“There is nothing more to be done now,” the captain said, “and I think we can all safely turn in till morning.”

He then ordered the under officer to place two men on watch on the rocks, and two men on deck, two men to stand as sentinels over the prisoners, and the rest to lie down.  He directed that he should be roused at the earliest streak of daylight.

The lads were soon fast asleep, and could hardly believe that the night was over, when Giuseppi awakened them with the news that day was breaking.  They were soon on deck, and found that the crew were already astir.  The sentinels on the rock were at once ordered to lie down, so that they could command a view of the sea, without exposing themselves to sight.  The boats were drawn up alongside, and everything put in readiness for instant debarkation, and then the party waited for the appearance of the Genoese galleys.

“They will be along in less than an hour,” the captain said.  “It is light enough now for the watch to have discovered that the Lido is missing, and it will not be many minutes before they are under way.  They will calculate that we can have but five or six hours’ start at the utmost, and that three hours’ rowing will bring them up to us.”

“I have no fear whatever of their discovering us as they go along,” Francis said.  “The only fear is that, after rowing for three or four hours and seeing no sign of us, they will guess that we are hidden somewhere under the cliffs, and will come back along the shore, searching every bay.”

“There is a chance of that,” the captain agreed, “but I should think only a chance.  When the party who come this way find they do not overtake us, they will suppose that we have sailed to the west, and that on their return they will find us in the hands of their comrades; and when these also come back empty handed they will conclude that we have sailed straight out to sea.  Of course they may have sent a galley southward also, but will conclude that that has somehow missed us when it returns without news.  I hardly think that the idea, that we may be hidden so close to them, will enter their minds, and the only fear I entertain is that some peasant may happen to come to the edge of the cliff and see us lying here, and may take the news back to Girgenti.”

“Yes, there is certainly a danger of that,” Francis said.  “I think, captain, it would be the best plan to land twenty men at once.  Giuseppi will show them the way up the cliff, and then they must take their station, at short distances apart, along the edge of the cliff, from point to point of this little bay, with orders to seize any one who may approach and bring him down here.  They must, of course, be told to lie down, as a line of sentries along the top of the cliff might attract the attention of somebody on the galleys, and lead to a search.”

“Yes, I think that will be a wise precaution,” the captain agreed.

“Thomaso, do you take twenty men and post them as you hear Messer Francisco say.  Tell them to lie in the bushes and keep out of sight, and on no account to show themselves, unless someone comes along sufficiently near to look over the edge of the cliff.”