ou got us all out of
the scrape down at Girgenti. You got Polani's daughters out of a worse
scrape when they were captives on San Nicolo; and got yourself out of
the worst scrape of all when you escaped from the grip of Ruggiero
Mocenigo. Therefore, when you say that there is a fair chance of escape
out of this business, I look upon it as almost as good as done."

"It is a long way from that, Matteo," Francis laughed. "Still, I hope
we may manage it somehow. I have the greatest horror of a Genoese
prison, for it is notorious that they treat their prisoners of war
shamefully, and I certainly do not mean to enter one, if there is the
slightest chance of avoiding it. But for today, Matteo, I shall not
even begin to think about it. In the first place, my head aches with
the various thumps it has had; in the second, I feel weak from loss of
blood; and in the third, my wounds smart most amazingly."

"So do mine," Matteo agreed. "In addition, I am hungry, for the bread
they gave us this morning was not fit for dogs, although I had to eat
it, as it was that or nothing."

"And now, Matteo, I shall try to get a few hours' sleep. I did not
close my eyes last night, from the pain of my wounds, but I think I
might manage to drop off now."

The motion of the vessel aided the effect of the bodily weakness that
Francis was feeling, and in spite of the pain of his wounds he soon
went off into a sound sleep. Once or twice he woke, but hearing no
voices or movement, he supposed his companions were all asleep, and
again went off, until a stream of light coming in from the opening of
the hatchway thoroughly roused him. Matteo, who was lying by his side,
also woke and stretched himself, and there was a general movement among
the ten young men who were their comrades in misfortune.

"Here is your breakfast," a voice from above the hatchway said, and a
basket containing bread and a bucket of water was lowered by ropes.

"Breakfast!" Matteo said. "Why, it is not two hours since we
breakfasted last."

"I suspect it is twenty-two, Matteo. We have had a very long sleep, and
I feel all the better of it. Now, let us divide the liberal breakfast
our captors have given us; fortunately there is just enough light
coming down from those scuttles to enable us to do so fairly."

There was a general laugh, from his comrades, at the cheerful way in
which Francis spoke. Only one of them had been an officer on the Pluto.
The rest were, like Matteo, vo