r
punishment--perhaps death!

The expedition was a failure. The Spaniards and natives were well
aware of his coming, for 'tis said that King James, himself, sent them
news of the expedition.

"If I go home it's off with my head," said Sir Walter. "But I'll risk
it."

Don't you think if you had been Sir Walter, instead of sailing to
England where you knew that a headsman's axe awaited you, you would
have coasted by the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and dropped off
quietly where is the home of the canvas-back and the terrapin! Just
stepped into one of the jolly-boats and peacefully drifted ashore on a
dark night?

I think that you would have been strongly inclined to do so,--but
_you_ are not Sir Walter Raleigh. _He_ was a lion-hearted adventurer.

Opportunity after opportunity came to him to escape to the shores of
France. He let them go by, but, when he found that his enemies
demanded his trial for treason, he thought it high time to get away.
He learned that a French envoy had arranged to get him to France and
had a barque for this purpose. A certain Captain King had found a
small boat commanded by one of Sir Walter's old boatmen, which lay at
Tilbury awaiting his orders. It was arranged by Raleigh's guard--one
Stukeley--that he should be rowed to the little lugger on the evening
of Sunday, August the 9th, 1618. The latter was sent up the Thames
river to Gravesend.

At the hour designated, Raleigh, Captain King, Stukeley and his son
Hart, with a page, jumped into two small wherries in order to row to
the lugger. They had just shoved off, when keen Sir Walter saw another
boat push out from the bank and follow them.

"How's this?" said he to Stukeley.

But silent Stukeley did not answer.

The boat rowed fast, but the pursuing craft moved with equal speed.
The tide was singing and gurgling in a mad flow, and it became
doubtful whether the wherries could reach Gravesend under the
protection of darkness, for day was breaking, and the whirling water
made progress very slow.

At last--seeing that they could not get away--the shallops were forced
to turn about and retrace their passage. The pursuing boat swung,
also--like a shadow of the first. Sir Walter's heart beat
tumultuously.

When the fugitives reached Greenwich--Stukeley stood up and appeared
in his true colors. Laying a hand upon the shoulder of faithful
Captain King, he cried--

"I arrest you in the name of our Monarch, James First!"

Raleigh looke