Red Eve

  The voyage to Genoa was very long, for at this season of the year thewinds were light and for the most part contrary. At length, however,Hugh and Dick came there safe and sound. Having landed and bid farewellto the captain and crew of the ship, they waited on the head of a greattrading house with which Master de Cressi had dealings.

  This signor, who could speak French, gave them lodging and welcomedthem well, both for the sake of Hugh's father and because they came asmessengers from the King of England. On the morrow of their arrivalhe took them to a great lord in authority, who was called a Duke. ThisDuke, when he learned that one was a knight and the other a captainarcher of the English army and that they both had fought at Crecy, whereso many of his countrymen--the Genoese bowmen--had been slain, looked onthem somewhat sourly.

  Had he known all the part they played in that battle, in truth hiswelcome would have been rough. But Hugh, with the guile of the serpent,told him that the brave Genoese had been slain, not by the Englisharrows, for which even with their wet strings they were quite a match(here Dick, who was standing to one side grinned faintly and stroked thecase of his black bow, as though to bid it keep its memories to itself),but by the cowardly French, their allies. Indeed Hugh's tale of thathorrible and treacherous slaughter was so moving that the Duke burstinto tears and swore that he would cut the throat of every Frenchman onwhom he could lay hands.

  After this he began to extol the merits of the cross-bow as against thelong arm of the English, and Hugh agreed that there was much in what hesaid. But Grey Dick, who was no courtier, did not agree. Indeed, of asudden he broke in, offering in his bad French to fight any cross-bowman in Genoa at six score yards, so that the Duke might learn which wasthe better weapon. But Hugh trod on his foot and explained that he meantsomething quite different, being no master of the French tongue. So thatcloud passed by.

  The end of it was that this Duke, or Doge, whose name they learned wasSimon Boccanera, gave them safe conduct through all his dominion, withan order for relays of horses. Also he made use of them to take a letterto the Doge of Venice, between which town and Genoa, although they hatedeach other bitterly, there was at the moment some kind of hollow truce.So having drunk a cup of wine with him they bade him farewell.

  Next morning the horses arrived, and with them two led beasts to carrytheir baggage, in charge of a Genoese guide. So they departed on theirlong ride of something over two hundred English miles, which they hopedto cover in about a week. In fact, it took them ten days, for the roadswere very rough and the pack-beasts slow. Once, too, after they hadentered the territory of Venice, they were set on in a defile by fourthieves, and might have met their end had not Grey Dick's eyes been sosharp. As it was he saw them coming, and, having his bow at hand, for hedid not like the look of the country or its inhabitants, leaped to earthand shot two of them with as many arrows, whereon the other two ranaway. Before they went, however, they shot also and killed a pack-beast,so that the Englishmen were obliged to throw away some of their gear andgo on with the one that remained.

  At length, on the eleventh afternoon, they saw the lovely city ofVenice, sparkling like a cluster of jewels, set upon its many islandsamid the blue waters of the Adriatic. Having crossed some two miles ofopen water by a ferry which plied for the convenience of travellers,they entered the town through the western gate, and inquired as bestthey could (for now they had no guide, the Genoese having left them longbefore) for the house of Sir Geoffrey Carleon, the English Envoy. Fora long while they could make no one understand. Indeed, the whole placeseemed to be asleep, perhaps because of the dreadful heat, which layover it like a cloud and seemed to burn them to the very bones.

  Perplexed and outworn, at last Hugh produced a piece of gold and held itbefore a number of men who were watching them idly, again explaining inFrench that he wished to be led to the house of the English ambassador.The sight of the money seemed to wake their wits, for two or three ofthe fellows ran forward quarrelling with each other, till one of themgetting the mastery, seized Hugh's tired horse by the bridle and draggedit down a side street to the banks of a broad canal.

  Here he called something aloud, and presently two men appeared rowinga large, flat-bottomed punt from a dock where it was hidden. Into thisboat the horses and pack-beast were driven, much against their will.Hugh and Dick having followed them, the three Italians began to puntthem along the canal, which was bordered with tall houses. A mile or sofarther on it entered another canal, where the houses were much finerand built in a style of which they had never seen the like, withbeautiful and fantastic arches supported upon pillars.

  At length to their great joy they came opposite to a house over thegateway of which, stirless in the still air, hung a flag whereon wereblazoned the leopards of England. Here the boatmen, pulling in theirpoles, save one to which they made the punt fast in mid-stream, showedby their gestures that they desired to be paid. Hugh handed the piece ofgold to the man who had led them to the boat, whereon he was seized witha fit of uncontrollable fury. He swore, he raved, he took the piece ofgold and cast it down on the bilge-boards, he spat on it and his twocompanions did likewise.

  "Surely they are mad," said Hugh.

  "Mad or no, I like not the looks of them," answered Dick. "Have a care,they are drawing their knives," and as he spoke one of the rogues struckhim in the face; while another strove to snatch away the pouch that hungat his side.

  Now Grey Dick awoke, as it were. To the man who had tried to take hispouch he dealt such a buffet that he plunged into the canal. But him whohad struck him he seized by the arm and twisted it till the knife fellfrom his hand. Then gripping his neck in an iron grasp he forced himdownward and rubbed his nose backward and forward upon the rough edge ofthe boat, for the Italian was but as a child to him when he put out hisstrength.

  In vain did his victim yell for mercy. He showed him none, till atlength wearying of the game, he dealt him such a kick that he also flewover the thwarts to join his fellow-bully in the water.

  Then seeing how it had gone with his companions who, sorely damaged,swam to the farther side of the canal and vanished, the third man, hewhom they had first met, sheathed his knife. With many bows and cringeshe pulled up the pole and pushed the punt to the steps of the house overwhich the flag hung, where people were gathering, drawn by the clamour.

  "Does Sir Geoffrey Carleon dwell here?" asked Hugh in a loud voice,whereon a gentleman with a pale face and a grizzled beard who appearedto be sick, for he was leaning on a staff, hobbled from out the porch,saying:

  "Ay, ay, that is my name. Who are you that make this tumult at my gates?Another turbulent Englishman, I'll be bound."

  "Ay, sir, an Englishman called Sir Hugh de Cressi, and his companion,Richard the Archer, whom these rogues have tried to rob and murder,messengers from his Grace King Edward."

  Now Sir Geoffrey changed his tone.

  "Your pardon if I spoke roughly, Sir Hugh, but we poor Envoys have todo with many rufflers from our own land. Enter, I pray you. My servantswill see to your gear and horses. But first, what is the trouble betweenyou and these fellows?"

  Hugh told him briefly.

  "Ah!" he said, "a common trick with foreigners. Well for you that nighthad not fallen, since otherwise they might have rowed you up some backwaterway and there done you to death. The canals of Venice hide thetraces of many such foul deeds. Mother of Heaven!" he added, "why, thisboatman is none other than Giuseppe, the noted bravo," and he turned andin Italian bade his servants seize the man.

  But Giuseppe had heard enough. Springing into the water he swam like aduck for the farther bank of the canal, and, gaining it, ran swiftly forsome alley, where he vanished.

  "He's gone," said Sir Geoffrey, "and as well hunt with a lantern for arat in a sewer as for him. Well, we have his boat, which shall be sentto the magistrate with letters of complaint. Only, Sir Hugh, be carefulto wear mail when you walk about at night, lest that villain and hismates should come to collect their fare with a stiletto. Now, enter andfear not f
or your goods. My folk are honest. God's name! how fearful isthis heat. None have known its like. Steward, give me your arm."