Part 41 (2/2)
”That's another matter altogether,” Francis laughed. ”It may be a week, it may be three months.”
”But I thought we were going to fight the Genoese galleys. It does not seem to me that a week is wanted to do that. A day to go to Chioggia, a day to fight, and a day to return. What can you want more than that for?”
”I do not think that we are going to fight the Genoese galleys,” Francis answered. ”Certainly we shall not do so if we can help it. They are vastly stronger than we are; but I do not know that we need fear them for all that.”
”What do you mean, Francisco? You do not mean to fight--they are vastly stronger than you are--and yet you do not fear them. You are not given to speak in riddles; but you have puzzled me this time.”
”Well, I will explain myself a little,” Francis said; ”but you must remember that it is a secret, and not to be whispered to anyone.”
”That is right,” Maria said. ”I love a secret, especially a state secret.
”Giulia, come and sit quite close, so that he can whisper it into our ears, and even the walls shall not hear it.
”Now, sir, explain yourself!”
”I will explain it without telling you,” Francis said. ”Have you not gone to see African lions, who were very much stronger and fiercer than yourself, and yet you did not fear them?”
”Because they have been in cages,” Maria said. ”But what has that to do with it?”
”It explains the whole matter,” Francis said. ”We do not mean to fight the Genoese fleet, if we can help it; but we are going to try to put them in a cage, and then we shall not be afraid of them.”
”Do not trifle with us, sir,” Maria said sternly. ”How can you put Genoese galleys in a cage?”
”We cannot put them in a cage, but we can cage them up,” Francis said. ”Pisani's intention is, if possible, to close all the entrances to the ca.n.a.ls round Chioggia. Thus, not only will the Genoese galleys be unable to sally out to attack us, but the whole of the Genoese army will be cooped up, and we shall then do to them what they have been doing to us, namely, starve them out!”
”Capital, capital!” Maria said, clapping her hands. ”Your Pisani is a grand man, Francisco. And if he can do this for us, there is nothing which we would not do to show our grat.i.tude. But you won't find it easy; besides, in the game of starving out, are we likely to win? The contest will not be even, for they start on it full men and strong, while our people are half starved already.”
”I do not regard success as certain,” Francis replied; ”and Pisani himself acknowledges the chances are very great against us. Still, it is possible; and as nothing else seems possible, we are going to attempt it.”
Polani looked grave, when he heard of the mission which Francis was going to undertake. Giulia's bright colour fled at once, and Maria said angrily:
”You have no right to be always running into danger, Francisco. You are not a Venetian, and there is no reason why you should be always running risks greater than those which most Venetians are likely to encounter. You ought to think of us who care for you, if you don't choose to think of yourself.”
”I did not volunteer for the service,” Francis said. ”I was asked by the admiral to undertake it, and even had I wished it, I could hardly have refused. The admiral selected me, not from any merit on my part, but because he knows that my boat is one of the fastest on the lagoons, and that I can easily run away from any of the Genoese rowboats. He particularly ordered me to run no unnecessary risks.”
”That is all very well,” Maria said; ”but you know very well that you will run risks, and put yourself in the way of danger, if there is a chance of doing so.
”You should tell him not to go, father!”
”I cannot do that, Maria; for the service he has undertaken is a very important one to Venice. Everything depends upon the success of Pisani's attempt, and undertaken, as it is, against great odds, it is of the utmost importance that there should be no mistake as to the position of the enemy. Whether Francis was wise or not, in accepting Pisani's offer that he should act as his aide-de-camp, may be doubted; but now that he has undertaken it, he must carry out his orders, especially as it is now too late to make other arrangements, did he draw back.
”If you will come into my room, Francisco, I will give you a chart of the pa.s.sages around Chioggia. You can study that, and you will then the better understand the information you may receive, from the men you are expecting.”
Half an hour later Giuseppi arrived with the gondolier he had spoken of, and two old fishermen, and from their explanations, and a study of the map, Francis gained an exact idea of the localities. From his previous expeditions he had learned where the Genoese were generally posted, and something of the strength of the forces at the various points.
In truth, they kept but a careless watch. Feeling convinced that the Venetians possessed no forces capable of attacking him, and that their surrender must now be a matter of a few days only, Doria took no precautions. His troops were all quartered in the houses of Chioggia, his galleys moored alongside its quays, and the utmost he did was to post small bodies of men, with rowboats, at the entrances to the pa.s.sages from the sea, and up the lagoons, to give warning of any sudden attempt on the part of Barberigo, with his light flotilla, to make a dash at the galleys, and endeavour to burn them.
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