oing to windward in a say,
Martin.' And as the words came out of mun's mouth, your worship, there
was a bit of a flaw from the westward, sharp like, and overboard goeth
my cap, and hitth against the wall, and as I stooped to pick it up, I
heard a cry, and it was all over!"

"He is telling of the Mary Rose, sir."

"I guessed so."

"All over: and the cry of mun, and the screech of mun! Oh, sir, up to
the very heavens! And the king he screeched right out like any maid, 'Oh
my gentlemen, oh my gallant men!' and as she lay on her beam-ends, sir,
and just a-settling, the very last souls I seen was that man's father,
and that man's. I knowed mun by their armor."

And he pointed to Sir George Carew and Sir Richard Grenville.

"Iss! Iss! Drowned like rattens. Drowned like rattens!"

"Now; you mustn't trouble his worship any more."

"Trouble? Let him tell till midnight, I shall be well pleased," said
Amyas, sitting down on the bench by him. "Drawer! ale--and a parcel of
tobacco."

And Amyas settled himself to listen, while the old man purred to
himself--

"Iss. They likes to hear old Martin. All the captains look upon old
Martin."

"Hillo, Amyas!" said Cary, "who's your friend? Here's a man been telling
me wonders about the River Plate. We should go thither for luck there
next time."

"River Plate?" said old Martin. "It's I knows about the River Plate;
none so well. Who'd ever been there, nor heard of it nether, before
Captain Will and me went, and I lived among the savages a whole year;
and audacious civil I found 'em if they 'd had but shirts to their
backs; and so was the prince o' mun, that Captain Will brought home to
King Henry; leastwise he died on the voyage; but the wild folk took it
cruel well, for you see, we was always as civil with them as Christians,
and if we hadn't been, I should not have been here now."

"What year was that?"

"In the fifteen thirty: but I was there afore, and learnt the speech
o' mun; and that's why Captain Will left me to a hostage, when he tuked
their prince."

"Before that?" said Cary; "why, the country was hardly known before
that."

The old man's eyes flashed up in triumph.

"Knowed? Iss, and you may well say that! Look ye here! Look to mun!" and
he waved his hand round--"There's captains! and I'm the father of 'em
all now, now poor Captain Will's in gloory; I, Martin Cockrem! . . .
Iss, I've seen a change. I mind when Tavistock Abbey was so full
o' friars, and goolde