424 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET. 



" Uzcoques ! " she exclaimed, in a shrill, clear, and 

 emphatic voice, that rose above the clamour of the 

 brawl. " Uzcoqiies ! what means this savage uproar 1 

 Are you not yet sated with rapine and slaughter, that 

 you thus fall upon and tear each other ? Are ye men, 

 or wolves and tigers 1 Is this the Avay to obtain your 

 leader's deliverance 1 and will the news of this day's 

 havoc, think you, better the position of DansoAvich 1 " 



The pirates hung their heads in silent confusion at 

 this reproof. None dared to reply; Jurissa alone 

 grumbled something inaudible. 



" Follow me ! " continued the singular woman, 

 whose words had so extraordinary an effect on this 

 brutal band. " Follow, every man ! and stop as far 

 as may be, the ruin you have begun." 



Obedient to her voice the Uzcoques left the hall, 

 some of them sullenly and slowly enough, but none 

 venturing to dispute the injunction laid upon them. 

 The old woman waited till the scene of tumult and 

 revel was abandoned by all but Marcello and his son, 

 and then hurrying after the pirates, led the way 

 to the burning town. In a few minutes the two 

 Venetians beheld, from the castle windows, the dark 

 "Terms of the freebooters moving about in the firelight, 

 as they busied themselves to extinguish the conflagra- 

 tion. Here and there the white robe of the mysterious 

 old woman Avas discernible as she flitted from one 

 group to another, directing their efforts, and urging 

 them to greater exertions. 



