ome."

Raleigh said things which made the air as blue as the sea, but he put
back--for he could not disobey the Royal command. He was soon at
court.

The Queen was furious with anger.

"You have disobeyed my commands," said she. "I find you have secretly
married my Maid-of-Honor. To the Tower with you! To the dungeons of
the Tower!"

And all the jealous courtiers were so happy that they danced a can-can
in the ante chamber.

What do you think of this? Thrown into prison because he loved a Maid
and married her! Nowadays "all the World loves a Lover." In those
times all the world _might_ have "loved a Lover" except Queen
Bess,--and a number of courtiers hanging around within easy call:
_They_ kicked a Lover. And then they all got together and said:

"Fine! Fine! Now we've got him where he ought to be. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho!
Ho! Ho!"

But women relent; that is one of their chief characteristics. Queen
Bess softened, grew lukewarm, finally became molten.

"Sir Walter Raleigh can go free," said she.

The gallant courtier returned to his country estate, where--with his
wife and children he enjoyed the luxuries and comforts of country
life. And the jealous courtiers began to look strangely sober.

Still the sea called. The sea sang its old song, and, fired with the
spirit of adventure, Sir Walter decided upon another expedition: this
time to the coast of Guiana, in South America, where, it was said,
"billets of gold lay about in heaps, as if they were logs of wood
marked out to burn." With a large fleet at his command he soon started
upon this expedition for plunder and for fame. This time no Sir Martin
Frobisher sailed after him to bring him back to a dungeon in the Tower
and he was able to reach his destination.

The expedition was a howling success. Whenever and wherever Sir Walter
could inflict injury on the Spaniards, whom he so bitterly detested,
he did so with eagerness. A Spanish ship was soon seen, chased,
and--after a brief, hot fight--surrendered and was boarded.

"Egad!" cried Raleigh. "Here's luck, for the cargo's of fire arms.
I'll stow them away in my own vessel and let the captive go!"

Proceeding on his voyage, he not long afterwards encountered and
captured another prize; a Flemish ship sailing homeward with a cargo
of fine wine. Twenty hogsheads were transferred to the hold of
Raleigh's ship and the captured craft was allowed to sail on,--empty.

Things continued to go well. The Island of Trinidad