fore, remain quiet
until you have orders, whether it be one day or ten. All the arms they
have taken from us are lying piled here, and when the time comes, we
shall have no difficulty in overpowering the Genoese, and shall, I
hope, bring the Pluto safely to anchor in the port of Venice before
long."

There was a murmur of delight among the sailors, pent up in their close
quarters. Francis listened a moment, and heard one of the men say:

"What did I tell you? Didn't I tell you that Messer Hammond got us all
out of a scrape before, when our ship was captured by the Genoese, and
that I would be bound he would do the same again, if he had but the
shadow of a chance."

"You did, Pietro, and you have turned out right. That is the sort of
fellow to have for a captain. He is not like one of those dainty young
nobles, who don't know one rope's end from another, and who turn up
their noses at the thought of dirtying their hands. See how he looked
after us through the winter. I wish we could give a cheer for him, but
that would never do. But when we are out of this, I will give him the
loudest shout I ever gave yet.

"Now then, Rinaldo, let us set to work without a moment's delay.
There's a chance we aren't going to rot in the dungeons of Genoa, after
all."

Convinced that the work would be carried on in accordance with his
orders, Francis withdrew his ear from the hole, and, crawling over the
sacks again, made his way to the pile of arms, felt about until he
found two javelins, and taking these back, passed them one after the
other through the hole.

"We have done our share now," he said to his comrades. "Paolo and his
party will find it a comparatively easy task to enlarge the hole
sufficiently to pass the daggers through."

The party returned to the other end of the hold, removed the planks,
and joined their friends. The next watch had arranged to lie down close
to the planks, so that they could be aroused without waking the others.

They were soon on their feet. Francis explained to Parucchi the
progress they had made, and the orders that had been given to the
sailors as to what they were to do.

"When the hole is large enough, pass these five daggers in to the crew,
and then come back again. I will guide you to the spot, and on my
return will pick out half a dozen more daggers, in case we want them
for further work."

When daylight made its way into the hold, Matteo and his watch woke,
and were astonished to fi