and dashed
towards them. At the same instant, the soldiers who had been placed in
hiding, attacked suddenly from the rear. Arrows poured into the ranks
of the Genoese, and they fell like wheat before the scythe of the
reaper. Hoarse shouts, groans, and cries of victory and death, welled
above the battle's din.

In the midst of this affair Carlo Zeno gave a cry of pain. An arrow
(poisoned 'tis said) had entered his leg and struck him to the ground.
But, nothing daunted, he rose to cry shrilly to his men, "On! On!
Drive them to the ocean." And, so well did his soldiers follow these
commands, that the Genoese fled in confusion and disorder to their
ships. The day was won.

As was natural, Zeno paid no attention to his wound, and, when the
enemy hurried to shore the next day for another attack, they were
greeted with such a terrific discharge of artillery that they gave up
their idea of capturing the island and sailed away amidst cries of
derision from the delighted Venetians.

"Hurrah!" cried they. "Hurrah for Zeno!" But so exhausted was the
intrepid leader by reason of his wound that he fell into a spasm as if
about to die. His iron constitution pulled him through, however, and
soon he and the faithful band returned to Venice, covered with glory,
and full satisfied with their hard won victory.

The daring Zeno was well deserving of praise, for he had beaten a
fleet and an army by sheer genius, with three ships and a handful of
men. To Venice had been preserved the valuable island which guards the
entrance to the Dardanelles, and to her it was to remain for years,
although the Genoese tried many times and oft to wrest it from her
grasp.

Now came another struggle--the war of Chioggia--a struggle in which
Carlo Zeno played a great and noble part,--a part, in fact, that has
made his name a byword among the grateful Venetians: a part in which
he displayed a leadership quite equal to that of a Drake, or a
Hawkins, and led his fighting galleons with all the courage of a lion.
Hark, then, to the story of this unfortunate affair! Hark! and let
your sympathy be stirred for Carlo Zeno, the indefatigable navigator
of the clumsy shipping of the Italian peninsula!

For years the Republics of Genoa and Venice remained at peace, but,
for years the merchants of the two countries had endeavored to outwit
each other in trade; and, thus, when the Genoese seized several
Venetian ships with rich cargoes, in 1350, and refused to give