"Fleming? Is he tired of life, that he com'th here to look for a halter? I've a warrant out against mun, for robbing of two Flushingers on the high seas, now this very last year.Is the fellow mazed or drunk, then? or has he seen a ghost? Look to mun!""I think so, truly," said Drake."His eyes are near out of his head."The man was a rough-bearded old sea-dog, who had just burst in from the tavern through the low hatch, upsetting a drawer with all his glasses, and now came panting and blowing straight up to the high admiral,--"My lord, my lord! They'm coming! I saw them off the Lizard last night!""Who? my good sir, who seem to have left your manners behind you.""The Armada, your worship--the Spaniard; but as for my manners, 'tis no fault of mine, for I never had none to leave behind me.""If he has not left his manners behind," quoth Hawkins, "look out for your purses, gentlemen all! He's manners enough, and very bad ones they be, when he com'th across a quiet Flushinger.""If I stole Flushingers' wines, I never stole negurs' souls, Jack Hawkins; so there's your answer.My lord, hang me if you will;life's short and death's easy 'specially to seamen; but if I didn't see the Spanish fleet last sun-down, coming along half-moon wise, and full seven mile from wing to wing, within a four mile of me, I'm a sinner.""Sirrah," said Lord Howard, "is this no fetch, to cheat us out of your pardon for these piracies of yours?""You'll find out for yourself before nightfall, my lord high admiral.All Jack Fleming says is, that this is a poor sort of an answer to a man who has put his own neck into the halter for the sake of his country.""Perhaps it is," said Lord Howard."And after all, gentlemen, what can this man gain by a lie, which must be discovered ere a day is over, except a more certain hanging?""Very true, your lordship," said Hawkins, mollified."Come here, Jack Fleming--what wilt drain, man? Hippocras or Alicant, Sack or John Barleycorn, and a pledge to thy repentance and amendment of life.""Admiral Hawkins, Admiral Hawkins, this is no time for drinking.""Why not, then, my lord? Good news should be welcomed with good wine.Frank, send down to the sexton, and set the bells a-ringing to cheer up all honest hearts.Why, my lord, if it were not for the gravity of my office, I could dance a galliard for joy!""Well, you may dance, port admiral: but I must go and plan, but God give to all captains such a heart as yours this day!""And God give all generals such a head as yours! Come, Frank Drake, we'll play the game out before we move.It will be two good days before we shall be fit to tackle them, so an odd half-hour don't matter.""I must command the help of your counsel, vice-admiral," said Lord Charles, turning to Drake.
"And it's this, my good lord," said Drake, looking up, as he aimed his bowl."They'll come soon enough for us to show them sport, and yet slow enough for us to be ready; so let no man hurry himself.
And as example is better than precept, here goes."Lord Howard shrugged his shoulders, and departed, knowing two things: first, that to move Drake was to move mountains; and next, that when the self-taught hero did bestir himself, he would do more work in an hour than any one else in a day.So he departed, followed hastily by most of the captains; and Drake said in a low voice to Hawkins:
"Does he think we are going to knock about on a lee-shore all the afternoon and run our noses at night--and dead up-wind, too--into the Dons' mouths? No, Jack, my friend.Let Orlando-Furioso-punctilio-fire-eaters go and get their knuckles rapped.The following game is the game, and not the meeting one.The dog goes after the sheep, and not afore them, lad.Let them go by, and go by, and stick to them well to windward, and pick up stragglers, and pickings, too, Jack--the prizes, Jack!""Trust my old eyes for not being over-quick at seeing signals, if Ibe hanging in the skirts of a fat-looking Don.We'm the eagles, Drake; and where the carcase is, is our place, eh?"And so the two old sea-dogs chatted on, while their companions dropped off one by one, and only Amyas remained.
"Eh, Captain Leigh, where's my boy Dick?""Gone off with his lordship, Sir John."
"On his punctilios too, I suppose, the young slashed-breeks.He's half a Don, that fellow, with his fine scholarship, and his fine manners, and his fine clothes.He'll get a taking down before he dies, unless he mends.Why ain't you gone too, sir?""I follow my leader," said Amyas, filling his pipe.
"Well said, my big man," quoth Drake."If I could lead you round the world, I can lead you up Channel, can't I?--Eh? my little bantam-cock of the Orinoco? Drink, lad! You're over-sad to-day.""Not a whit," said Amyas."Only I can't help wondering whether Ishall find him after all."
"Whom? That Don? We'll find him for you, if he's in the fleet.
We'll squeeze it out of our prisoners somehow.Eh, Hawkins? Ithought all the captains had promised to send you news if they heard of him.""Ay, but it's ill looking for a needle in a haystack.But I shall find him.I am a coward to doubt it," said Amyas, setting his teeth.
"There, vice-admiral, you're beaten, and that's the rubber.Pay up three dollars, old high-flyer, and go and earn more, like an honest adventurer.""Well," said Drake, as he pulled out his purse, "we'll walk down now, and see about these young hot-heads.As I live, they are setting to tow the ships out already! Breaking the men's backs over-night, to make them fight the lustier in the morning! Well, well, they haven't sailed round the world, Jack Hawkins.""Or had to run home from San Juan d'Ulloa with half a crew.
"Well, if we haven't to run out with half crews.I saw a sight of our lads drunk about this morning.""The more reason for waiting till they be sober.Besides, if everybody's caranting about to once each after his own men, nobody'll find nothing in such a scrimmage as that.Bye, bye, Uncle Martin.We'm going to blow the Dons up now in earnest."