Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/497

Rh tapha’s attack was at first attended with better success. His columns obtained a footing on the summit of the breach, and a desperate hand-to-hand encounter ensued, in which his superiority of number gradually made itself felt. He himself was to be seen in every direction, sword in hand, cheering on his forces with promises of reward and booty, and eventually he succeeded in driving the defenders back from the contested rampart.

At this time, when all appeared lost, and when a few moments more must have decided the fate of Senglea, Mustapha, to the amazement of the combatants, sounded the retreat. This step on his part seemed at first inexplicable, but the cause which led to it was in reality very simple. The commandant of the Città Notabile had heard the ceaseless din, which, since early dawn, had raged around the fortress, and rightly conjectured that the Turks were delivering a fresh assault. He determined, therefore, on making a diversion. Mustering all his cavalry, he sent them forth with the general instruction to make an attack wherever they might find a suitable opportunity. The knight in command advanced cautiously towards the head of the harbour, where the sick and wounded of the Turkish army were lying in camp. The guards had all left their posts, and were on the neighbouring heights gazing intently upon the conflict that was raging around. The little band, seeing the advantage thus offered, rushed upon the camp, and commenced an indiscriminate massacre of the helpless creatures lying there. Shrieks, yells, and groans resounded on all sides, and a panic spread through the army. It was supposed that the relieving force from Sicily had landed, and that its advanced guard was already in their rear. The news spread like wildfire. Terror and dismay were on every face, and each one, without waiting to meet the enemy, bethought him how he could best escape from the general massacre. The intelligence reached Mustapha in the thick of the contest at. Senglea, and at the very instant of victory he saw the prize torn from his grasp. An immediate retreat was sounded, and he assembled his disheartened troops to meet the new enemy supposed to be at that moment on their flank. To his astonishment and rage, when he reached the scene of action, he dis-