was still. As Captain Drake heard
the gentleman's trot change into a gallop, he uttered a round British
oath.

"Discovered," he muttered, "but by whose fault I know not. We'll await
the other trains and mayhap we'll have some booty yet."

The gentleman, in fact, warned the Treasurer, who, fearing that
Captain Drake had wandered to this hidden thicket, turned his train of
mules aside and let the others--who were behind him--pass on. Thus, by
recklessness of one of the company, a rich booty was lost, but--as an
Englishman has well said, "We thought that God would not let it be
taken, for likely it was well gotten by that Treasurer."

There was no use repining, for soon a tinkling of bells and tread of
hoofs came to the eager ears of the adventurers, and, through the long
pampas grass ambled the other two mule trains--their drivers snapping
the whips with little thought of the lurking danger. In a moment they
were between the English and hidden Maroons, who--with a wild
cheer--dashed upon them, surrounded them, and easily held them in
their power. Two horse loads of silver was the prize for all this
trouble and hard travel.

"I never grieve over things past," cried Drake. "We must now march
home by the shortest route. It is certainly provoking that we lost the
mule train of gold, particularly as we were betrayed by one of our own
men. Come, soldiers, turn about and retreat to our good ships."

Half satisfied but cheerful, the soldiers and Maroons turned towards
the coast, and, as they neared Vera Cruz, the infantrymen of the town
swarmed outside to attack the hated men of Merrie England, with cries
of, "Surrender! Surrender!"

Drake looked at them scornfully, replying,

"An Englishman never surrenders!"

At this a volley rang out and one of the intrepid adventurers was "so
powdered with hail-shot that he could not recover his life, although
he continued all that day with Drake's men." But stout Francis blew
his whistle--the signal for attack--and, with a wild cry, the Maroons
and English rushed for the black-haired and sallow-skinned defenders
of the town. "Yo Peho! Yo Peho!" wailed the half-crazed natives as
they leaped high in the air, and encouraged by the presence of the
English, they broke through the thickets at the town's end and forced
the enemy to fly, while the now terrified Spanish scurried pell mell
down the coast. Several of Drake's followers were wounded, and one
Maroon was run through with a pike,