The brigantine had got away, for the gale had moderated very suddenly, as spring gales do in the Mediterranean, just when the captain was making up his mind to let go both anchors and make a desperate attempt to save his vessel by riding out the storm--a forlorn hope with such ground tackle as he had in his chain lockers.

And then he had stood out, and had sailed away, one danger more behind him in his hard life, and one less ahead.

He had sailed away--whither?
No one could tell.

Those little vessels, built in the south of Italy, often enough take salt to South America, and are sold there, cargo and all; and some of the crew stay there, and some get other ships, but almost all are dispersed.

The keeper of the San Lorenzo tower, who had been a deep-water man, had told Aurora about it.