three hours afterwards the hatchway
was taken off. When the rest had ascended, two men came below with
hammers, and drew the staples which fastened Francis to the deck.

On going up, he was at first so blinded with the glare of the
sunshine--after six days in almost total darkness--that he could scarce
see where he was. The ship was lying at anchor in a bay. The shores
were low, and a group of houses stood abreast of where the ship was
anchored. By their appearance Francis saw at once that he was on the
coast of Africa, or of some island near it.

The prisoners were ordered to descend into the boats which lay
alongside, some sailors taking their places with them. Ruggiero was not
at first to be seen, but just as Francis was preparing to take his
place in the boat, he came out from the cabin. One of his arms was in a
sling, and his head bandaged.

"Take special care of that prisoner," he said to the men. "Do not take
off his chains, and place a sentinel at the door of the place of his
confinement. I would rather lose my share of all the spoil we have
taken, than he should escape me!"

The shackles had been removed from the rest of the captives, and on
landing they were driven into some huts which stood a little apart from
the village. Francis was thrust into a small chamber with five or six
companions. The next morning the other prisoners were called out, and
Francis was left alone by himself all day. On their return in the
evening, they told him that all the prisoners had been employed in
assisting to get out the cargo, with which the vessel was crammed, and
in carrying it to a large storehouse in the village.

"They must have taken a rich booty, indeed," said one of the prisoners,
who had already told Francis that he was the captain of the vessel they
had seen founder. "I could tell pretty well what all the bales contain,
by the manner of packing, and I should say that there were the pick of
the cargoes of a dozen ships there. All of us here belong to three
ships, except those taken with you; but from the talk of the sailors, I
heard that they had already sent off two batches of captives, by
another ship which was cruising in company of them. I also learned that
the quarrel, which took place just after you were captured, arose from
the fact that the captain wished a party to land, to carry off two
women from somewhere in the island of Corfu; but the crew insisted on
first returning with the booty, urging, that if