less when going a journey over rough ground. Among the
gondoliers shoes were unknown; and Francis himself generally took his
off, for coolness and comfort, when out for the evening in his boat.

He kept some distance behind the man he was following, for as there
were no hedges or inclosures, he could make out his figure against the
sky at a considerable distance. As Francis had expected, he did not
make towards the village, but kept along the island at a short distance
from the edge of the water.

Presently Francis heard the dip of oars, and a gondola ran up on the
sands halfway between himself and the man he was following. He threw
himself down on the ground. Two men alighted, and went in the same
direction as the one who had gone ahead.

Francis made a detour, so as to avoid being noticed by the gondoliers,
and then again followed. After keeping more than a quarter of a mile
near the water, the two figures ahead struck inshore. Francis followed
them, and in a few minutes they stopped at a black mass, rising above
the sand. He heard them knock, and then a low murmur, as if they were
answering some question from within. Then they entered, and a door
closed.

He moved up to the building. It was a hut of some size, but had a
deserted appearance. It stood between two ridges of low sand hills, and
the sand had drifted till it was halfway up the walls. There was no
garden or inclosure round it, and any passerby would have concluded
that it was uninhabited. The shutters were closed, and no gleam of
light showed from within.

After stepping carefully round it, Francis took his post round the
angle close to the door, and waited. Presently he heard footsteps
approaching--three knocks were given on the door, and a voice within
asked, "Who is there?"

The reply was, "One who is in distress."

The question came, "What ails you?"

And the answer, "All is wrong within."

Then there was a sound of bars being withdrawn, and the door opened and
closed again.

There were four other arrivals. The same questions were asked and
answered each time. Then some minutes elapsed without any fresh comers,
and Francis thought that the number was probably complete. He lay down
on the sand, and with his dagger began to make a hole through the wood,
which was old and rotten, and gave him no difficulty in piercing it.

He applied his eye to the orifice, and saw that there were some twelve
men seated round a table. Of those facing him he k