Late in the afternoon, Francis embarked in his gondola, and in an hour
and a half landed at Pelestrina. He was well known, to those posted
there, as the bearer of Pisani's orders, and as soon as it became dark,
Rufino Giustiniani, who was in command, ordered a dozen men to carry
the light gondola across the island to the Malamocco channel. While
this was being done, Francis went to Rufino's tent, and informed him of
what was going on in Venice, and that the whole fleet would set sail on
the morrow.
"We heard rumours, from the men who brought our rations, that it was to
be so," Rufino said; "but we have heard the same story a dozen times.
So, now, it is really true! But what can the admiral be thinking of!
Sure he can't intend to attack Doria with this newly-manned fleet and
rabble army. He could not hope for victory against such odds!"
"The admiral's intentions are kept a profound secret," Francis said,
"and are only known to the doge and the Council of Ten."
"And to yourself," Rufino said laughing.
"The admiral is good enough to honour me with his fullest confidence,"
Francis said; "and in this matter, it is so important that the nature
of the design should be kept wholly secret, that I cannot tell it even
to you!"
"You are quite right, Francisco; nor do I wish to know it, though I
would wager that Maria, and her pretty sister, have some inkling of
what is going on."
Francis laughed.
"The signoras are good enough to treat me as a brother," he said, "and
I will not affirm that they have not obtained some slight information."
"I will warrant they have!" Rufino said. "When my wife has made up her
mind to get to the bottom of a matter, she will tease and coax till she
succeeds.
"Ah, here is Matteo! he has been out posting the sentries for the
night."
The two friends had not indulged in a talk for some weeks, though they
had occasionally met when Francis paid one of his flying visits to the
island.
"I have just seen your boat being carried along," Matteo said, as he
entered the tent. "I could not think what it was till I got close; but
of course, when I saw Giuseppi, I knew all about it. What are you going
to do--scout among the Genoese?"
"I am going to find out as much as I can," Francis said.
"It's a capital idea your bringing the boat across the island," Matteo
said. "You are always full of good ideas, Francis. I can't make it out.
They never seem to occur to me, and at the present time, especially,
the only ideas that come into my mind are as to the comfortable meals I
will eat, when this business is over. I never thought I cared much for
eating before, but since I have had nothing but bread--and not enough
of that--and an occasional fish, I have discovered that I am really
fond of good living. My bones ache perpetually with lying on the bare
ground, and if I escape from this, without being a cripple for life
from rheumatism, I shall consider myself lucky, indeed. You are a
fortunate fellow, Francisco; spending your time in the admiral's
comfortable palace, or flying about in a smooth-rowing gondola!"
"That is one side of the question certainly," Francis said, laughing;
"but there is a good deal of hard work, too, in the way of writing."
"I should not like that," Matteo said. "Still, I think you have the
best of it. If the Genoese would come sometimes, and try and drive us
off the island, there would be some excitement. But, except when the
admiral wishes a reconnaissance, or Barberigo's galleys come down and
stir them up, there is really nothing doing here."
"That ought to suit you exactly, Matteo, for never but once did I hear
you say you wanted to do anything."
"When was that?" Rufino asked, laughing.
"Matteo conceived a violent desire to climb Mount Etna," Francis said,
"and it needed all my arguments to prevent his leaving the ship at
Girgenti, while she was loading, and starting to make the ascent."
"He would have repented before he had gone a quarter of the way up,"
Rufino said.
"I might have repented," Matteo replied stoutly, "but I would have done
it, if I had begun. You don't know me yet, Rufino. I have a large store
of energy, only at present I have had no opportunity of showing what I
am made of.
"And now, how do you intend to proceed, Francisco? Have you any plan?"
"None at all," Francis replied. "I simply want to assure myself that
the galleys are all in their usual places, and that the Genoese are
making no special preparations against our coming."
"I have seen no unusual stir," Rufino said. "Their ships, as far as one
can see their masts, seem all in their usual position. I fancy that,
since Barberigo carried off two of them, they have put booms across the
channels to prevent sudden attacks. I saw a lot of rowboats busy about
something, but I could not make out exactly what they were doing; but
still, I fancy they were constructing a boom. Their galleys keep a
sharp lookout at night, and you certainly would not have succeeded in
passing them, had you not hit upon this plan of carrying 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, but if we do, the bottom is firm enough
for us to get out and float the boat over."
But they did not touch any shoal sufficiently shallow to necessitate
this. Several times Francis could feel, by the dragging pace, that she
was touching the oozy bottom; but each time she passed over without
coming to a standstill. At last Philippo said:
"We are in the deep channel now, signor. The boom is right astern of
us. The town is only a few hundred yards ahead."
"Then we shall be passing the Genoese galleys, directly," Francis said.
"Row slowly as we go, and splash sometimes with the oars. If we go
quickly and noiselessly past, they might possibly suspect something,
but if we row without an attempt at concealment, they will take us for
a fisherman's boat."
Soon the dark mass of Genoese ships, with their forests of masts, rose
before them. There were lights in the cabins, and a buzz of talking,
laughing, and singing among the crews on board.
"What luck today?" a sailor asked them as they rowed past, twenty or
thirty yards from the side of one of the ships.
"Very poor," Giuseppi replied. "I think your ships, and the boats lying
about, and the firing, have frightened the fish away from this end of
the lagoons."
It was half a mile before they passed the last of the crowd of vessels.
"Would you like me to land here, signor?" Philippo said. "There would
be no danger in my doing so. I can make my way, through the streets, to
the house of some of my relatives, and find out from them whether there
are any fresh movements among the Genoese. I will not enter any house;
for aught I know there are soldiers quartered everywhere; but I am sure
not to go many yards before I run against someone I know."
"I think it will be a very good plan, Philippo. We will lie under the
bank here, and wait your return."
It was not more than twenty minutes before the gondolier was back.
"I have spoken to three men I know, signor. They are agreed that there
are no movements among the enemy, and no one seems to have an idea that
the Venetians are about to put to sea. Of course, I was cautious not to
let drop a word on the subject, and only said we had managed to get
through the enemy's cordon to learn the latest news, and I expected to
earn a ducat or two by my night's work."
"That is excellent," Francis said. "Now, we will row out to the sea
mouths of the channels, to assure ourselves that no ships are lying on
guard there, for some are going in or out every day to cruise along the
coast. A few may have taken up their station there, without attracting
notice among the townspeople."
The opening of the passage known as the Canal of Lombardy was first
visited. To gain this, they had to retrace their steps for some
distance, and to row through the town of Chioggia, passing several
boats and galleys, but without attracting notice. They found the mouth
of the canal entirely unguarded, and then returned and rowed out to the
mouth of the Brondolo passage. Some blazing fires on the shore showed
that there were parties of soldiers here, but no ships were lying
anywhere in the channel.
After some consultation they determined that, as no watch seemed to be
kept, it would be shorter to row on outside the islands, and to enter
by the third passage to be examined, that between Pelestrina and
Brondolo. Here, however, the Genoese were more on the alert, as the
Pelestrina shore was held by the Venetians. Scarcely had they entered
the channel, when a large rowboat shot out from the shadow of the shore
and hailed them.
"Stop rowing in that boat! Who are you that are entering so late?"
"Fishermen," Philippo shouted back, but without stopping rowing.
"Stop!" shouted the officer, "till we examine you! It is forbidden to
enter the channel after dark."
But the gondoliers rowed steadily on, until ahead of the boat coming
out. This fell into their wake, and its angry officer shouted threats
against the fugitives, and exhorted his men to row their hardest.
"There are two more boats ahead, signor. They are lying on their oars
to cut us off. One is a good deal further out than the other, and I
don't think we shall gain Pelestrina."
"Then make for the Brondolo shore till we have passed them," Francis
said.
The boat whirled off her course, and made towards the shore. The
Genoese galleys ahead at once made towards them; but in spite of the
numerous oars they pulled, the craft could not keep up with the racing
gondola, and it crossed ahead of them. In another five minutes' rowing,
the three galleys were well astern, and the gondola again made out from
the shore, her head pointing obliquely towards Pelestrina. The galleys
were now fifty yards behind, and although their crews rowed their
hardest, the gondola gradually gained upon them, and crossing their
bows made over towards Pelestrina.
"We are out of the channel now," Philippo said, "and there will not be
water enough for them to follow us much further."
A minute or two later a sudden shout proclaimed that the nearest of
their pursuers had touched the ground.
"We can take it easy now," Giuseppi said, "and I am not sorry, for we
could not have rowed harder if we had been racing."
A few minutes later, the light craft touched the mud a few yards
distant from the shore.
"Is that you, Francisco?" a voice, which Francis recognized as
Matteo's, asked.
"All right, Matteo!" he replied. "No one hurt this time."
"I have been on the lookout for you the last hour. I have got a body of
my men here, in case you were chased. We heard the shouting and guessed
it was you."
"If you have got some men there, Matteo, there is a chance for you to
take a prize. A galley rowing twelve or fourteen oars is in the mud, a
few hundred yards out. She was chasing us, and ran aground when at full
speed, and I imagine they will have some trouble in getting her off. I
suppose she draws a couple of feet of water. There! Don't you hear the
hubbub they are making?"
"I hear them," Matteo said.
"Come along, lads. The night is cold, and I don't suppose the water is
any warmer, but a skirmish will heat our blood."
Matteo, followed by a company of some forty men, at once entered the
water, and made in the direction of the sounds. Five minutes later,
Francis heard shouts and a clashing of weapons suddenly break out. It
lasted but a short time. Matteo and his band soon returned with the
prisoners.
"What! Have you waited, Francisco? I thought you would be on the other
side of the island by this time."
"I was in no particular hurry, Matteo; and besides, I want my boat; and
although two men can lift her easily enough, she would be a heavy
weight to carry so far."
"You shall have a dozen, Francisco. It is owing to you we have taken
these prisoners, and that I have had my first bit of excitement since I
came out here.
"Sergeant, here are a couple of ducats. When you have given the
prisoners into safe custody, spend the money in wine for the company.
"The water is bitterly cold, I can tell you, Francisco; but otherwise I
am warm enough, for one's feet stick to the mud, and it seems, each
step, as if one had fifty pounds of lead on one's shoes. But come along
to my brother's tent at once. Your feet must be cold, too, though the
water was only a few inches deep where you got out of your boat. A
glass of hot wine will do us both good; and it will be an hour before
your boat is in the water again. Indeed, I don't see the use of your
starting before daybreak."
"Nor do I, Matteo; but I must go, nevertheless. Pisani knows how long
it will take me to get to Chioggia and return. He will allow an hour or
two for me to reconnoitre, and will then be expecting me back. As it
is, I shall be two hours after the time when he will be expecting me,
for he knows nothing about the boat being carried across this island,
and will make no allowance for that. Moreover, Polani and his daughters
will be anxious about me."
"Oh, you flatter yourself they will be lying awake for you," Matteo
said, laughing. "Thinking over your dangers! Well, there's nothing like
having a good idea of one's self."
Francis joined in the laugh.
"It does sound rather conceited, Matteo; but I know they will be
anxious. They took up the idea it was a dangerous service I was going
on, and I have no doubt they fidgeted over it. Women are always
fancying things, you know."
"I don't know anyone who fidgets about me," Matteo said; "but then, you
see, I am not a rescuer of damsels in distress, nor have I received the
thanks of the republic for gallant actions."
"Well, you ought to have done," Francis replied. "You had just as much
to do with that fight on board Pisani's galley as I had, only it
happened I was in command.
"Oh, there is your brother's tent! I see there is a light burning, so I
suppose he has not gone to bed yet."
"All the better," Matteo said. "We shall get our hot wine all the
quicker. My teeth are chattering so, I hardly dare speak for fear of
biting my tongue."
Francis was warmly welcomed by Rufino Giustiniani.
"I need hardly ask you if you have succeeded in reconnoitring their
positions, for I know you would not come back before morning had you
not carried out your orders.
"Why, Matteo, what have you been doing--wading in the mud, apparently?
Why, you are wet up to the waist."
"We have captured an officer, and fourteen men, Rufino. They will be
here in a few minutes. Their boat got stuck fast while it was chasing
Francisco; so we waded out and took them. They made some resistance,
but beyond a few slashes, and two or three thumps from their oars, no
harm was done."
"That is right, Matteo. I am glad you have had a skirmish with them at
last. Now go in and change your things. I shall have you on my hands
with rheumatism."
"I will do that at once, and I hope you will have some hot spiced wine
ready, by the time I have changed, for I am nearly frozen."
The embers of a fire, outside the tent, were soon stirred together, and
in a few minutes the wine was prepared. In the meantime, Francis had
been telling Rufino the incidents of his trip. In half an hour, the
message came that the gondola was again in the water, and Francis was
soon on his way back to the city.
"I was beginning to be anxious about you," was Pisani's greeting, as,
upon being informed of his return, he sprang from the couch, on which
he had thrown himself for an hour's sleep, and hurried downstairs. "I
reckoned that you might have been back an hour before this, and began
to think that you must have got into some scrape. Well, what have you
discovered?"
"The Genoese have no idea that you are going to put to sea. Their ships
and galleys are, as usual, moored off the quays of Chioggia. The
entrance to the Canal of Lombardy, and the Brondolo passage, are both
quite open, and there appear to be no troops anywhere near; but between
Pelestrina and Brondolo they have rowboats watching the entrance, but
no craft of any size. There are a few troops there, but, so far as I
could judge by the number of fires, not more than two hundred men or
so."
"Your news is excellent, Francisco. I will not ask you more, now. It is
three o'clock already, and at five I must be up and doing; so get off
to bed as soon as you can. You can give me the details in the morning."
The gondola was still waiting at the steps, and in a few minutes
Francis arrived at the Palazzo Polani. A servant was sleeping on a
bench in the hall. He started up as Francis entered.
"I have orders to let my master know, as soon as you return, signor."
"You can tell him, at the same time, that I have returned without hurt,
and pray him not to disturb himself, as I can tell him what has taken
place in the morning."
Polani, however, at once came to Francis' room.
"Thank Heaven you have returned safe to us, my boy!" he said. "I have
just knocked at the girls' doors, to tell them of your return, and, by
the quickness with which they answered, I am sure that they, like
myself, have had no sleep. Have you succeeded in your mission?"
"Perfectly, signor. I have been to Chioggia itself, and to the
entrances of the three passages, and have discovered that none of them
are guarded by any force that could resist us."
"But how did you manage to pass through their galleys?"
"I landed on this side of Pelestrina, and had the gondola carried
across, and launched in the channel inside their cordon; and it was not
until we entered the last passage--that by Brondolo--that we were
noticed. Then there was a sharp chase for a bit, but we outstripped
them, and got safely across to Pelestrina. One of the galleys, in the
excitement of the chase, ran fast into the mud; and Matteo, with some
of his men, waded out and captured the officer and crew. So there is
every prospect of our succeeding tomorrow."
"All that is good," Polani said; "but to me, just at present, I own
that the principal thing is that you have got safely back. Now I will
not keep you from your bed, for I suppose that you will not be able to
lie late in the morning."
Francis certainly did not intend to do so, but the sun was high before
he woke. He hurriedly dressed, and went downstairs.
"I have seen the admiral," Polani said as he entered, "and told him
that you were sound asleep, and I did not intend to wake you, for that
you were looking worn and knocked up. He said: 'Quite right! The lad is
so willing and active, that I forget sometimes that he is not an old
sea dog like myself, accustomed to sleep with one eye open, and to go
without sleep altogether for days if necessary.' So you need not hurry
over your breakfast. The girls are dying to hear your adventures."
As he took his breakfast, Francis gave the girls an account of his
expedition.
"And so, you saw Rufino!" Maria said. "Did he inquire after me? You
told him, I hope, that I was fading away rapidly from grief at his
absence."
"I did not venture upon so flagrant an untruth as that," Francis
replied.
"Is he very uncomfortable?"
"Not very, signora. He has a good tent, some excellent wine, an
allowance of bread, which might be larger, and occasionally fish. As he
has also the gift of excellent spirits, I do not think he is greatly to
be pitied--except, of course, for his absence from you."
"That, of course," Maria said. "When he does come here, he always tells
me a moving tale of his privations, in hopes of exciting pity; but,
unfortunately, I cannot help laughing at his tales of hardship. But we
were really anxious about you last night, Francisco, and very thankful
when we heard you had returned.
"Weren't we, Giulia?"
Giulia nodded.
"Giulia hasn't much to say when you are here, Francisco, but she can
chatter about you fast enough when we are alone."
"How can you say so, Maria?" Giulia said reproachfully.
"Well, my dear, there is no harm in that. For aught he knows, you may
be saying the most unkind things about him, all the time."
"I am sure he knows that I should not do that," Giulia said
indignantly.
"By the way, do you know, Francisco, that all Venice is in a state of
excitement! A proclamation has been issued by the doge, this morning,
that all should be in their galleys and at their posts at noon, under
pain of death. So everyone knows that something is about to be done, at
last."
"Then it is time for me to be off," Francis said, rising hastily, "for
it is ten o'clock already."
"Take your time, my lad," the merchant said. "There is no hurry, for
Pisani told me, privately, that they should not sail until after dark."
It was not, indeed, until nearly eight o'clock in the evening, that the
expedition started. At the hour of vespers, the doge, Pisani, and the
other leaders of the expedition, attended mass in the church of Saint
Mark, and then proceeded to their galleys, where all was now in
readiness.
Pisani led the first division, which consisted of fourteen galleys. The
doge, assisted by Cavalli, commanded in the centre; and Corbaro brought
up the rear, with ten large ships. The night was beautifully bright and
calm, a light and favourable breeze was blowing, and all Venice
assembled to see the departure of the fleet.
Just after it passed through the passage of the Lido, a thick mist came
on. Pisani stamped up and down the deck impatiently.
"If this goes on, it will ruin us," he said. "Instead of arriving in
proper order at the mouth of the passages, and occupying them before
the Genoese wake up to a sense of their danger, we shall get there one
by one, they will take the alarm, and we shall have their whole fleet
to deal with. It will be simply ruin to our scheme."
Fortunately, however, the fog speedily lifted. The vessels closed up
together, and, in two hours after starting, arrived off the entrances
to the channels. Pisani anchored until daylight appeared, and nearly
five thousand men were then landed on the Brondolo's shore, easily
driving back the small detachment placed there. But the alarm was soon
given, and the Genoese poured out in such overwhelming force that the
Venetians were driven in disorder to their boats, leaving behind them
six hundred killed, drowned, or prisoners.
But Pisani had not supposed that he would be able to hold his position
in front of the whole Genoese force, and he had succeeded in his main
object. While the fighting had been going on on shore, a party of
sailors had managed to moor a great ship, laden with stones, across the
channel. As soon as the Genoese had driven the Venetians to their
boats, they took possession of this vessel, and, finding that she was
aground, they set her on fire, thus unconsciously aiding Pisani's
object, for when she had burned to the water's edge she sank.
Barberigo, with his light galleys, now arrived upon the spot, and
emptied their loads of stone into the passage around the wreck. The
Genoese kept up a heavy fire with their artillery, many of the galleys
were sunk, and numbers of the Venetians drowned, or killed by the shot.
Nevertheless, they worked on unflinchingly. As soon as the pile of
stones had risen sufficiently for the men to stand upon them, waist
deep, they took their places upon it, and packed in order the stones
that their comrades handed them, and fixed heavy chains binding the
whole together.
The work was terribly severe. The cold was bitter. The men were badly
fed, and most of them altogether unaccustomed to hardships. In addition
to the fire from the enemy's guns, they were exposed to a rain of
arrows, and at the end of two days and nights they were utterly worn
out and exhausted, and protested that they could do no more. Pisani,
who had himself laboured among them in the thickest of the danger,
strove to keep up their spirits by pointing out the importance of their
work, and requested the doge to swear on his sword that, old as he was,
he would never return to Venice unless Chioggia was conquered.
The doge took the oath, and for the moment the murmuring ceased; and,
on the night of the 24th, the channel of Chioggia was entirely choked
from shore to shore. On that day, Corbaro succeeded in sinking two
hulks in the passage of Brondolo. Doria, who had hitherto believed that
the Venetians would attempt nothing serious, now perceived for the
first time the object of Pisani, and despatched fourteen great galleys
to crush Corbaro, who had with him but four vessels. Pisani at once
sailed to his assistance, with ten more ships, and the passage was now
so narrow that the Genoese did not venture to attack, and Corbaro
completed the operation of blocking up the Brondolo passage. The next
day the Canal of Lombardy was similarly blocked; and thus, on the
fourth day after leaving Venice, Pisani had accomplished his object,
and had shut out the Genoese galleys from the sea.
But the work had been terrible, and the losses great. The soldiers were
on half rations. The cold was piercing. They were engaged night and day
with the enemy, and were continually wet through, and the labour was
tremendous.
A fort had already been begun on the southern shore of the port of
Brondolo, facing the convent, which Doria had transformed into a
citadel. The new work was christened the Lova, and the heaviest guns in
the Venetian arsenal were planted there. One of these, named the
Trevisan, discharged stones of a hundred and ninety-five pounds in
weight, and the Victory was little smaller. But the science of
artillery was then in its youth, and these guns could only be
discharged once in twenty-four hours.
But, on the 29th, the Venetians could do no more, and officers,
soldiers, and sailors united in the demand that they should return to
Venice. Even Pisani felt that the enterprise was beyond him, and that
his men, exhausted by cold, hunger, and their incessant exertions,
could no longer resist the overwhelming odds brought against him.
Still, he maintained a brave front, and once again his cheery words,
and unfeigned good temper, and the example set them by the aged doge,
had their effect; but the soldiers required a pledge that, if Zeno
should not be signalled in sight by New Year's Day, he would raise the
siege. If Pisani and the doge would pledge themselves to this, the
people agreed to maintain the struggle for the intervening forty-eight
hours.
The pledge was given, and the fight continued. Thus, the fate of Venice
hung in the balance. If Zeno arrived, not only would she be saved, but
she had it in her power to inflict upon Genoa a terrible blow. Should
Zeno still tarry, not only would the siege be raised, and the Genoese
be at liberty to remove the dams which the Venetians had placed, at
such a cost of suffering and blood; but there would be nothing left for
Venice but to accept the terms, however onerous, her triumphant foes
might dictate, terms which would certainly strip her of all her
possessions, and probably involve even her independence.
Never, from her first foundation, had Venice been in such terrible
risk. Her very existence trembled in the balance. The 30th passed as
the days preceding it. There was but little fighting, for the Genoese
knew how terrible were the straits to which Venice was reduced, and
learned, from the prisoners they had taken, that in a few days, at the
outside, the army besieging them would cease to exist.
At daybreak, on the 31st, men ascended the masts of the ships, and
gazed over the sea, in hopes of making out the long-expected sails. But
the sea was bare. It was terrible to see the faces of the Venetians,
gaunt with famine, broken down by cold and fatigue. Even the most
enduring began to despair.
Men spoke no more of Zeno. He had been away for months. Was it likely
that he would come just at this moment? They talked rather of their
homes. The next day they would return. If they must die, they would die
with those they loved, in Venice. They should not mind that. And so the
day went on, and as they lay down at night, hungry and cold, they
thanked God that it was their last day. Whatever might come would be
better than this.
Men were at the mastheads again, before daylight, on the 1st of
January. Then, as the first streak of dawn broke, the cry went from
masthead to masthead:
"There are ships out at sea!"
The cry was heard on shore. Pisani jumped into a boat with Francis,
rowed out to his ship, and climbed the mast.
"Yes, there are ships!" he said. And then, after a pause: "Fifteen of
them! Who are they? God grant it be Zeno!"
This was the question everyone on ship and on shore was asking himself,
for it was known that the Genoese, too, were expecting reinforcements.
"The wind is scarce strong enough to move them through the water,"
Pisani said. "Let some light boats go off to reconnoitre. Let us know
the best or the worst. If it be Zeno, Venice is saved! If it be the
Genoese, I, and those who agree with me that it is better to die
fighting, than to perish of hunger, will go out and attack them."
In a few minutes, several fast galleys started for the fleet, which was
still so far away that the vessels could scarcely be made out, still
less their rig and nationality. It would be some time before the boats
would return with the news, and Pisani went ashore, and, with the doge,
moved among the men, exhorting them to be steadfast, above all things
not to give way to panic, should the newcomers prove to be enemies.
"If all is done in order," he said, "they cannot interfere with our
retreat to Venice. They do not know how weak we are, and will not
venture to attack so large a fleet. Therefore, when the signal is made
that they are Genoese, we will fall back in good order to our boats,
and take to our ships, and then either return to Venice, or sail out
and give battle, as it may be decided."
The boats, before starting, had been told to hoist white flags should
the galleys be Venetian, but to show no signal if they were Genoese.
The boats were watched, from the mastheads, until they became specks in
the distance. An hour afterwards, the lookout signalled to those on
shore that they were returning.
"Go off again, Francisco. I must remain here to keep up the men's
hearts, if the news be bad. Take your stand on the poop of my ship, and
the moment the lookouts can say, with certainty, whether the boats
carry a white flag or not, hoist the Lion of Saint Mark to the
masthead, if it be Zeno. If not, run up a blue flag!"