The Genoese officer briefly examined the vessel.

“Whom have you here on board with you?” he asked, struck with the furniture and fittings of Francis’ cabin.

“This is the cabin of Matteo Giustiniani, a young noble of Venice, who is making his first voyage, in order to fit himself for entering the service of the state:  and of Francisco Hammond, who stands high in the affections of my patron.”

The Genoese uttered an angry exclamation.  The name of Polani was well known in Genoa as one of the chief merchants of Venice and as belonging to a ducal house, while the family of Giustiniani was even more illustrious; and had these passengers fallen into his hands, a ransom might have been obtained greatly exceeding the value of the Lido and her cargo.  Leaving four of his men on board he went off to the galley of the officer commanding the fleet, and presently returned with a large boat full of sailors.

“You and your men can go ashore,” he said to the captain.  “The admiral does not deem you worth the trouble of carrying to Genoa; but be quick, or you will have to swim to shore.”

As the Lido’s boats had all gone ashore, the captain hailed a fishing boat which was passing, and with the four sailors was rowed to shore, well content that he had escaped the dungeons of Genoa.  He rightly imagined that he and his men were released solely on account of the paucity of their numbers.  Had the whole crew been captured, they would have been carried to Genoa; but the admiral did not care to bring in five prisoners only, and preferred taking the ship alone.

Francis, with his party, followed the line of the coast, ascending the hills which rose steeply from the edge of the sea at a short distance from the town.  He had brought with him from the town a supply of food sufficient for four or five days, and encamped in a little wood near the edge of the cliff.  From this they had a view of the port, and could watch the doings of the Genoese galleys.  Fires were lit and meat cooked over them; and just as the meal was prepared the captain and the four sailors joined them, amid a hearty cheer from the crew.

“I have made my protest,” the captain said as he took his seat by the side of Francis, “and the padrone can make a complaint before the council if he thinks fit to do so; but there is small chance that he will ever recover the Lido, or the value of her cargo.”

“I don’t like losing the ship,” Francis said.  “Of course, it is only a stroke of bad fortune, and we could neither fly nor defend ourselves.  Still one hates arriving home with the story that one has lost the ship.”

“Yes,” the captain agreed.  “Messer Polani is a just man, yet no one cares to employ men who are unlucky; and the worst of it is that the last ship I commanded was wrecked.  Many men would not have employed me again, although it wasn’t my fault.  But after this second affair, in a few months’ time, I shall get the name of being an unlucky man, and no one in his senses would employ a man who is always losing his ships.”