106 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book IV.

gan retreating. Not one of us divined the truth.Whether Piali’s small craft had brought him in-telligence of the Spanish succours ; or that nothingcertain had arrived, but only an uncertain rumourslid around; fact is, Mustapha commenced suspect-ing what really occurred opposite Gozo, and histroops instead of mounting to the assault, tookquite a contrary direction. 1 However a mistake inthe signals prevented the grand master from know-ing of any disembarkment in any part of the island,and left him still more ignorant than the rest. Un-til within half an hour of noon, he disbelieved allsuch reports as idle fables. Nor even was quitepersuaded although he headed the people to thankGod, and had all the church bells ring a merrypeal, after a silence of three months; but nosalutes of cannon, seeing little gunpowder remained.As soon as it was sure that the Spanish army hadlanded, the Turks determined to profit of that nightto embark their artillery and burn their camp.And one of them pondering on the miraculous de-fence, and the ignominious sequel, concluded thatthe Christian faith was much better; so with a re-solve to be Christianized, deserted to Borgo beforelight, and announced that the Mahometans had em-

1 Bosio: par. iii., lib. xxxiii. 693.