from your place;
and I had it from one who was there at the time. You must know a Spanish
captain, a prisoner--"

"What, the one I sent home from Smerwick?"

"You sent? Mercy on us! Then, perhaps, you've heard--"

"How can I have heard? What?"

"That he's gone off, the villain?"

"Without paying his ransom?"

"I can't say that; but there's a poor innocent young maid gone off with
him, one Salterne's daughter--the Popish serpent!"

"Rose Salterne, the mayor's daughter, the Rose of Torridge!"

"That's her. Bless your dear soul, what ails you?"

Amyas had dropped back in his seat as if he had been shot; but he
recovered himself before kind Mrs. Hawkins could rush to the cupboard
for cordials.

"You'll forgive me, madam; but I'm weak from the sea; and your good ale
has turned me a bit dizzy, I think."

"Ay, yes, 'tis too, too heavy, till you've been on shore a while. Try
the aqua vitae; my Captain John has it right good; and a bit too fond of
it too, poor dear soul, between whiles, Heaven forgive him!"

So she poured some strong brandy and water down Amyas's throat, in spite
of his refusals, and sent him to bed, but not to sleep; and after a
night of tossing, he started for Bideford, having obtained the means for
so doing from Mrs. Hawkins.

CHAPTER XIV

HOW SALVATION YEO SLEW THE KING OF THE GUBBINGS

"Ignorance and evil, even in full flight, deal terrible backhanded
strokes at their pursuers."--HELPS.

Now I am sorry to say, for the honor of my country, that it was by no
means a safe thing in those days to travel from Plymouth to the north of
Devon; because, to get to your journey's end, unless you were minded to
make a circuit of many miles, you must needs pass through the territory
of a foreign and hostile potentate, who had many times ravaged the
dominions, and defeated the forces of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and
was named (behind his back at least) the King of the Gubbings. "So now
I dare call them," says Fuller, "secured by distance, which one of more
valor durst not do to their face, for fear their fury fall upon him. Yet
hitherto have I met with none who could render a reason of their name.
We call the shavings of fish (which are little worth) gubbings; and sure
it is that they are sensible that the word importeth shame and disgrace.

"As for the suggestion of my worthy and learned friend, Mr. Joseph
Maynard, that such as did inhabitare montes gibberosos, were called
Gubbings,