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.