Now, however, that success seemed to lie ready to hand; now that they could, that very evening, remove the sacks, effect a junction with their crew, arm themselves with the weapons lying in sight, and rush up and overpower the Genoese; it seemed hard to remain longer in confinement.

Several of them urged Francis to make the attempt that night, but he refused.
"You reckon only on the foe you see," he said.

"The danger lies not from them, but from the foes we cannot see.

We must wait for an opportunity." "But no opportunity may occur," one of them urged.
"That is quite possible," Francis agreed; "but should no special opportunity occur, we shall be none the worse for having waited, for it will always be as open to us to make the attempt as it is tonight.

It might succeed--possibly we could overpower the guard on deck before they could give the alarm--but the risk is too great to be run, until we are certain that no other way is open to us.