ived, utterly dejected, to find his master
broken down and more woe-begone than himself. Ralegh said he was undone,
and that Keymis was entirely to blame. Not even a sample of ore--the
king would believe him a liar and a cheat. Then, this attack on a
Spanish town! Did not Keymis remember that these were not the days of
the virgin queen, when to "singe the Spaniard's beard" was worthy of
praise? Did he not know that James was friendly with the king of Spain
and wanted to get from him a princess for his son Henry?

[Illustration: GOLD HUNTING.

(_From Gottfried's "Reisen."_)]

Keymis had been the intimate friend of Ralegh through all his troubles.
He had remained faithful even when threatened with the rack at the time
of the trial. As a kind of steward he had administered the prisoner's
estate, and was a trusted friend and confidant of the family. He had
seen young Walter grow up to manhood, and now through his fault the
youth had been killed. For the first time the bereaved father was angry
with his captain; perhaps if Keymis died the whole blame would be laid
upon his shoulders, and Ralegh be exonerated. He went to the cabin
allotted to him, loaded a pistol, shot himself, and then, as he feared
the wound was not mortal, finished the suicide by driving a long knife
into his heart.

Thus died poor Keymis, but unfortunately this did not make any
difference to his master. If Ralegh had been prepared to throw all the
responsibility on his lieutenant, the king could only be satisfied with
treasure. Even if James had been inclined to over-look the affair, the
Spanish ambassador would not condone such an offence. He is said to have
rushed into the royal presence with the cry of "Piracy! piracy! piracy!"
at the same time demanding the immediate capture and punishment of the
raiders. It followed, therefore, that Ralegh was arrested immediately on
his return, and finally executed under the old sentence, but by
decapitation instead of hanging.

His last days were passed with resignation and fortitude. His old spirit
was entirely broken, and although he petitioned the king for grace and
pardon, he did so in a hopeless way. He had many sympathisers, and to
satisfy them the king's printers issued a little book entitled "A
Declaration of the Demeanour and Carriage of Sir Walter Raleigh,"
obviously inspired by the king himself. Here was a thing unheard of
before or since; a sovereign excusing himself for his actions! If
anything w