All the arms they have taken from us are lying piled here, and when the time comes, we shall have no difficulty in overpowering the Genoese, and shall, I hope, bring the Pluto safely to anchor in the port of Venice before long." There was a murmur of delight among the sailors, pent up in their close quarters.

Francis listened a moment, and heard one of the men say: "What did I tell you?
Didn't I tell you that Messer Hammond got us all out of a scrape before, when our ship was captured by the Genoese, and that I would be bound he would do the same again, if he had but the shadow of a chance." "You did, Pietro, and you have turned out right.

That is the sort of fellow to have for a captain.

He is not like one of those dainty young nobles, who don't know one rope's end from another, and who turn up their noses at the thought of dirtying their hands.

See how he looked after us through the winter.