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 passages 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.

Having obtained all the information he could from the old fishermen, Francis dismissed them.

“It is evident,” he said to Giuseppi, “that we can hardly hope to succeed in passing the boats at the entrance to the canal seaward, or by going up the lagoon.  The only plan that I can see is for us to land on the island of Pelestrina, which is held by us, to carry the boat across it, and to embark in the Malamocco channel.  In this way, we should be within their cordon of boats, and can row fearlessly either out to the entrances, or to Chioggia itself.  We are not likely to be detected, and if we are, we must make a race of it to Pelestrina.”

The gondolier agreed that the scheme was practicable, and Francis ordered Giuseppi and him to remove the burdens, and every bit of wood that could be dispensed with from the gondola, so as to facilitate its transport.

Chapter 19:  The Siege Of Chioggia.

Late in the afternoon, Francis embarked in his gondola, and in an hour and a half landed at Pelestrina.  He was well known, to those posted there, as the bearer of Pisani’s orders, and as soon as it became dark, Rufino Giustiniani, who was in command, ordered a dozen men to carry the light gondola across the island to the Malamocco channel.  While this was being done, Francis went to Rufino’s tent, and informed him of what was going on in Venice, and that the whole fleet would set sail on the morrow.

“We heard rumours, from the men who brought our rations, that it was to be so,” Rufino said; “but we have heard the same story a dozen times.  So, now, it is really true!  But what can the admiral be thinking of!  Sure he can’t intend to attack Doria with this newly-manned fleet and rabble army.  He could not hope for victory against such odds!”

“The admiral’s intentions are kept a profound secret,” Francis said, “and are only known to the doge and the Council of Ten.”

“And to yourself,” Rufino said laughing.

“The admiral is good enough to honour me with his fullest confidence,” Francis said; “and in this matter, it is so important that the nature of the design should be kept wholly secret, that I cannot tell it even to you!”

“You are quite right, Francisco; nor do I wish to know it, though I would wager that Maria, and her pretty sister, have some inkling of what is going on.”