The outbreak of the pirates had been so sudden and unexpected, that
the Proveditore, who sailed from Venice on the same day on which it
occurred, had received no intelligence of it, and, unconscious of his
peril, steered straight for the islands. One circumstance alone
appeared strange to him, which was, that during the last part of his
voyage he did not meet a single vessel, although the quarter of the
Adriatic through which he was passing was usually crowded with
shipping. But he was far from attributing this extraordinary change to
its real cause.

It was afternoon when Marcello's galley cane in sight of the white
cliffs of Cherso, and shortly afterwards entered the channel, running
between that island and Veglia. The masses of dark clouds in the
western horizon were becoming momentarily more threatening, and
various signs of an approaching storm made the captain of the galley
especially anxious to get, before nightfall, into the nearest harbour,
which was that of Pesca, at the southern extremity of the island of
Veglia. All sail was made upon the galley, and they were running
rapidly down the channel, when a red light suddenly flashed over the
waves in the quarter of the horizon they were approaching, and was
reflected back upon the sky, now darkened with clouds and by the
approach of night. Attracted by this unusual appearance, Antonio
hurried to the high quarterdeck of the galley; and scarcely had he
ascended it, when the fiery glow fell in a flood of rosy light upon
the distant chalk cliffs. Entranced by the picturesque beauty of the
scene, the young painter forgot to enquire the cause of this singular
illumination, when suddenly his attention was caught by a shout from
the man at the helm.

"By Heavens, 'tis a fire!" ejaculated the sailor, who had been