those who
were to sail therein and having fitted and adorned it for the sending
of his daughter into Granada, awaited nought but weather.

The young lady, who saw and knew all this, despatched one of her
servants secretly to Palermo, bidding him salute the gallant Gerbino
on her part and tell him that she was to sail in a few days for
Granada, wherefore it would now appear if he were as valiant a man as
was said and if he loved her as much as he had sundry times declared
to her. Her messenger did his errand excellent well and returned to
Tunis, whilst Gerbino, hearing this and knowing that his grandfather
had given the King of Tunis assurance, knew not what to do. However,
urged by love and that he might not appear a craven, he betook himself
to Messina, where he hastily armed two light galleys and manning them
with men of approved valour, set sail with them for the coast of
Sardinia, looking for the lady's ship to pass there. Nor was he far
out in his reckoning, for he had been there but a few days when the
ship hove in sight with a light wind not far from the place where he
lay expecting it.

Gerbino, seeing this, said to his companions, 'Gentlemen, an you be
the men of mettle I take you for, methinketh there is none of you but
hath either felt or feeleth love, without which, as I take it, no
mortal can have aught of valour or worth in himself; and if you have
been or are enamoured, it will be an easy thing to you to understand
my desire. I love and love hath moved me to give you this present
pains; and she whom I love is in the ship which you see becalmed
yonder and which, beside that thing which I most desire, is full of
very great riches. These latter, an ye be men of valour, we may with
little difficulty acquire, fighting manfully; of which victory I
desire nothing to my share save one sole lady, for whose love I have
taken up arms; everything else shall freely be yours. Come, then, and
let us right boldly assail the ship; God is favourable to our emprise
and holdeth it here fast, without vouchsafing it a breeze.'

The gallant Gerbino had no need of many words, for that the Messinese,
who were with him being eager for plunder, were already disposed to do
that unto which he exhorted them. Wherefore, making a great outcry, at
the end of his speech, that it should be so, they sounded the trumpets
and catching up their arms, thrust the oars into the water and made
for the Tunis ship. They who were aboard this latte