ng your boat
over.

"Your greatest danger will be at first. When once you have fairly
entered the inner canals, you are not likely to be suspected of being
an enemy. They will take you for Chioggian fishermen late. We often
make out their returning boats near the town. No doubt Doria is fond of
fresh fish. Otherwise you would be detected, for the Genoese boats are,
of course, quite different to ours, and even in the dark they would
make out that you belonged to the lagoons.

"Ah, here is supper! It is not often that I should have anything to
offer you, but one of my men managed to catch three or four fish today,
and sold them to me at about their weight in silver. However, I have
some good wine from my own cellars, and a man who has good wine, fish,
and bread can do royally, whatever this grumbling brother of mine may
say."

Half an hour later, a soldier brought the news that the gondola was in
the water, and Francis bade adieu to his friends, and started at once.

"Row slowly and quietly," he said, as he took his seat. "Do not let
your oars make the slightest splash in the water, until we are well
across to the opposite shore. They may have a guard boat lying in the
channel."

The light craft made her way noiselessly across the water. Once or
twice they heard the sound of oars, as some Genoese galley passed up or
down, but none came near enough to perceive them, and they crossed the
main channel, and entered one of the numerous passages practicable only
for boats of very light draught, without being once hailed. A broad
shallow tract of water was now crossed, passable only by craft drawing
but a few inches of water; then again they were in a deeper channel,
and the lights of Chioggia rose but a short distance ahead.

They paused and listened, now, for they were nearing the ship channel,
and here the enemy would, if anywhere, be on the alert. Coming across
the water they could hear the sound of voices, and the dull noise made
by the movement of men in a boat.

"Those are the galleys watching the boom, I expect," Francis said.

"Now, Philippo, we can move on. I suppose there is plenty of water,
across the flats, for us to get into the channel without going near the
boom."

"Plenty for us, signor; but if the boom goes right across the channel,
heavy rowboats would not be able to pass. There are few shallower
places in the lagoons than just about here. It may be that in one or
two places even we might touch, bu