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."

"Do you think that there is any chance of our recapturing it, captain?"

"Not the least in the world," the captain replied. "Even supposing that
we could get on board, and overpower the Genoese without being heard,
and get her out of the port without being seen, we should not get away.
Laden as she is with grain, she will sail very slowly, and the Genoese
would overtake her in a few hours; and I needn't tell you that then
there would be very little mercy shown to any on board."

"That is true enough," Francis said. "Still, I do not like the idea of
losing the Lido."

After the meal was over Francis rose, and asked Matteo to accompany him
on a stroll along the cliffs, Giuseppi as usual following them. They
walked along until they rounded the head of the bay, and were able to
look along the coast for some distance. It was steep and rocky, and
worn into a number of slight indentations. In one of these rose a ledge
of rocks at a very short distance from the shore.

"How much further are we going, Francis?" Matteo said when they had
walked a couple of miles.

"About a quarter of a mile, Matteo. I want to examine that ledge of
rocks we saw from the first point."

"What on earth do you want to look at them for, Francis? You certainly
are the mos