In another five minutes' rowing, the three galleys were well astern, and the gondola again made out from the shore, her head pointing obliquely towards Pelestrina.

The galleys were now fifty yards behind, and although their crews rowed their hardest, the gondola gradually gained upon them, and crossing their bows made over towards Pelestrina.
"We are out of the channel now," Philippo said, "and there will not be water enough for them to follow us much further." A minute or two later a sudden shout proclaimed that the nearest of their pursuers had touched the ground.
"We can take it easy now," Giuseppi said, "and I am not sorry, for we could not have rowed harder if we had been racing." A few minutes later, the light craft touched the mud a few yards distant from the shore.
"Is that you, Francisco ?" a voice, which Francis recognized as Matteo's, asked.
"All right, Matteo!" he replied.

"No one hurt this time." "I have been on the lookout for you the last hour.

I have got a body of my men here, in case you were chased.

We heard the shouting and guessed it was you." "If you have got some men there, Matteo, there is a chance for you to take a prize.