ary to
speak loud enough to be heard at any distance. All this time, Raoul and
Ithuel lay on their oars, almost afraid to stir the water, and listening
with an attention that was nearly breathless. They were satisfied that
the oars of the English were now muffled; a sign that they were in
earnest in the pursuit, and bent on making a thorough search. The two
gigs could not be more than a hundred yards from the yawl, and Ithuel
knew that they were the two fastest-rowing boats of the English
fleet--so fast, indeed, that Cuffe and his lieutenants had made several
successful matches with them, against the officers of different vessels.

"Hist!" said Ghita, whose heart was in her mouth. "Oh! Raoul, they
come!"

Coming, indeed,--were they; and that with vast velocity. So careful,
however, was the stroke, that they were within two hundred feet of the
yawl before Raoul and his companion took the alarm, and plunged their
own oars again into the water. Then, indeed, the gigs might be dimly
seen; though the shadows of the land deepened the obscurity of night so
far, as to render objects at even a less distance quite indistinct. The
suddenness and imminency of the danger appeared to arouse all there was
of life in Carlo Giuntotardi. He steered, and steered well, being
accustomed to the office, by living so long on the coast; and he sheered
in for the rocks, with the double view of landing, if necessary, and of
getting still deeper within the shadows. It was soon evident the English
gained. Four oars against two were fearful odds; and it was plainly
apparent the yawl must be overtaken.

"Oh, uncle! toward the arch and water-cavern of the point," whispered
Ghita, whose hands were clasped on her breast as if to keep down her
emotions. "_That_ may yet save him!"

The yawl was in the act of whirling round the rocks which form the deep
cove on which the Marina Grande of Sorrento lies. Carlo caught his
niece's idea, and he kept his tiller hard a-port, telling Raoul and
Ithuel, at the same time, to take in their oars as quick as possible.
The men obeyed, supposing it was the intention to land and take to the
heights for shelter. But just as they supposed the boat was about to
strike against some perpendicular rocks, and Raoul was muttering his
surprise that such a spot should be chosen to land at, it glided through
a low, natural arch, and entered a little basin as noiselessly as a
bubble floating in a current. The next minute, the two