re is more of manhood
in thee yet than I had thought."

"If there is manhood in my arms there is childlessness and sorrow at the
heart," was the reply.

"Dost thou so prize a golden bauble? Thou art second; be content with
thy lot."

"It will not do; I must be foremost or I have wearied my old limbs in
vain!"

This brief dialogue was uttered with an ease that showed how far use had
accustomed both to powerful bodily efforts, and with a firmness of tones
that few could have equalled in a moment of so great physical effort.
The masker was silent, but his purpose seemed to waver. Twenty strokes
of his powerful oar-blade and the goal was attained: but his sinews were
not so much extended, and that limb which had shown so fine a
development of muscle, was less swollen and rigid. The gondola of old
Antonio glided abeam.

"Push thy soul into the blade," muttered he of the mask, "or thou wilt
yet be beaten!"

The fisherman threw every effort of his body on the coming effort, and
he gained a fathom. Another stroke caused the boat to quiver to its
centre, and the water curled from its bows like the ripple of a rapid.
Then the gondola darted between the two goal-barges, and the little
flags that marked the point of victory fell into the water. The action
was scarce noted ere the glittering beak of the masquer shot past the
eyes of the judges, who doubted for an instant on whom success had
fallen. Gino was not long behind, and after him came Bartolomeo, fourth
and last in the best contested race which had ever been seen on the
waters of Venice.

When the flags fell, men held their breaths in suspense. Few knew the
victor, so close had been the struggle. But a flourish of the trumpets
soon commanded attention, and then a herald proclaimed that--

"Antonio, a fisherman of the Lagunes, favored by his holy patron of the
Miraculous Draught, had borne away the prize of gold--while a waterman
who wore his face concealed, but who hath trusted to the care of the
blessed San Giovanni of the Wilderness, is worthy of the silver prize,
and that the third had fallen to the fortunes of Gino of Calabria, a
servitor of the illustrious Don Camillo Monforte, Duca di Sant' Agata,
and lord of many Neapolitan Seignories."

When this formal announcement was made, there succeeded a silence like
that of the tomb. Then there arose a general shout among the living
mass, which bore on high the name of Antonio as if they celebrated the
success of