The sight of the money seemed to wake their wits, for two or three of
the fellows ran forward quarrelling with each other, till one of them
getting the mastery, seized Hugh's tired horse by the bridle and dragged
it down a side street to the banks of a broad canal.
Here he called something aloud, and presently two men appeared rowing
a large, flat-bottomed punt from a dock where it was hidden. Into this
boat the horses and pack-beast were driven, much against their will.
Hugh and Dick having followed them, the three Italians began to punt
them along the canal, which was bordered with tall houses. A mile or so
farther on it entered another canal, where the houses were much finer
and built in a style of which they had never seen the like, with
beautiful and fantastic arches supported upon pillars.
At length to their great joy they came opposite to a house over the
gateway of which, stirless in the still air, hung a flag whereon were
blazoned the leopards of England. Here the boatmen, pulling in their
poles, save one to which they made the punt fast in mid-stream, showed
by their gestures that they desired to be paid. Hugh handed the piece of
gold to the man who had led them to the boat, whereon he was seized with
a fit of uncontrollable fury. He swore, he raved, he took the piece of
gold and cast it down on the bilge-boards, he spat on it and his two
companions did likewise.
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