hen, descending
again to the waist of the galley, they leaped on to the deck of
Pisani's ship, and fell upon the rear of the Genoese.

These were taken completely by surprise. Absorbed in the struggle in
which they were engaged, they had noticed neither the approach of the
Bonito, nor the struggle on board their own galley, and supposed that
another of the Venetian warships had come up to the assistance of their
admiral.

Taken then by surprise, and finding themselves thus between two bands
of foes, they fought irresolutely, and the crew of the Bonito, with
their heavy axes, cut down numbers of them, and fighting their way
through the mass, joined the diminished force of Pisani.

The admiral shouted the battle cry of "Saint Mark!" His followers, who
had begun to give way to despair, rallied at the arrival of this
unlooked-for reinforcement, and the whole fell upon the Genoese with
fury. The latter fought stoutly and steadily now, animated by the voice
and example of Fieschi himself; but their assurance of victory was
gone, and they were gradually beaten back to the deck of their
admiral's ship. Here they made desperate efforts to cut the lashings
and free the vessel; but the yards had got interlocked and the rigging
entangled, and the Venetians sprang on to the deck of the ship, and
renewed the conflict there.

For some time the struggle was doubtful. The Genoese had still the
advantage in numbers, but they were disheartened at the success, which
they had deemed certain, having been so suddenly and unexpectedly
snatched from their grasp.

The presence of Pisani, in itself, doubled the strength of the
Venetians. He was the most popular of their commanders, and each strove
to imitate the example which he set them.

After ten minutes' hard fighting, the result was no longer doubtful.
Many of the Genoese ran below. Others threw down their arms, and their
admiral, at last, seeing further resistance was hopeless, lowered his
sword and surrendered.

No sooner had resistance ceased than Pisani turned to Francis, who had
been fighting by his side:

"I thank you, in the name of myself and the republic," he said. "Where
you have sprung from, or how you came here, I know not. You seemed to
me to have fallen from heaven to our assistance, just at the moment
when all was lost. Who are you? I seem to know your face, though I
cannot recall where I have seen it."

"I am Francis Hammond, Messer Pisani. I had the honour of see