the captured ships, with ten of the galley slaves to work the sails, the others being equally divided between the three galleys.  They were, in the first place, to row to the island where the pirates were imprisoned, and to slay or capture the whole of them; afterwards they were to make direct for Rhodes; with so numerous a fleet there was no fear of their being attacked.  The arrangements took but a short time to complete.  An hour later they left the port, the three galleys rowing ahead, while the five prizes, under easy sail, followed them.