s and mouth.

"So, Master Salkeld," said Nunez, "we meet again. You are doubtless on
your way home to England to take vengeance on your cousin, Master
Stapleton."

I looked at him steadfastly. I was not going to be cowed by him,
defenseless as I was.

"That may be, Senor," said I. "It is a long way to England by the road
we are taking, but I shall reach it if God wills that it should be so."

"You do well to make that proviso," said he. "For God gives His power to
men, and at this moment I, as master of this vessel, and Frey
Bartolomeo, as its chaplain, are his viceregents. Wherefore, Master
Salkeld, I think your chances are not good."

"We are in God's hands," said I; though indeed my heart turned faint and
sick to think that these wretches had us in their power.

"At present, good Master Salkeld, you are in mine," he answered, smiling
mockingly upon me. "But then you know what a kind and considerate host I
am. You did admit that, when I carried you across the Atlantic. Still,
Master Salkeld, things are somewhat altered between us. I am not now
paid to carry you to Mexico and get rid of you. Also, since then you
have spat in my face. Ah, you remember that, do you? Dog, you shall
remember it every day of your life! I will not kill you now, as I
might, but I will kill you by inches, and you shall die at last at your
bench and lie there to rot. That is the fate of the dog who spits in the
face of a Spanish gentleman."

So he turned away, but the man sitting next me put out his hand and
plucked the monk's cloak, bidding him remember that he had promised to
find him a ship for England, and begging him to keep his plighted word.
But Frey Bartolomeo shook him off.

"Thou art a heretic," he said. "With heretics we keep no faith. To thy
oar, Lutheran!"

CHAPTER XVI.

THE FLAG OF ENGLAND.

And now our cup of misery seemed full indeed. We were friendless and
captive, and we had for our jailers two of the most inhuman beings that
ever lived to disgrace the earth, and both of them hated us with an
exceeding bitter hatred; one because I had spat in his face, the other
because we had escaped the fire. Moreover, we were chained to an oar in
a vessel which was sailing over I know not how many thousands of miles
of water, in latitudes where it was not likely we should fall in with
any ship that could rescue us. Verily there seemed before us nothing but
horror and death!

And truly our lot was hard. Hour upon hour