One evening there were signs of a change of weather, and by morning it was blowing a furious gale from the north; in spite of the efforts of the rowers, the galley narrowly escaped being driven ashore; but she at last gained the shelter of an island, and anchored under its lee, the slaves being utterly worn out by continuous exertion.  As soon as the gale abated they again put to sea, and, after proceeding for some miles, saw a ship cast up on shore.  Some people could be made out on board of her, and a white flag was raised.

“She must have been driven ashore during the gale,” Gervaise said.  “We will row in to within a quarter of a mile of her and see what we can do for them.”

As soon as the anchor was dropped a boat was lowered.

“I will go myself, Ralph, for I shall be glad to set my foot on shore again.  There must be people on the island; I wonder none of them have come to the aid of those poor fellows.  I suppose the villages are on the other side of the island, and they have not yet heard of the wreck.”

Gervaise asked three of the knights to accompany him, and the boat, rowed by galley slaves, was soon on its way.  All were glad at the change afforded to the monotony of their life on board, and at the prospect of a scamper on shore.

There were but five or six men to be seen on the deck of the wreck, and these had, as the boat approached, come down to the rocks as if to meet those who came to their aid; but as the knights leapt out, they threw themselves suddenly upon them with knives and scimitars that had hitherto been concealed beneath their garments, while at the same moment a crowd of men appeared on the deck of the ship, and, leaping down, ran forward with drawn swords.  Two of the knights fell dead before they had time to draw their weapons.  The third shook off his two assailants, and for a minute kept them both at bay; but others, rushing up, cut him down.

Gervaise had received a slight wound before he realised what was happening.  He snatched his dagger from its sheath, and struck down one assailant; but ere he could raise it to strike again, another leapt on to his back, and clung there until the rest rushed up, when he shouted, “Take him alive! take him alive!” and, throwing down their weapons, half a dozen of the pirates flung themselves upon Gervaise, and strove to pull him to the ground, until at last, in spite of his desperate resistance, they succeeded in doing so.  His armour was hastily stripped off, his hands and feet bound, and then at the orders of the pirate who had leapt on his back, and who was evidently the captain, half a dozen men lifted him on to their shoulders.  As they did so four guns from the galley flashed out, and the balls flew overhead.  The pirates, who had already begun to quarrel over the armour and arms of the fallen knights, at once took to their heels, followed by the galley slaves from the boat.