dly peril of his sweetheart banished pity from his soul. This man
had been the right hand of Morgan; he was, after the captain, the ablest
man among the buccaneers. He must die, and it would be a mercy to kill
him out of hand, anyway.

"Forward, gentlemen!" he cried, and instantly the whole mass closed in
on the pirates. Such a fight as Teach and his men made was marvellous.
For each life the Spaniards took the pirates exacted a high price, but
the odds were too great for any human valor, however splendid, to
withstand, and in a brief space the last of the buccaneers lay dying on
the hill.

Teach was game to the last. Pierced with a dozen wounds, his sword
broken to pieces, he lifted himself on his elbow, and with a smile of
defiance gasped out the brave chorus of the song of the poet of London
town:

"Though life now is pleasant and sweet to the sense,
We'll be damnably mouldy a hundred years hence."

"Tell Morgan," he faltered, "we did not betray--faithful to the end----"

And so he died as he had lived.

"A brave man!" exclaimed de Tobar with some feeling in his voice.

"But a black-hearted scoundrel, nevertheless," answered Alvarado
sternly. "Had you seen him last night----"

"Ye have been successful, I see, gentlemen," cried the Viceroy, riding
up with the main body. "Where is Alvarado?"

"I am here, your Excellency."

"You are yet alive, senor?"

"My work is not yet complete," answered the soldier, "and I can not die
until--I--Donna Mer--"

"Bring up the led horses," interrupted the Viceroy curtly. "Mount these
gentlemen. Let the chirurgeons look to the Spanish wounded."

"And if there be any buccaneers yet alive?" asked one of the officers.

"Toss them over the cliff," answered the Viceroy; "throw the bodies of
all the carrion over, living or dead. They pollute the air. Form up,
gentlemen! We have fully twenty-five miles between us and the town which
we must reach at ten of the clock. 'Twill be hard riding. Alvarado,
assemble your men and you and de Tobar lead the way, I will stay farther
back and keep the main body from scattering. We have struck a brave blow
first, and may God and St. Jago defend us further. Forward!"

CHAPTER XXI

THE RECITAL OF HOW CAPTAIN ALVARADO AND DON FELIPE DE TOBAR CAME TO THE
RESCUE IN THE NICK OF TIME

[Illustration]

Old Hornigold had kept his promise, and Alvarado had kept his as well.
It was a few minutes before ten when the first Spanish hor