e Bay of Comfort and went to look for the three ships.

The _Juana_ and the _San Sebastian_ we presently sighted and rejoiced
thereat. But the _Margarita_! We saw her nowhere, and the Admiral's face
grew gray. His son Fernando pressed close to him. "My uncle is a
bold man, and they say the second seaman in the world! Let's hope and
hope--and hope!"

"Why, aye!" said the Admiral. "I'm a good scholar in hope. I told them
in San Domingo the ship was not seaworthy. What cared they for that?
They were willing that all of my name should drown! God judge between
us!"

The _Juana_ came close and shouted that at eve they had seen the
Adelantado in great trouble, close to shore. Then came down the night
and once or twice they thought they made out a light but they were not
sure.

In this West the weather after a hurricane is weather of heaven. We
coasted in a high sea, but with safety under a sky one sapphire, and
with a right wind,--and suddenly, rounding a palmy headland, we saw the
_Margarita_ riding safe in a little bay like the Bay of Comfort. The
Admiral fell upon his knees.

The _Margarita_ was safe indeed but was so crazed a ship! The _San
Sebastian_, too, was in bad case. Hispaniola truly, but some leagues
from San Domingo, and a small, desert, lonely bay! We rested here
because rest we must, and mended our ships. Days--three days--a week.
The Admiral and the Adelantado kept our people close to the ships.
There was no Indian village, but a party sent to gather fruit found two
Indians biding, watching from a thicket. These, brought to the Admiral,
proved to be from a village between us and San Domingo. They had been in
that town after the hurricane. It had uprooted the great tree before the
Governor's house and thrown down a part of the church.

"Had the fleet sailed?"

Yes, it seemed. The day before the storm. But these men knew nothing of
its fortunes. He kept the Indians with us until we sailed, so as not to
spread news of where we were, then gave them presents and let them go.

But on the day we set to sail we did not sail, for along the coast
and into our bay came a small caravel, going with men to our fort in
Xaragua. The captain--Ruy Lopez it was--met us as a wonder, San Domingo
having held that the hurricane must have sunk us, the sea swallowed
us up. He anchored, took his boat and came to the Admiral upon the
_Consolacion_.

"Senor, I am glad to see you living!"

"Yes, I live, senor. Are you well in