er. He announced his vessel as the "Falcon," [Note 3]
himself as Thomas Fleming; and his news--enough to make every ear in the
fleet tingle--that "the Spaniard" had been sighted that morning off the
Lizard. Arthur darted away that instant in search of Drake: Jack and
Basset (both wide awake now) stayed to hear the details,--the latter
excited, the former sceptical.

"'Tis all but deceiving!" sneered the incredulous Jack. "Thomas
Fleming! why, who wist not that Thomas Fleming is more pirate than
sea-captain, and that the `Falcon' is well enough known for no honest
craft?"

"`Fair and soft go far in a day,'" returned Basset. "What if he be a
pirate? He is an Englishman. Even a known liar may speak truth."

"As if the like of him should sight the Spaniard!" retorted Jack
magnificently, "when the whole fleet have scoured the seas in vain!"

"The whole fleet were not scouring the seas at three of the clock this
morrow!" cried Basset, impatiently. "Hold thine idle tongue, and leave
us hear the news." And he shouted with all the power of his
lungs,--"What strength is he of?"

"The strength of the very devil!" Fleming roared back. "Great wooden
castles, the Lord wot how many, and coming as fast as a bird flieth."

"Pish!" said Jack.

Basset was on the point of shouting another question, when Sir Francis
Drake's voice came, clear and sonorous, from no great distance.

"What time shall the Don be hither?"

"By to-morrow breaketh, as like as not," was Fleming's answer.

"Now, my lads, we have work afore us," said Sir Francis, addressing his
young friends. "Lieutenant Enville, see that all hands know at once,--
every man to his post! Tremayne, you shall have the honour to bear the
news to the Lord Admiral: and Basset, you shall fight by my side. I
would fain promote you all, an' I have the chance; allgates, I give you
the means to win honour, an' you wot how to use them."

All the young men expressed their acknowledgment--Jack rather fulsomely,
Basset and Tremayne in a few quiet words. It was a decided advantage to
Jack and Arthur to have the chance of distinguishing themselves by "a
fair field and no favour." But was it any special preferment for the
great-grandson of Edward the Fourth? What glory would be added to his
name by "honourable mention" in Lord Howard's despatches, or maybe an
additional grade in naval rank?

Did Robert Basset fail to see that?

By no means. But he was biding his time. T