THE PIKATES OF SEGNA. 385 







atives, and the others tried and trusty adherents. 

 They alone knew of their leader's captivity, his ab- 

 sence having been accounted for to the mass of Uz- 

 coques dwelling in the town of Segna, by a pretended 

 journey to Gradiska ; and being too few in number 

 to attack a Venetian galley, the sole plan that seemed 

 to offer a chance of success to this handful of faithful 

 followers, was the hazardous one devised by Stras- 

 olda. Of this, they did not hesitate to attempt the 

 execution. 



"NVith the utmost cunning and audacity did the 

 Uzcoques enter Venice on the day appointed for the 

 Battle of the Bridge, singly, and by twos and threes, 

 variously disguised, and mingled with the country 

 people and inhabitants of the islands who were has- 

 tening to the festival. Watching their opportunity 

 when the fight was at the fiercest, one party mixed 

 with the combatants, exciting and urging them on, 

 and doing all in their power to increase the confu- 

 sion ; others set fire to the warehouses on the island 

 of San Giorgio, in order to draAv the public attention 

 in that direction ; while the third and most numerous 

 division, favoured by the deepening twilight and the 

 deserted state of that part of the city, succeeded in 

 fixing a rope-ladder to the window of the Malipieri 

 palace, the chief of which noble house was, as they 

 had previously ascertained, lying sick in bed in a 

 side-chamber, attended only by a few domestics. 



But there were two things which Strasolda and the 



