e him. He so well knew the crooked policy of those
with whom he had to deal, that he believed he might be arrested solely
that the government could make an especial merit of his future release,
under circumstances of so seeming gravity. His order to Gino, therefore,
had been to pull down the principal passage towards the port.

Before the gondola, which sprang at each united effort of its crew, like
some bounding animal, entered among the shipping, its master had time to
recover his self-possession, and to form some hasty plans for the
future. Making a signal for the crew to cease rowing, he came from
beneath the canopy. Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, boats were
plying on the water within the town, and the song was still audible on
the canals. But among the mariners a general stillness prevailed, such
as befitted their toil during the day, and their ordinary habits.

"Call the first idle gondolier of thy acquaintance hither, Gino," said
Don Camillo, with assumed calmness; "I would question him."

In less than a minute he was gratified.

"Hast seen any strongly manned gondola plying, of late, in this part of
the canal?" demanded Don Camillo, of the man they had stopped.

"None, but this of your own, Signore; which is the fastest of all that
passed beneath the Rialto in this day's regatta."

"How knowest thou, friend, aught of the speed of my boat?"

"Signore, I have pulled an oar on the canals of Venice six-and-twenty
years, and I do not remember to have seen a gondola move more swiftly on
them than did this very boat but a few minutes ago, when it dashed among
the feluccas, further down in the port, as if it were again running for
the oar. Corpo di Bacco! There are rich wines in the palaces of the
nobles, that men can give such life to wood!"

"Whither did we steer?" eagerly asked Don Camillo.

"Blessed San Teodoro! I do not wonder, eccellenza, that you ask that
question, for though it is but a moment since, here I see you lying as
motionless on the water as a floating weed!"

"Friend, here is silver--addio."

The gondolier swept slowly onwards, singing a strain in honor of his
bark, while the boat of Don Camillo darted ahead. Mystic, felucca,
xebec, brigantine, and three-masted ship, were apparently floating past
them, as they shot through the maze of shipping, when Gino bent forward
and drew the attention of his master to a large gondola, which was
pulling with a lazy oar towards them, from the d