d
to undergo another trial. Captain Layton had to fulfil his promise to
his crew to go in search of a Spaniard, the object of his previous
adventure being accomplished. He was not a man to swerve from his word,
although he would fain have remained at the settlement, and enjoyed that
rest which those advancing in life desire. It happened one evening that
as Roger and Gilbert were walking along the banks of the river, they
caught sight of a small boat pulling rapidly down the stream, with two
men in her. Directly afterwards they encountered Fenton.

"I have just seen that fellow Flowers shove off with another man," he
said, "and when I demanded where they were going, he would give me no
answer. He has been holding correspondence with a strange Indian who
came up from the mouth of the river, and has since been trying to gain
over several of the ill-disposed in the settlement, for some object
which has not transpired."

"Then let us follow him," exclaimed Roger, "the _Rainbow's_ boat is near
at hand, and we may speedily overtake the traitor, if traitor he is."

They hastened on board the _Rainbow_, and wisely putting some provisions
and water into the boat, pulled away in chase of Flowers. The skiff
possessed by the latter was a fast one, and though they pulled on all
night they failed to come up with her. Sometimes they thought that they
must have passed her; if so, they hoped to meet her as she was coming
down at daylight. Just as they were nearing Hampton Roads, they caught
sight of a stout ship standing out past Old Comfort Point, with the
skiff of which they were in search towing astern. They immediately
redoubled their efforts; but before they could come up with her, the
breeze freshening, she stood away out to sea.

"That craft is a Spaniard, though she shows no colours," exclaimed
Roger.

"No doubt about it, sir," observed Ben Tarbox, who was pulling the
stroke oar, "and that accounts for why Master Nicholas was praising the
Spaniards. To my mind he is half a Spaniard himself; I thought no good
would come of his beads and his crosses, his paters and aves."

"What; was he a Romanist, then?" asked Gilbert.

"As arrant a one as I ever set eyes on," replied Ben; "and, if he had
had his will, he would have liked to make us all Romanists too, and burn
us at the stake, as they did in Mary's time."

"He is welcome to his religion," said Roger, "but if he is playing false
to the settlement, he will have ye