In the daylight the hatch is open; but even could we free our comrades, and unite for a rush, unobserved--which we could hardly hope to do--we should find the whole of the Genoese on deck, and could not possibly overpower them before they had time to give the alarm to other vessels.

At night, when we can unite, we cannot gain the deck, for the hatch is not only closed, but would almost certainly be fastened, so that men should not get down to pilfer among the stores." "But if we cannot attack in the daytime, Messer Hammond, without giving the alarm; and cannot attack at all at night, what are we to do ?" "That is the next point to be seen to," Francis replied.

"We must cut, either from this hold or from the other, a way up to the deck above.

It may take us some days to do this, but that matters little.

We have plenty of time for the work before reaching Genoa.