A Gentleman-at-arms

iendly ship, but none touched on the island, and those th

vern, and took shelter for the remainder of the night with Captain Q on board the galleon. Towards morning the fury of the storm abated, but the wind was still high, and when we left our refuge and stood on the cliff, so that the sunbea

ed forth from behind the rock where hitherto he had stood at gaze. His red garb flashed upon the eye of the swimmer, and methought I heard a despairing cry for help. On the instant I ran down to the shore, with Captain Q at my side. Half witless as he was in general, the Captain had all his faculties at this moment of great need

MER AS HE WAS ON T

man," I crie

peak more, he pointed to the wreck, and seemed to urge

is was done, the crew and the adventurers came along it one by one, hand over hand, from the vessel, until all, to the number of thirty-seven, were safe on shore. Joyously I greeted the

at the loss of their vessel for a time outweighed all thankfulness for their es

nce again. Verily I believed thee dead, and

aniola and returned not. And I was so rapt with joy at the sight of my friends that I laughed, and for sheer gladness greeted them again by name-"Tom Hawke, o

r blood-red fr

about. The Fren

d say if his secret were disclosed. Having trusted me, peradventure he would deem himself betrayed if I should m

departed without our thanks," said Hilary. "We must e'en go after him, my lad

om Hawke, in his boyish way, instantly caught at the name, and wished he might live to pluck Old Marrow-bones by

asked Hilary. "Is he of the Kews of

d 'twas not unlike that Captain Q would fare very ill at their hands, and lose all the treasure whereby he set such store. Better that his story should b

Hilary when he had heard all. "We have

Antonio de Marabona, whom his

of treasure? Have we not lost men and suffered shipwreck in this very adventure against the Queen's enemies? Should w

asoning, though the third of his questions had a smack of inconsequenc

urt, and shall have a fair share of the treasure. As for Anton

nd brought him here, and restored to him what was once his, Tom Hawke or Harry Loveday, or one of the mariners, would incontinently knock him on

Hawke, and Harry Loveday, and all the

But come, let us wend to this wondrous vault of his,

close at hand, should forget gratitude and discipline, and leap like hungry wolves upon their prey. They were good seamen, and honest souls withal, but lawless and ill-taught, and possessed with

hen, and beating him down by main force, and indeed he stepped forward to cross swords with the Frenchman. But I could not endure that my friend should be dealt with thus, and calling Tom Hawke back (who indeed already repented of

ry. "I salute you, Captain Q," he added, with a

miled with pleasure, dropped his point, and, with a commanding gesture that

mood, came up, and the matter was put to them, "Ay, ay, sir," cried Richard Ball, th

saw that miracle of Nature, and of admiration as they wa

to us, Kitt, even without the treasure she contains. And t

stood long in talk with him. When I returned to my friends I told them that the Captain was willing to shar

yes gleamed with pleasure; he called them his children, vowing to lead them a-roving and do great despite

"that is for none to

time, and to accompany me in a circuit of the cavern t

wder we might have blasted the rock but for the water which flowed in at every tide, and so shut us from access to the lower part of the wall. But if this were of earth, the task was one that could be compassed with time and patience. 'Twas our first concern to discover the thickness of the wall, and to this end

urrent. Ropes, whereof the galleon held a plenty, were fixed about them, and by dint of much hauling, the rocks were displaced one by one, and be

ortion of the wall was of earth, and before the tide rose again the men had cut a narrow tunnel through to the base of the cliff. It being night by th

ng the passage both in width and height, the sides and roof being shored up with timber from the woods against a fall of earth from above. Captain Q watched the labour with a childish curiosity, and, in

e cliff to give warning of any vessel that should approach. While some of the men had been employed at the hole, others, the more skilful of the crew, were set to work to caulk the seams of the galleon, to fell trees for new masts and spars, and to repair the sails which were found on board. By the time this was accomplished, nought remained but to dislodge the

ot unlike they have come to see what has become of us. Mayhap they saw us run aground, and I doubt

ould land. The news of their coming wrought marvellously upon Captain Q. He sharpened his sword, donned a breastplate, and told the

t had been, and 'twas soon plain from their cries that they had come upon parts of the wreckage of the Elizabeth. Some of them ascended the cliff, and went into the woodland, doubtless to gather fruits; whereupon I quitted the cavern, and stealthily made my way up, to see what they were about. I entered the woods afte

s in the open ere we could win to the boats, in full sight of the men on guard. The alarm would be given, and the Spaniards might be upon us before we could put off. But since the advantage is ever with the attack, I made bold to put forward another plan, to wit, that we should quit the cavern

crept in and out as a hunter might stalk his quarry, and by and by perceived them proceeding slowly, in close ranks, silently, and with their matches already kindled. I knew that the course they were taking would bring them in due time to a ravine, narrow, and of no great depth, that wound

rts of a skilful commander. Keeping ten with him, of whom I was one, he bade the rest to steal down the ravine, ascend the nearer bank at a convenient spot, and, when they should hear sounds of a fray with us, come with great speed and fall upon the enemy in the r

ir matches; then their captain called to us in a loud voice to yield ourselves, and when we made no answer, he bade his men advance. They pressed forward until they were come within a few paces of the ravine, and set up their muskets on the rests to have good aim at us. And then, to be beforehand with them, Captain Q gave us the word to fire, the which we obeyed all te

n field and flood, we have had proofs enough of their valour. If our friends should fail to come at point to our aid, we could not by any means prevail against them. But Cap

be at grips with death. And suddenly there was a roar of muskets, and immediately afterwards, through the smoke, I saw the Spaniards rushing towards us. My musket was in its rest; blindly and with fumbling fingers I set my match to the touch-hole and pulled the cock, and, having fired my shot, drew my swo

dge of the ravine. This sight was enough for their stomachs. The Spaniards fled as one man, leapt into the ravine, clambered up the other side, and made all speed by the way they had come, to regain their boats. Our men ran after them, and pursued them to the verge of the woodland, and would have continued to the very margin of the sea, but Cap

TO THE RAVINE AND CLAM

received hurts, but slight. We were all wondrous merry at the happy issue of