“Since you were out last, Messer Francisco.  I thought I would wait a bit, and listen.”

“And have you heard anything?”

“I have heard sounds several times.”

“What sort of sounds, Giuseppi?”

“Such a sound as is made when the sails and yards are lowered.  I have heard it over and over again when out at night on the lagoons near the port.  There is no mistake in the creaking of the blocks as the halyards run through them.  I am sure, that since I have been here several vessels have brought up inside the mouth of the harbour.  Some of the sailors have heard the same noises, so there cannot be any mistake about it.  If the captain likes, I will take a small boat and row out, and find out all about them.”

“I will ask the captain, Giuseppi.”

The captain, however, said that there would be no use in this being done.

“Whether there are few or whether there are many of them, we must wait till morning before we go out.  There will be no working out that channel in the dark, even if we were unopposed.”

“But they must have managed to come in,” Francis said.

“No doubt some of their comrades in the other barque, or people from the village, show a light out there to guide them in.  Besides, the wind is favourable to them and against us.  No, young sir, there is nothing to do but to wait.  In the morning, if there are but few of them, we will try to break through and gain the sea.  If there are many we will fight here, as then all hands will be available for the combat, while if we were rowing, half of them would be occupied with the oars.  If your lad were to go as he proposes he might fall into the hands of the enemy, and as the information he could gather would be in any case of no use, it is best he should remain where he is.”

The hours seemed long until the first tinge of daylight appeared in the sky.  All hands were on deck now, for the news that vessels had been arriving in the port had convinced all that danger really threatened them.  It was not until half an hour later that they were able to make out some dark objects, lying in under the shadow of the islet across the mouth of the harbour.

“There they are, Messer Francisco,” the captain said.  “Ten of them, as far as I can make out; but there may be more, for likely enough some of them are lying side by side.  There may, too, be some round a corner, where we cannot see them.  Another half hour we shall know all about it.”

Francis was half surprised that the captain did not order the oars to be put out and lashed in that position, for it was a recognized plan for preventing a ship from being boarded by an enemy, who could thus only approach her at the lofty poop and forecastle.

“Are you not going to get out the oars to keep them off?”