ntry where he lived, and
received a most cordial welcome from the father and family of his
friend.

Chapter 10: Southward Ho!

Upon making inquiries, Ned Hearne found that Captain Drake had,
upon the return of his expedition, set aside the shares of the
prize money of Gerald Summers, himself, and the men who were lost
in the wreck of the prize, in hopes that they would some day return
to claim them. Upon the evidence given by Gerald and himself of the
death of the others, their shares were paid, by the bankers at
Plymouth who had charge of them, to their families; while Ned and
Gerald received their portions.

Owing to the great mortality which had taken place among the crews,
each of the lads received a sum of nearly a thousand pounds, the
total capture amounting to a value of over a million of money. As
boys, they each received the half of a man's share. The officers,
of course, had received larger shares; and the merchants who had
lent money to get up the expedition gained large profits.

Ned thought, at first, of embarking his money in the purchase of a
share in a trading vessel, and of taking to that service; but,
hearing that Captain Drake intended to fit out another expedition,
he decided to wait for that event, and to make one more voyage to
the Spanish main, before determining on his future course. Having,
therefore, his time on his hands, he accepted the invitation of the
parents of his three boy friends, Tom Tressilis, Gerald Summers,
and Reuben Gail. He was most warmly welcomed, for both Tom and
Gerald declared that they owed their lives to him. He spent several
weeks at each of their homes, and then returned to Plymouth, where
he put himself into the hands of a retired master mariner, to learn
navigation and other matters connected with his profession, and
occupied his spare time in studying the usual branches of a
gentleman's education.

It was some months before Captain Francis returned from Ireland,
but when he did so, he at once began his preparations for his next
voyage. The expedition was to be on a larger scale than that in
which he had formerly embarked, for he had formed the resolve to
sail round Cape Horn, to coast along north to the Spanish
settlements upon the great ocean he had seen from the tree top in
the Isthmus of Darien; and then, if all went well, to sail still
further north, double the northern coasts of America, and to find
some short way by which English ships might r