Part 20 (1/2)
”That is the point to be inquired into, Matteo. I think it's possible they may prove very interesting.”
Matteo shrugged his shoulders, as he often did when he felt too lazy to combat the eccentric ideas of his English friend.
”There we are,” Francis said at last, standing on the edge of the cliff and looking down. ”Nothing could be better.”
”I am glad you think so, Francisco,” Matteo said, seating himself on the gra.s.s. ”I hope you intend to stay some little time to admire them, for I own that I should like a rest before I go back.”
Francis stood looking at the rocks. The bay was a shallow one, and was but five or six hundred yards from point to point, the rocks rising nearly in a line between the points, and showing for about two hundred yards above water, and at about the same distance from the cliffs behind them.
”What height do you think those rocks are above the water, Giuseppi?”
”It is difficult to judge, signor, we are so high above them; but I should think in the middle they must be ten or twelve feet.”
”I should think it likely they were more than double that, Giuseppi; but we shall see better when we get down to the bottom. I daresay we shall find a place where we can clamber down somewhere.”
”My dear Francisco,” Matteo said earnestly, ”is anything the matter with you? I begin to have doubts of your sanity. What on earth do these rocks matter to you, one way or the other? or what can you care whether they are thirty inches or thirty feet above the water?
”They do not differ from other rocks, as far as I can see. They are very rugged and very rough, and would be very awkward if they lay out at sea instead of in this little bay, where they are in n.o.body's way. Is it not enough that you have tramped two miles to have a look at them, which means four miles, as we have got to return somehow? And now you talk about climbing down that break-neck cliff to have a look at them close!”
But Francis paid no attention to Matteo's words. He was gazing down into the clear smooth water, which was so transparent that every stone and pebble at the bottom could be seen.
”The water looks extremely shallow, Giuseppi. What do you think?”
”It seems to me, signor, that there is not a foot of water between the rocks and the sh.o.r.e.”
”It does look so, Giuseppi; but it is possible that the transparency of the water deceives us, and that there may be ten or twelve feet of water there. However, that is what we must go down and find out. Now the first thing is to look about, and find some point at which we can get down to the beach.”
”Well, I will lie down and take a nap till you come back,” Matteo said in a tone of resignation. ”I have no interest either in these rocks or in the water; and as far as I can protest, I do so against the whole proceeding, which to me savours of madness.”
”Don't you understand, you silly fellow, what I am thinking about?” Francis said impatiently.
”Not in the smallest degree, Francisco; but do not trouble to tell me--it makes no matter. You have some idea in your head. Carry it out by all means; only don't ask me to cut my hands, tear my clothes, and put myself into a perspiration by climbing down that cliff.”
”My idea is this, Matteo. There is no chance of carrying off the Lido by speed from the Genoese; but if we could get her out of the bay we might bring her round here and lay her behind those rocks, and the Genoese would pa.s.s by without dreaming she was there. Half a mile out those rocks would look as if they form part of the cliff, and none would suspect there was a pa.s.sage behind them.”
”That is something like an idea!” Matteo said, jumping to his feet. ”Why did you not tell me of it before? You have quite alarmed me. Seriously, I began to think that you had become a little mad, and was wondering whether I had not better go back and fetch the captain and some of his men to look after you.
”Now let us look at your rocks again. Why, man, there is not water enough to float a boat between them and the sh.o.r.e, much less the Lido, which draws nine foot of water now she is loaded.”
”I don't know, Matteo. Looking down on water from a height is very deceiving. If it is clear and transparent, there is nothing to enable you to judge its depth. At any rate it is worth trying. Before we go down, we will cut some long stiff rods with which we can measure the depth. But we have first to find a place where we can get down to the water.”
After a quarter of an hour's search, they found a point where the descent seemed practicable. A little stream had worn a deep fissure in the face of the rock. Shrubs and bushes had grown up in the crevices and afforded a hold for the hands, and there appeared no great difficulty in getting down. Before starting they cut three stiff slender rods twelve feet in length. They then set to work to make the descent. It was by no means difficult, and in a few minutes they stood by the edge of the water.
”It is a great advantage, the path being so easy,” Francis said, ”for in case they did discover the s.h.i.+p we could land and climb to the top before they had time to come to sh.o.r.e, and once there we could keep the whole force in those galleys at bay. Now for the main point, the depth of the water.”
Matteo shook his head.
”It is useless to take the trouble to undress, Francis,” he said, as the latter threw off his jacket. ”Giuseppi can wade out to the rocks without wetting his knees.”
”Giuseppi can try if he likes,” Francis said, ”but I will wager he will not get far.”