"Fishermen," Philippo shouted back, but without stopping rowing.
"Stop!" shouted the officer, "till we examine you! It is forbidden to enter the channel after dark."
But the gondoliers rowed steadily on, until ahead of the boat coming out. This fell into their wake, and its angry officer shouted threats against the fugitives, and exhorted his men to row their hardest.
"There are two more boats ahead, signor. They are lying on their oars to cut us off. One is a good deal further out than the other, and I don't think we shall gain Pelestrina."
"Then make for the Brondolo shore till we have passed them," Francis said.
The boat whirled off her course, and made towards the shore. The Genoese galleys ahead at once made towards them; but in spite of the numerous oars they pulled, the craft could not keep up with the racing gondola, and it crossed ahead of them. 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.