the boats' crew rejoiced over Jack,
who after a while grew very faint (having bled a good deal without
knowing it), and made as little of his real wound as he made much the
day before of his imaginary one.

Frank asked him that evening how he came to show so cool and approved a
valor in so sudden a mishap.

"Well, my masters," said Jack, "I don't deny that I was very downcast on
account of what you said, and the scandal which I had given to the crew;
but as it happened, I was reading there under the tree, to fortify my
spirits, the history of the ancient worthies, in St. Paul his eleventh
chapter to the Hebrews; and just as I came to that, 'out of weakness
were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies
of the aliens,' arose the cry of the Spaniards. At which, gentlemen,
thinking in myself that I fought in just so good a cause as they, and,
as I hoped, with like faith, there came upon me so strange an assurance
of victory, that I verily believed in myself that if there had been
a ten thousand of them, I should have taken no hurt. Wherefore," said
Jack, modestly, "there is no credit due to me, for there was no valor
in me whatsoever, but only a certainty of safety; and any coward would
fight if he knew that he were to have all the killing and none of the
scratches."

Which words he next day, being Sunday, repeated in his sermon which he
made on that chapter, with which all, even Salvation Yeo himself, were
well content and edified, and allowed him to be as godly a preacher as
he was (in spite of his simple ways) a valiant and true-hearted comrade.

They brought away the Spanish officer's sword (a very good blade), and
also a great chain of gold which he wore about his neck; both of which
were allotted to Brimblecombe as his fair prize; but he, accepting the
sword, steadfastly refused the chain, entreating Amyas to put it into
the common stock; and when Amyas refused, he cut it into links and
distributed it among those of the boat's crew who had succored him,
winning thereby much good-will. "And indeed" (says the chronicler),
"I never saw in that worthy man, from the first day of our
school-fellowship till he was laid in his parish church of Hartland
(where he now sleeps in peace), any touch of that sin of covetousness
which has in all ages, and in ours no less than others, beset especially
(I know not why) them who minister about the sanctuary. But this man,
though he was ugly and lowly in pers