'But what of the poor city?' said Harry, when Carlo had translated the news to him.
'The city was set fire to, which must have been a great and sad sight. I was once there--when Padre Pietro took me as a boy--and I saw the great merchants' houses, those belonging to the Genoese being the finest; and as for the convents and the private dwellings, the churches--ah, they could not be numbered.'
'But the pirates will have enough gold and to spare,' said Carlo; 'perhaps they will now let my father go free.'
'The thirst for gold seems never satisfied,' answered Harry, 'and the worst is when they divide the spoil; there is a great deal of quarrelling over it, and I have seen them fight to the death over a few pieces of eight.'
'The Frenchman Simon declares that they have taken a great deal of gold and many slaves, and that when the Captain has settled everything he will return here and make it so strong that no enemy will ever be able to retake it. The orders are that the work is to begin at once, and that the ladies are to be taken great care of, as he will settle the final ransom when he comes back. That makes me tremble for your safety, Señorito; it would, perhaps, be more prudent to hide in the secret passage.'
'Then I may as well be taken by the pirates, Andreas. I was stifled before in that odious hole. No, no; let me keep my liberty as long as I can. I promise I will keep a sharp look-out for this Simon. Now let us have a little fun; we try so hard to shoot the arrows as you do, Andreas, but we have had as yet but poor success.'
'The Señorito was not born an Indian,' said Andreas, a little sadly. 'Before the white man came all these forests were our hunting-grounds; but there came good as well as evil with the strangers.' Then after a pause he added:
'If you will follow me I can show you a spot that few know how to reach.'
The boys were only too glad to comply, and Andreas took out of a hiding-place in the hut a curious blow-pipe, which was a reed from ten to eleven feet in length.
'You will take my bow, Señor, and we shall see who will shoot the farthest.'