uan de
Anton, was removed on board the _Pelican_ to have his wound attended to.
He remained as Drake's guest for a week, and sent in a report of what he
observed to the Spanish Government. One at least of Drake's party spoke
excellent Spanish. This person took San Juan over the ship. She showed
signs, San Juan said, of rough service, but was still in fine condition,
with ample arms, spare rope, mattocks, carpenters' tools of all
descriptions. There were eighty-five men on board all told, fifty of
them men-of-war, the rest young fellows, ship-boys and the like. Drake
himself was treated with great reverence; a sentinel stood always at his
cabin door. He dined alone with music.

No mystery was made of the _Pelican's_ exploits. The chaplain showed San
Juan the crucifix set with emeralds, and asked him if he could
seriously believe that to be God. San Juan asked Drake how he meant to
go home. Drake showed him a globe with three courses traced on it. There
was the way that he had come, there was the way by China and the Cape of
Good Hope, and there was a third way which he did not explain. San Juan
asked if Spain and England were at war. Drake said he had a commission
from the Queen. His captures were for her, not for himself. He added
afterwards that the Viceroy of Mexico had robbed him and his kinsman,
and he was making good his losses.

Then, touching the point of the sore, he said, 'I know the Viceroy will
send for thee to inform himself of my proceedings. Tell him he shall do
well to put no more Englishmen to death, and to spare those he has in
his hands, for if he do execute them I will hang 2,000 Spaniards and
send him their heads.'

After a week's detention San Juan and his men were restored to the empty
_Cacafuego_, and allowed to go. On their way back they fell in with the
two cruisers sent in pursuit from Lima, reinforced by a third from
Panama. They were now fully armed; they went in chase, and according to
their own account came up with the _Pelican_. But, like Lope de Vega,
they seemed to have been terrified at Drake as a sort of devil. They
confessed that they dared not attack him, and again went back for more
assistance. The Viceroy abused them as cowards, arrested the officers,
despatched others again with peremptory orders to seize Drake, even if
he was the devil, but by that time their questionable visitor had flown.
They found nothing, perhaps to their relief.

A despatch went instantly across the Atl