“Now, captain,” Francis said, “we have a good deal to do before morning, for I take it it will be no easy matter to get out the masts.”

“There would be no difficulty in getting the masts out,” the captain answered.  “I have only to knock out the wedges, and loosen the stays, and get up a tripod made of three spars to lift them out; but I don’t see how they are to be got in again.”

“How is that, captain?  I should have thought it no more difficult to get a mast in than to take it out.”

“Nor would it be so, under ordinary circumstances,” the captain replied; “but you see, our hold is full of grain, and as the mast comes out, the hole it leaves will fill up, and there will be no getting it down again to step it on the keel without discharging the cargo.”

“Yes, I see that, captain.  Then you think we had better cut down the masts; but in that case how are we to raise them?”

“We will cut them off about six feet above the deck, Messer Francisco; then when we want to set sail again, we have only to rear the masts up by the side of the stumps, and lash them securely.  Of course they will be six feet shorter than before, but that is of little consequence.”

“Then so let it be,” Francis said, “the sooner we begin the better.”

Just at this moment there was a violent knocking against the hatch of the forecastle.

“I had forgotten all about the sailors,” the captain said, laughing.  “I suppose the men who were to relieve the watch have woke up, and finding they could not get out, have aroused their comrades.”

“Shall we leave them there, or take them out and bind them?” Matteo asked.

“We had better have them up,” the captain said.  “I don’t suppose there are more than twenty of them, and it would be best to bind them, and put them down in the hold with the corn, otherwise they may manage to break out when we are not expecting it, and might give us some trouble.”

Accordingly, the sailors gathered round the hatch.  The ropes were then removed, and the hatch taken off.

“What fooling are you up to?” one of the Genoese exclaimed, angrily, as they rushed up on deck.  “You have nearly stifled us down below putting on the hatch and fastening it.”

He stopped abruptly as, on gaining the deck, he saw a crowd of armed figures round him, for a lantern had been placed so as to throw a light upon the spot.

“You are prisoners,” the captain said.  “It is useless to attempt resistance.”

“Help, help, treachery!” one of the Genoese shouted at the top of his voice.

“It is useless for you to shout,” the captain said, “you are miles away from your fleet.  Now, do you surrender, or are we to attack you?”

Taken by surprise, and unarmed, the Genoese who had gained the deck sullenly replied that they surrendered.  They were bound and led away, and the others ordered to come up on deck.  There were found to be four-and-twenty in all, and these were soon laid side by side on the grain in the hold, the hatch being left off to give them air.  The masts were then cut through, and were with some trouble lowered to the deck.