Crusade should now have shown the white feather. He was, indeed, a
craven knight of Christ.

His agony of spirit threw him into a high fever that kept him in his
bed.

Soon after he heard that another ship was sailing for Africa.

In spite of the protestations of his friends Lull insisted that they
should carry him to the ship. They did so; but as the hour of sailing
drew on his friends were sure that he was so weak that he would die
on the sea before he could reach Africa. So--this time in spite of all
his pleading--they carried him ashore again. But he could not rest and
his agony of mind made his fever worse.

Soon, however, a third ship was making ready to sail. This time Lull
was carried on board and refused to return.

The ship cast off and threaded its way through the shipping of the
harbour out into the open sea.

"From this moment," said Lull, "I was a new man. All fever left me
almost before we were out of sight of land."


V

_The First Battle_

Passing Corsica and Sardinia, the ship slipped southward till at last