e goes a most gallant rascal," said the lord deputy.

"And a most rascally gallant," said Zouch. "The murder of his own page,
of which I gave him a remembrancer, is among the least of his sins."

"And now, Captain Raleigh," said Lord Grey, "as you have been so earnest
in preaching this butchery, I have a right to ask none but you to
practise it."

Raleigh bit his lip, and replied by the "quip courteous--"

"I am at least a man, my lord, who thinks it shame to allow others to do
that which I dare not do myself."

Lord Grey might probably have returned "the countercheck quarrelsome,"
had not Mackworth risen--

"And I, my lord, being in that matter at least one of Captain Raleigh's
kidney, will just go with him to see that he takes no harm by being bold
enough to carry out an ugly business, and serving these rascals as their
countrymen served Mr. Oxenham."

"I bid you good morning, then, gentlemen, though I cannot bid you God
speed," said Lord Grey; and sitting down again, covered his face with
his hands, and, to the astonishment of all bystanders, burst, say the
chroniclers, into tears.

Amyas followed Raleigh out. The latter was pale, but determined, and
very wroth against the deputy.

"Does the man take me for a hangman," said he, "that he speaks to me
thus? But such is the way of the great. If you neglect your duty,
they haul you over the coals; if you do it, you must do it on your
own responsibility. Farewell, Amyas; you will not shrink from me as a
butcher when I return?"

"God forbid! But how will you do it?"

"March one company in, and drive them forth, and let the other cut them
down as they come out.--Pah!"

* * * * *

It was done. Right or wrong, it was done. The shrieks and curses had
died away, and the Fort del Oro was a red shambles, which the soldiers
were trying to cover from the sight of heaven and earth, by dragging the
bodies into the ditch, and covering them with the ruins of the rampart;
while the Irish, who had beheld from the woods that awful warning, fled
trembling into the deepest recesses of the forest. It was done; and
it never needed to be done again. The hint was severe, but it was
sufficient. Many years passed before a Spaniard set foot again in
Ireland.

The Spanish and Italian officers were spared, and Amyas had Don Guzman
Maria Magdalena Sotomayor de Soto duly adjudged to him, as his prize
by right of war. He was, of course, ready enough to fight Sebastia