Flushinger."

"If I stole Flushingers' wines, I never stole negurs' souls, Jack
Hawkins; so there's your answer. My lord, hang me if you will; life's
short and death's easy 'specially to seamen; but if I didn't see the
Spanish fleet last sun-down, coming along half-moon wise, and full seven
mile from wing to wing, within a four mile of me, I'm a sinner."

"Sirrah," said Lord Howard, "is this no fetch, to cheat us out of your
pardon for these piracies of yours?"

"You'll find out for yourself before nightfall, my lord high admiral.
All Jack Fleming says is, that this is a poor sort of an answer to a man
who has put his own neck into the halter for the sake of his country."

"Perhaps it is," said Lord Howard. "And after all, gentlemen, what can
this man gain by a lie, which must be discovered ere a day is over,
except a more certain hanging?"

"Very true, your lordship," said Hawkins, mollified. "Come here, Jack
Fleming--what wilt drain, man? Hippocras or Alicant, Sack or John
Barleycorn, and a pledge to thy repentance and amendment of life."

"Admiral Hawkins, Admiral Hawkins, this is no time for drinking."

"Why not, then, my lord? Good news should be welcomed with good wine.
Frank, send down to the sexton, and set the bells a-ringing to cheer up
all honest hearts. Why, my lord, if it were not for the gravity of my
office, I could dance a galliard for joy!"

"Well, you may dance, port admiral: but I must go and plan, but God give
to all captains such a heart as yours this day!"

"And God give all generals such a head as yours! Come, Frank Drake,
we'll play the game out before we move. It will be two good days before
we shall be fit to tackle them, so an odd half-hour don't matter."

"I must command the help of your counsel, vice-admiral," said Lord
Charles, turning to Drake.

"And it's this, my good lord," said Drake, looking up, as he aimed his
bowl. "They'll come soon enough for us to show them sport, and yet slow
enough for us to be ready; so let no man hurry himself. And as example
is better than precept, here goes."

Lord Howard shrugged his shoulders, and departed, knowing two things:
first, that to move Drake was to move mountains; and next, that when the
self-taught hero did bestir himself, he would do more work in an hour
than any one else in a day. So he departed, followed hastily by most of
the captains; and Drake said in a low voice to Hawkins:

"Does he think we are going to knock about on a l