It was midnight when the galley of the chief glided into the harbor of Istria. The challenge of the sentinel was answered from the vessel, and she took her place beside the shore, where two other galleys were at anchor. Suddenly her sails descended with a rattle; a voice hailed throughout the ship, was answered from stem to stern, and a deep silence followed. The fierce chief of the pirates, Pietro Barbaro, the fiercest, strongest, wisest, yet youngest of seven brothers, all devoted to the same fearful employment, strode in silence to his cabin. Here, throwing himself upon a couch, he prepared rather to rest his limbs than to sleep. He had thoughts to keep him wakeful. Wild hopes, and tenderer joys than his usual occupations offered, were gleaming before his fancy. The light burned dimly in his floating chamber, but the shapes of his imagination rose up before his mind's eye not the less vividly because of the obscurity in which he lay. Thus musing over expectations of most agreeable and exciting aspect, he finally lapsed away in sleep. He was suddenly aroused from slumber by a rude hand that lay heavily on his shoulder. "Who is it?" he asked of the intruder. "Gamba," was the answer. "Thou, brother!" "Ay," continued the intruder; "and here are all of us." "Indeed! and wherefore come you? I would sleep--I am weary. I must have rest." "Thou hast too much rest, Pietro," said another of the brothers. "It is that of which we complain--that of which we would speak to thee now." "Ha! this is new language, brethren! Answer me--perhaps I am not well awake; am I your captain, or not?" "Thou art--the fact seems to be forgotten by no one but thyself. Though the youngest of our mother's children, we made thee our leader." "For what did ye this, my brothers, unless that I might command ye?" "For this, in truth, and this only, did we confer upon thee this authority. Thou hadst shown thyself worthy to command--" "Well!" "Thy skill--thy courage--thy fortitude--" "In brief, ye thought me best fitted to command ye?" "Yes." "Then I command ye hence! Leave me, and let me rest!" "Nay, brother, but this cannot be;" was the reply of another of the intruders. "We must speak with thee while the night serves us, lest thou hear worse things with the morrow. Thou art, indeed, our captain; chosen because of thy qualities of service, to conduct and counsel us; but we chose thee not that thou shouldst sleep! Thou wert chosen that our enterprises might be active and might lead to frequent profit." "Has it not been so?" demanded the chief. "For a season it was so, and there was no complaint of thee." "Who now complains?" "Thy people--all!" "And can ye not answer them?" "No! for we ourselves need an answer! We, too, complain." "Of what complain ye?" "That our enterprises profit us nothing." "Do ye not go forth in the galleys? Lead ye not, each of you, an armed galley? Why is it that your enterprises profit ye nothing?"