I.

The sight of the wounded Don completed the panic which had already set
in among the Spaniards at the report of the coming of the English.

"To sea! to sea!" they cried, and followed us as we bore their beloved
captain to the bay.

The _Gerona_, Ludar told me, had been found on the coast, a half wreck,
some weeks since, and, by dint of great labour and patching, had been
made passably seaworthy.

"She will carry but three out of every four of this company," said he.
"After the nobles are all on board, there will be but place, I hear, for
one hundred beside, and these must work at the oars. Lots have already
been drawn, and, unless I mistake, 'twill be a hard parting betwixt
those who go and those who stay."

So indeed it was. No sooner had we the Don safely on board, and
delivered him to the leech (to whom he opened his eyes, and showed signs
of returning life), than a strange turbulent scene ensued on shore. The
Don's second in command, fine gentleman as he was, had little power to
deal with a rabble that was fighting for dear life. He drew up his men
on the beach and bade no man stir for the boats till his name was
called, under penalty of death.

While the young nobles (who, of course, were exempt from lot), silently
and anxiously took their places in the boats and were rowed out to the
ship, all stood gloomily by, mute and obedient. But when, these being
safely embarked, the order was given for the hundred who had drawn the
lot to follow, a hubbub and tumult began which it was pitiful to
witness. Men, desperate with hunger and fear, fought tooth and nail to
reach the boats. They that had the right and they that had none were
mingled in a fray which strewed the water's edge with corpses. Some
flung themselves into the sea after the boats, yelling and cursing till
the flash of a sword or the pitiless thud of an oar sent them back into
silence. Some, rather than others should go and not they, tore the
craft board from board, and fought with the fragments. Some with
muskets poured fire on the boats. And some wreaked their vengeance on
the haughty Spanish gallant and hurled him from the rock on which he
stood into the depths below.

'Twas a hideous scene; and when, after all was done, sixty gasping souls
scrambled on board, glaring at one another like beasts of prey, and
hissing defiant taunts at the wretches on shore, it boded ill--very--ill
for this voyage.

For a while neither Ludar nor I was f