Then a vessel loomed up suddenly under the great cliffs, and a moment
later he was under her side, tapping softly against the planking. The
boys held their breath and watched him. Presently a dark head appeared
above the bulwarks and remained stationary for a while. Antonino stood
up in his boat so as to lessen the distance and make himself more easily
recognisable. Then a hand appeared beside the head and made a gesture,
then dived down and came up again with the end of a rope, lowering it
down into the boat. Antonino gave the line to Ruggiero and then stepped
off upon the great hook on the martingane's side to which the chain
links for beaching, got hold of the after shroud and swung himself on
board.
Now it may be as well to say here what a martingane is. She is a
good-sized, decked vessel, generally between five-and-twenty and a
hundred tons, with good beam and full bows, narrow at the stern and
rather high out of water unless very heavily laden. She has one stout
mast, cross-trees, and a light topmast. She has an enormous yard, much
longer than herself, on which is bent the high peaked mainsail.
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