ll, for a long
time to come, with their own men. There are some among us who will soon
bleed to death, unless their wounds are staunched. Let us, therefore,
take the most serious cases first, and so on in rotation until all have
been attended to."

It was fortunate for them that in the hold, in which they were
confined, there were some casks of water; for, for hours the Genoese
paid no attention whatever to their prisoners, and the wounded were
beginning to suffer agonies of thirst, when the barrels were
fortunately discovered. The head of one was knocked in, and some
shallow tubs, used for serving the water to the crew, filled, and the
men knelt down and drank by turns from these. Many were too enfeebled
by their wounds to rise, and their thirst was assuaged by dipping
articles of clothing into the water, and letting the fluid from these
run into their mouths.

It was not until next morning that the prisoners were ordered to come
on deck. Many had died during the night. Others were too weak to obey
the summons. The names of the rest were taken, and not a little
surprise was expressed, by the Genoese officers, at the extreme youth
of the officer in command of the Pluto.

"I was only the second in command," Francis said in answer to their
questions. "Carlo Bottini was in command of the ship, but he was killed
at the commencement of the fight."

"But how is it that one so young came to be second? You must belong to
some great family to have been thus pushed forward above men so much
your senior.

"It was a wise choice nevertheless," the commander of one of the
galleys which had been engaged with the Pluto said, "for it is but
justice to own that no ship was better handled, or fought, in the
Venetian fleet. They were engaged with us first, and for over an hour
they fought us on fair terms, yielding no foot of ground, although we
had far more men than they carried. I noticed this youth fighting
always in the front line with the Venetians, and marvelled at the
strength and dexterity with which he used his weapons, and afterwards,
when there were three of us around him, he fought like a boar
surrounded by hounds. I am sure he is a brave youth, and well worthy
the position he held, to whatsoever he owed it."

"I belong to no noble family of Venice," Francis said. "My name is
Francis Hammond, and my parents are English."

"You are not a mercenary, I trust?" the Genoese captain asked
earnestly.

"I am not," Francis r