He then asked if I knew how to row, and was
delighted to find I was a good boatman. "Let
us find a skiff, if we can," said he, "and learn
what is going on in the bay, for they have got a
story that Tolosano, the late prefect, has
emissaries in the town with whom he corresponds,
and has even a plan on foot to capture the
General, and carry him on board the Duke of
Genoa."

I was not long in securing a rather leaky
little boat, with a pair of rude oars, in which
we at once put to sea. The night was dark as
pitch, the clouds lying very low, and the air
perfectly still. " Make a stretch out," said he, " past
that point, and perhaps we shall see the frigates."
In about half an hour's rowing, I rounded the
headland, and saw, at less than a quarter of a
mile off, a green light on the poop, and a bright
light in the rigging, of a vessel I guessed to be
the Duke. As I ceased rowing, I could hear
the low growl of steam from a fire heavily banked,
and could perceive that they held themselves in
readiness to move at a moment's notice.

"It is as I told you," whispered Corte;
"they hope to kidnap Garibaldi to-night, and
carry him off a prisoner to Genoa in the morning.
I know Girod, the captain, well, and he is just
the man to feel heart-broken at being sent on
such a service."

"But that would mean that they intended to
swamp the whole expedition!" said I, in innocent
surprise.

"They are capable of that, and worse," was
his dry answer. "Do you think," continued he,
"we could creep a little closer, and hear if there
were anything like preparations going on?"

I stretched out, with a long silent stroke, and,
in some ten or twelve minutes, we had the great
hull of the frigate, and her towering spars, as if
actually leaning over us. All was perfectly
quiet on board. I could hear the step of the
officer on watch, and the heavier tramp of the
sentinel near the gangway, but not a word was
spoken.

"If the General were here now," whispered
Corte, "he'd go back for a party and board her."

I laughed at the notion, and suddenly a deep
voice shouted out from the poop deck, " Who
goes there?"

"Friends!" replied I, at once.

"A larga! Keep off!" cried he, sternly, thus
showing that my friendly assurances were not
satisfactory; and, thus warned, I swept the head
of the skiff round, and made haste back to
shore.

My companion never uttered a word as we
went, and only gave me a simple " Good-by," as
he touched the land and disappeared in the
darkness.

I believe I began to suspect that we were not
such good friends with the present ministry as
the former expedition had been with Count
Cavour, but, after all, the same thing which won
Cavour to our side would win Ratazzi. Cavour
was with us because we succeeded, so would
Ratazzi also. As to capturing Garibaldi, the
man who effected such an exploit would be
disgraced and execrated, and the very government
who had perhaps instigated it would never
protect the base tool who did it.

I lulled myself to rest with a number of wise
thoughts of this kind, and at last lay down in the
bottom of the boat, and slept till day broke.

Two large mercantile steamers had come in
during the night, the one a French mail-boat,
the Abattucci, the other a smaller trading vessel,
the Dispaccio. To my surprise, as I awoke, the
boats of both these were now on shore with a
strong guard of our red-shirted fellows over them.
There was, however, such a crowd and such a
noise of people talking at the landing-place, that
I could learn nothing of what was going on, and
so I went up into the town, and to the
headquarters in the piazza.

"It's all right," said a young officer, whose
name I did not know, but who had fetched me
the wine the day before. "Ratazzi has given
in; Cialdini will be balked this time. Here are
the vessels to carry us across to Calabria, and
the frigates have put out to sea, not to be obliged
to molest us."

"Is this really true?" asked I, in astonishment.

"If you only go up to the lighthouse you'll
see it for yourself. That is, if the smoke of the
Duke has not already vanished from view. See,
they have heard the news already; see how the
poor fellows are delighted."

And now, through every street and lane that
opened into the piazza came flocking hundreds
of red-shirted fellows in wildest confusion,
rending the air with cries of "Viva Garibaldi!"
"Viva il prode Generale!" In an instant the
piazza was so full that the immense mass could
only heave and quake like one great monster,
while the shouts grew louder, and fuller, and
hoarser, mingled with yells of "Fuori il
Generale! Fuori Garibaldi!" This went on for
some time, with occasional outbursts of laughter
at the disappointments that ensued on a window
being opened, and some face not Garibaldi's
being presented to public gaze. At last, when
expectancy was almost becoming irritation, the
window over the central balcony was flung wide
open, and Garibaldi came out. He looked heated,
agitated, and I fancied half angry. He raised
his hand for silence, and not a word was uttered;
the great assembly seemed actually spell-bound.

"A Roma! Amici mei, a Roma!" cried he.
"Viva Vittorio Emmanuele! Viva il Re!"

A perfect yell of " A Roma!" followed this,
but I could not hear one cry of "Viva il Re!"

I do not remember after this ever hearing the
cry of "Viva il Re!" being raised amongst us.

VI. THE VOYAGE ACR.OSS THE STRAIT.

I HAVE little to say of the voyage, for I was
not far removed from a state of asphyxia the
whole time it occupied. I was on board the
smaller vessel, the Dispaccio, on which was
Garibaldi; he could not bring himself, I was
told, to sail under the flag of France. We
were eight hundred of us crammed into a space