from the
burning frigate. Morgan at once put the galleon before the wind, and
when he had drawn away a short distance, hove to the ship to take
account of the damage before determining his future course.

Far back on the ocean and low in the water drifted the sinking remains
of the first Spanish frigate. Near at hand was the hulk of the second
ship, now a blazing furnace. The first was filled with living men, many
of them desperately wounded. No attention was paid to them by the
buccaneers. They cried for mercy unheeded. Anyway their suspense would
soon be over. Indeed, the first ship sank and the second blew up with a
fearful explosion a short time after they got away. A brief inspection
showed that the galleon had suffered little or no damage that could not
be repaired easily at sea. Taking account of his men, Morgan found that
about twenty were missing. Taking no care for them nor for the two ships
he had fought so splendidly, pirate though he was, he clapped sail on
the galleon and bore away to the southward.

CHAPTER VII

WHEREIN BARTHOLOMEW SAWKINS MUTINIED AGAINST HIS CAPTAIN AND WHAT BEFEL
HIM ON THAT ACCOUNT

[Illustration]

The _Almirante Recalde_, for such was the name of the galleon, was
easily and speedily repaired by the skilled seamen of the _Mary Rose_
under such leadership and direction as the experience of Morgan and the
officers afforded. By the beginning of the first dog-watch even a
critical inspection would scarcely have shown that she had been in
action. With the wise forethought of a seaman, Morgan had subordinated
every other duty to the task of making the vessel fit for any danger of
the sea, and he had deferred any careful examination of her cargo until
everything had been put shipshape again; although by his hurried
questioning of the surviving officers he had learned that the
_Almirante Recalde_ was indeed loaded with treasure of Peru, which had
been received by her _via_ the Isthmus of Panama for transportation to
Spain. On board her were several priests returning to Spain headed by
one Fra Antonio de Las Casas, together with a band of nuns under the
direction of an aged abbess, Sister Maria Christina.

In the indiscriminate fury of the assault one or two of the priests had
been killed, but so soon as the ship had been fully taken possession of
the lives of the surviving clerics and the lives of the good sisters had
been spared by Morgan's express command. These unfortunate w