ne. The Genoese, taken completely by
surprise, had at once surrendered, as the armed party rushed in the
forecastle, and the ship was already theirs. As soon as the prisoners
were secured, the after hatch was thrown off, and those whose turn to
crawl up through the hole had not yet arrived came up on deck.

"Rinaldo," Francis said, as soon as the crew had fallen into their
places, "send a man aloft, and let him suddenly knock out the light in
the lantern."

"But we can lower it down, captain, from the deck."

"Of course we can, Rinaldo, but I don't want it lowered down, I want it
put suddenly out."

Rinaldo at once sent a man up, and a minute later the light suddenly
disappeared.

"If we were seen to lower it down," Francis said to Matteo, "the
suspicions of those who noticed it would be at once aroused, for the
only motive for doing so would be concealment; whereas now, if it is
missed, it will be supposed that the wind has blown it out. Now we have
only to lower our sails, and we can drop unobserved out of the fleet."

"There are sixteen lights, I have just been counting them," Matteo
said.

"These are probably the fourteen galleys captured with us, and two
galleys as guards, in case, on their way, they should fall in with any
of our ships.

"Parucchi, will you at once muster the men, and see that all are armed
and in readiness for fighting?

"Matteo, do you and some of your friends assist the lieutenant."

In a few minutes, Parucchi reported that the men were all ready for
action.

"Rinaldo, brail up the sails, so that we may drop into the rear of the
squadron. Watch the lights of the vessels behind, and steer so that
they shall pass us as widely as possible."

This was the order the men were expecting to receive, but they were
surprised when, just as the last light was abreast of them, Francis
gave the order for the brails to be loosed again.

"Signor Parucchi, do you tell off fifty men. I am going to lay the ship
alongside that vessel, and recapture her. They will not see us until we
are close on board, and will suppose it is an accident when we run
alongside. No doubt they, like the Pluto, have only a complement of
fifty men, and we shall overpower them before they are prepared to
offer any resistance.

"No doubt they have prisoners below. Immediately we have recaptured
her, I shall return on board with the rest, leaving you with your fifty
men in charge of her. As soon as you have secured the G