Roi of
Robert of Namur, and the Grace Marie of Sir Thomas Holland. Farther off
lay the White Swan, bearing the arms of Mowbray, the Palmer of Deal,
flying the Black Head of Audley, and the Kentish man under the Lord
Beauchamp. The rest lay, anchored but ready, at the mouth of Winchelsea
Creek.

The King sat upon a keg in the fore part of his ship, with little John
of Richmond, who was no more than a schoolboy, perched upon his knee.
Edward was clad in the black velvet jacket which was his favorite garb,
and wore a small brown-beaver hat with a white plume at the side. A rich
cloak of fur turned up with miniver drooped from his shoulders. Behind
him were a score of his knights, brilliant in silks and sarcenets,
some seated on an upturned boat and some swinging their legs from the
bulwark.

In front stood John Chandos in a party-colored jupon, one foot raised
upon the anchor-stock, picking at the strings of his guitar and singing
a song which he had learned at Marienburg when last he helped the
Teutonic knights against the heathen. The King, his knights, and even
the archers in the waist below them, laughed at the merry lilt and
joined lustily in the chorus, while the men of the neighboring ships
leaned over the side to hearken to the deep chant rolling over the
waters.

But there came a sudden interruption to the song. A sharp, harsh shout
came down from the lookout stationed in the circular top at the end of
the mast. "I spy a sail--two sails!" he cried.

John Bunce the King's shipman shaded his eyes and stared at the long
fog-bank which shrouded the northern channel. Chandos, with his fingers
over the strings of his guitar, the King, the knights, all gazed in the
same direction. Two small dark shapes had burst forth, and then after
some minutes a third.

"Surely they are the Spaniards?" said the King.

"Nay, sire," the seaman answered, "the Spaniards are greater ships and
are painted red. I know not what these may be."

"But I could hazard a guess!" cried Chandos. "Surely they are the three
ships with my own men on their way to Brittany."

"You have hit it, John," said the King. "But look, I pray you! What in
the name of the Virgin is that?"

Four brilliant stars of flashing light had shone out from different
points of the cloud-bank. The next instant as many tall ships had
swooped forth into the sunshine. A fierce shout rang from the King's
ship, and was taken up all down the line, until the whole coast f