the cry, and the English cruiser glided swiftly forward before the fresh
breeze towards the slow-moving Spanish ship.

Not dreaming of such an unlikely thing as an English ship in those waters,
as yet never broken except by a Spanish keel, the captain of the galleon
took the stranger for a craft of his own nation, and shortened sail as the
"Golden Hind" came up, signalling for its officers to come on board. Drake
did so, with a strong body of armed sailors, and when the Spanish captain
learned his mistake it was too late to resist. The crew of the galleon
were put under hatches, and her cargo, which proved to be rich in gold and
silver, was quickly transferred to the "Golden Hind." Then captain and
crew of the galleon were put ashore, and the captured ship was set adrift,
to try her chances without pilot or helmsman in those perilous seas. The
next storm probably made her a grave in the breakers.

Great had been the spoil gathered by the English rovers, a rich wealth of
treasure being within the coffers of the "Golden Hind," while she was
abundantly supplied with provisions. Drake now thought of returning home
with the riches he had won for himself and his comrades. But the port of
Lima, Pizarro's capital, lay not far up the coast, and here he hoped for a
rich addition to his spoil. Though satisfied that a messenger had been
sent from Valparaiso to warn the people of the presence of an armed
English ship on the coast, he had no doubt of reaching Lima in advance of
news brought overland.

On reaching the port of Lima a number of Spanish vessels were found, and,
their captains being unsuspicious, were easily taken. But they contained
no cargoes worth the capture. Lima lay several miles inland from the port,
and the governor, on hearing of these depredations, imagined that the
stranger must be a Spanish vessel that had fallen into the hands of
pirates and was on a freebooting cruise. While he was making preparations
for her capture the messenger from Valparaiso arrived and told him the
real character of the unwelcome visitor.

This news spurred the governor to increased exertions. An armed English
war-ship on their coast was a foe more to be dreaded than a pirate, and
the wealth it had taken at Valparaiso was amply worth recapture. With all
haste the governor got together a force of two thousand men, horse and
foot, and at their head hurried to the port. There in the offing was the
dangerous rover, lying motionless in