Part 29 (1/2)
Philippo could feel the point of the dagger against his skin, and remained perfectly quiet.
”I do not want to kill you, Philippo. You have not been harsh to me, and I would spare your life if I could. Hold your hands back above your head, and put your wrists together that I may fasten them. Then I will let you get up.”
Philippo held up his hands as requested, and Francis bound them tightly together with a strip of twisted cloth. He then allowed him to rise.
”Now, Philippo, I must gag you. Then I will fasten your hands to a bar well above your head, so that you can't get at the rope with your teeth. I will leave you here till your comrade comes in the morning.”
”I would rather that you killed me at once, signor,” the man said. ”Thomaso will be furious at your having made your escape, for he will certainly come in for a share of the fury of the captain. There are three or four of the crew remaining behind, and no doubt they will keep me locked up till the s.h.i.+p returns, and in that case the captain will be as good as his word. You had better kill me at once.”
”But what am I to do, Philippo? I must ensure my own safety. If you will suggest any way by which I can do that, I will.”
”I would swear any oath you like, signor, that I will not give the alarm. I will make straight across the island, and get hold of a boat there, so as to be well away before your escape is known in the morning.”
”Well, look here, Philippo. I believe you are sincere, and you shall take the oath you hold most sacred.”
”You can accompany me, signor, if you will. Keep my hands tied till we are on the other side of the island, and stab me if I give the alarm.”
”I will not do that, Philippo. I will trust you altogether; but first take the oath you spoke of.”
Philippo swore a terrible oath, that he would abstain from giving the alarm, and would cross the island and make straight for the mainland. Francis at once cut the bonds.
”You will lose your share of the plunder, Philippo, and you will have to keep out of the way to avoid the captain's rage. Therefore I advise you, when you get to Tunis, to embark in the first s.h.i.+p that sails. If you come to Venice, ask for me, and I will make up to you for your loss of booty, and put you in the way of leading an honest life again. But before going, you must first change clothes with me. You can sell mine at Tunis for enough to buy you a dozen suits like yours; but you must divide with me what money you now have in your possession, for I cannot start penniless.”
”I thank you for your kindness,” the man said. ”You had it in your power, with a thrust of the dagger, to make yourself safe, and you abstained. Even were it not for my oath, I should be a treacherous dog, indeed, were I to betray you. I do not know what your plans are, signor, but I pray you to follow my example, and get away from this place before daylight. The people here will all aid in the search for you, and as the island is not large, you will a.s.suredly be discovered. It has for many years been a rendezvous of pirates, a place to which they bring their booty to sell to the traders who come over from the mainland.”
”Thank you for your advice, Philippo, and be a.s.sured I shall be off the island before daybreak, but I have some work to do first, and cannot therefore accompany you.”
”May all the saints bless you, signor, and aid you to get safe away! a.s.suredly, if I live, I will ere long present myself to you at Venice--not for the money which you so generously promised me, but that I may, with your aid, earn an honest living among Christians.”
By this time the exchange of clothes was effected, the six ducats in Philippo's purse--the result of a little private plundering on one of the captured vessels--divided; and then they left the prison room, and Philippo locked the door after them.
”Is there any chance of Thomaso returning speedily?” Francis asked. ”Because, if so, he might notice your absence, and so give the alarm before the s.h.i.+p sets sail, in which case we should have the whole crew on our tracks.”
”I do not think that he will. He will be likely to be drinking in the wine shop for an hour or two before he returns. But I tell you what I will do, signor. I will resume my place here on guard until he has returned. He will relieve me at midnight, and in the darkness will not notice the change of clothes. There will still be plenty of time for me to cross the island, and get out of sight in the boat, before the alarm is given, which will not be until six o'clock, when I ought to relieve him again. As you say, if the alarm were to be given before the vessel sails, they might start at once to cut us off before we reach the mainland, for they would make sure that we should try to escape in that direction.”
”That will be the best plan, Philippo; and now goodbye.”
Francis walked down to the sh.o.r.e. There were no boats lying there of a size he could launch unaided, but presently he heard the sound of oars, and a small fis.h.i.+ng boat rowed by two men approached.
”Look here, lads,” he said. ”I want to be put on board the s.h.i.+p. I ought to have been on board three hours ago, but took too much wine, and lay down for an hour or two and overslept myself. Do you think you can row quietly up alongside so that I can slip on board unnoticed? If so I will give you a ducat for your trouble.”
”We can do that,” the fishermen said. ”We have just come from the s.h.i.+p now, and have sold them our catch of today. There were half a dozen other boats lying beside her, bargaining for their fish. Besides they are taking on board firewood and other stores that have been left till the last moment. So jump in and we will soon get you there.”
In a few minutes they approached the side of the s.h.i.+p.
”I see you have got half a dozen fish left in your boat now,” Francis said.
”They are of no account,” one of the men said. ”They are good enough for our eating, but not such as they buy on board a s.h.i.+p where money is plentiful. You are heartily welcome to them if you have a fancy for them.”
”Thank you,” Francis said. ”I will take two or three of them, if you can spare them. I want to play a trick with a comrade.”