Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/292

264 excitement. As though to add to the horrors of the scene, the fireships of the besieged were once more let loose on the enemy’s fleet, towards which they drifted in a column of flame, bearing panic and confusion in their course. The early light of a summer’s dawn broke upon this scene of strife before success had declared itself for either side. Guided, however, by the gradually increasing light, D’Aubusson’s gunners were able to direct their fire with greater precision, and speedily destroyed the bridge, which had been most useful in enabling the Turkish supports to be brought up. They also succeeded in sinking four of the galleys which, in spite of the fireships, continued to hover around the point of assault, whilst others bore testimony to their contact with their flaming antagonists by the sheets of fire in which they were enveloped.

Throughout the night the principal leader of the Turkish forces had been a young prince named Ibrahim, closely related to the sultan, with whom he was a great favourite. The daring and hardihood displayed by this youthful warrior had done much to keep up the vigour of the assailants, and although he had received several wounds he still maintained his post in the front of the attack. At this critical juncture, when his followers were beginning to quail beneath the deadly fire poured upon them, he was killed by a shot. This loss decided the fortunes of the day; the breach was abandoned, and the sea was once more covered with drowning men, the routed relics of the pasha’s force who found a watery grave the only alternative to the avenging swords of the knights.

The loss of the Turks upon this occasion was between 2,000 and 3,000, amongst whom were some of the best officers in their army. The impression made upon the survivors by this second failure was so dispiriting as to render the pasha’s hopes of ultimate success highly problematical. He was himself so dismayed by the untoward events of the night that he confined himself to his tent for three days, refusing to see any one. D’Aubusson availed himself of this respite to clear the mole of the mass of slain with which it was crowded. Rare pillage was there for his troops amidst that heap of Moslems, whose costly apparel, jewels, and ornaments of gold and silver, were a lordly recompense to the hardy warriors who had stood their ground so well.