A SPECK ON THE OCEAN. 57

4

the troubled waters, that a knight and two
squires, who, having been caught in the storm,
while riding towards Limisso, reined up, and not
without difficulty learned from the natives, whose
language they scarcely comprehended, the nature
and extent of the disaster. The knight was an
I’nglish Crusader, named Bisset, who had taken
service with King Louis; the squires were Walter
spec and Guy Muschamp. All three, as they
became aware of what had happened, crossed them-
selves and breathed a prayer for the souls of those
who had gone to their account.

“We may as well ride on,’ said Guy Muschamp,
who, like his companions, was very much affected;
‘all of them have perished, and are now beyond the
reach of human aid.’

‘Not all of them,’ exclaimed Walter Espec, sud-
denly, as he sprang from his horse, and, with out-
stretched arm, pointed to a white object which was
carried hither and thither by the waves.

‘By the might of Henry, sir squire, you are right,
cried the English knight, highly excited; ‘it is a
woman, as I live, and she is clinging to one of the
ship’s timbers.’

‘And she may yet be saved,’ said Walter, calmly;
‘and by the Holy Cross the attempt must be made,
if we are to escape the reproach of inhumanity and
cowardice.’ |

And now the men, women, and children on the
beach became much excited, and shouted loudly.
No one, however, volunteered to go to the rescue.
In fact, the aspect of the sea was so menacing and