“I would rather have the bare stones, if they were clean,” he muttered to himself.  “However, it can’t be helped.”

He presently strolled out into the courtyard, where some other slaves, disabled by illness or injuries, were seated in the sun.  Gervaise walked across to them, and they looked listlessly up at him as he approached.

“You are a newcomer,” one said, as he came up.  “I saw you brought in, but it didn’t need that.  By the time you have been here a week or two, your clothes will be like ours,” and he pointed to his ragged garments.  “When did you arrive?  Are there no others coming up here?”

“The galley came in last night,” Gervaise said, “but they did not land us until this morning.  I wish they had killed me rather than that I should have been brought here to work as a slave.”

“One always thinks so at first,” the man said.  “But somehow one clings to life.  We shall die when Allah wills it, and not before.”

“What is the matter with your foot?” Gervaise asked.

“I was with the gang quarrying stones, and a mass of rock fell upon it.  I have been in the infirmary for weeks, and I own that the Christian dogs treated me well.  A slave has his value, you see.  I am nearly cured now, but I shall never walk well again.  I expect they will put me in one of their accursed galleys.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Seven years; it seems a lifetime.  However, there is hope yet.  They don’t tell us much, but we hear things sometimes, and they say that the sultan is going to sweep them out of Rhodes as they were swept out of Acre.  When will it be?”

“I know not.  I am from Syria, but even there they are making preparations.  The sultan has had troubles in the East, and that has delayed him, but he will be here before long, and then we shall see.  It will be our turn then.”

“It will, indeed!” one of the others exclaimed.  “Oh, to see these dogs brought down, and suffering as we have suffered, toiling at oars in one of our galleys, or at the fortifications of one of our castles!  It will make amends for all our suffering.  Had you a hard fight with them?”

“No.  We were but a small craft, and it was vain to attempt resistance.  I would gladly have fought, but the sailors said it would only throw away their lives.  There was but little on board, and they allowed the vessel to go free with those of the sailors who were too old to be made useful for hard work.”

No further questions were asked.  The men seemed to have no interest save in their own misery, and Gervaise soon left them, and, sitting down in a shady corner, presently dropped off to sleep.

In the evening all came in from their various work.  The officer man who had brought Gervaise in went up to the overseer of the galley slaves and informed him that he had told off the new slave —­ pointing to Gervaise —­ to his gang.