, sir," said Winter, nettled at
the hint about Drake; "it does not seem to have been one in which you
learned to obey orders. Why did you not come in when the recall was
sounded?"

"Because," said Amyas, very coolly, "in the first place I did not hear
it; and in the next, in my school I was taught when I had once started
not to come home empty-handed."

This was too pointed; and Winter sprang up with an oath--"Do you mean to
insult me, sir?"

"I am sorry, sir, that you should take a compliment to Sir Francis Drake
as an insult to yourself. I brought in this gentleman because I thought
he might give you good information; if he dies meanwhile, the loss will
be yours, or rather the queen's."

"Help me, then," said Cary, glad to create a diversion in Amyas's favor,
"and we will bring him round;" while Raleigh rose, and catching Winter's
arm, drew him aside, and began talking earnestly.

"What a murrain have you, Leigh, to quarrel with Winter?" asked two or
three.

"I say, my reverend fathers and dear children, do get the Don's talking
tackle free again, and leave me and the admiral to settle it our own
way."

There was more than one captain sitting in the ring, but discipline, and
the degrees of rank, were not so severely defined as now; and Amyas, as
a "gentleman adventurer," was, on land, in a position very difficult
to be settled, though at sea he was as liable to be hanged as any other
person on board; and on the whole it was found expedient to patch the
matter up. So Captain Raleigh returning, said that though Admiral Winter
had doubtless taken umbrage at certain words of Mr. Leigh's, yet that
he had no doubt that Mr. Leigh meant nothing thereby but what was
consistent with the profession of a soldier and a gentleman, and worthy
both of himself and of the admiral.

From which proposition Amyas found it impossible to dissent; whereon
Raleigh went back, and informed Winter that Leigh had freely retracted
his words, and fully wiped off any imputation which Mr. Winter might
conceive to have been put upon him, and so forth. So Winter returned,
and Amyas said frankly enough--

"Admiral Winter, I hope, as a loyal soldier, that you will understand
thus far; that naught which has passed to-night shall in any way prevent
you finding me a forward and obedient servant to all your commands, be
they what they may, and a supporter of your authority among the men,
and honor against the foe, even with my life. For I should