of the coast do you know?"

"Every inch, sir, from Cabo San Francisco to Lima; more is my sorrow,
for I was a galley-slave there for two years and more."

"You know Lima?"

"I was there three times, worshipful gentlemen, and the last was
February come two years; and there I helped lade a great plate-ship, the
Cacafuogo,' they called her."

Amyas started. Sir Richard nodded to him gently to be silent, and then--

"And what became of her, my lad?"

"God knows, who knows all, and the devil who freighted her. I broke
prison six weeks afterwards, and never heard but that she got safe into
Panama."

"You never heard, then, that she was taken?"

"Taken, your worships? Who should take her?"

"Why should not a good English ship take her as well as another?" said
Amyas.

"Lord love you, sir; yes, faith, if they had but been there. Many's the
time that I thought to myself, as we went alongside, 'Oh, if Captain
Drake was but here, well to windward, and our old crew of the "Dragon"!'
Ask your pardon, gentles: but how is Captain Drake, if I may make so
bold?"

Neither could hold out longer.

"Fellow, fellow!" cried Sir Richard, springing up, "either thou art the
cunningest liar that ever earned a halter, or thou hast done a deed
the like of which never man adventured. Dost thou not know that Captain
Drake took that 'Cacafuogo' and all her freight, in February come two
years?"

"Captain Drake! God forgive me, sir; but--Captain Drake in the South
Seas? He saw them, sir, from the tree-top over Panama, when I was with
him, and I too; but sailed them, sir?--sailed them?"

"Yes, and round the world too," said Amyas, "and I with him; and took
that very 'Cacafuogo' off Cape San Francisco, as she came up to Panama."

One glance at the man's face was enough to prove his sincerity. The
great stern Anabaptist, who had not winced at the news of his mother's
death, dropt right on his knees on the floor, and burst into violent
sobs.

"Glory to God! Glory to God! O Lord, I thank thee! Captain Drake in
the South Seas! The blood of thy innocents avenged, O Lord! The spoiler
spoiled, and the proud robbed; and all they whose hands were mighty have
found nothing. Glory, glory! Oh, tell me, sir, did she fight?"

"We gave her three pieces of ordnance only, and struck down her
mizzenmast, and then boarded sword in hand, but never had need to strike
a blow; and before we left her, one of her own boys had changed her
name, and rechriste