ned her the 'Cacaplata.'"

"Glory, glory! Cowards they are, as I told them. I told them they never
could stand the Devon mastiffs, and well they flogged me for saying it;
but they could not stop my mouth. O sir, tell me, did you get the ship
that came up after her?"

"What was that?"

"A long race-ship, sir, from Guayaquil, with an old gentleman on
board,--Don Francisco de Xararte was his name, and by token, he had a
gold falcon hanging to a chain round his neck, and a green stone in the
breast of it. I saw it as we rowed him aboard. O tell me, sir, tell me
for the love of God, did you take that ship?"

"We did take that ship, and the jewel too, and her majesty has it at
this very hour."

"Then tell me, sir," said he slowly, as if he dreaded an answer; "tell
me, sir, and oh, try and mind--was there a little maid aboard with the
old gentleman?"

"A little maid? Let me think. No; I saw none."

The man settled his features again sadly.

"I thought not. I never saw her come aboard. Still I hoped, like; I
hoped. Alackaday! God help me, Salvation Yeo!"

"What have you to do with this little maid, then, good fellow!" asked
Grenville.

"Ah, sir, before I tell you that, I must go back and finish the story of
Mr. Oxenham, if you will believe me enough to hear it."

"I do believe thee, good fellow, and honor thee too."

"Then, sir, I can speak with a free tongue. Where was I?"

"Where was he, Amyas?"

"At the Isle of Pearls."

"And yet, O gentles, tell me first, how Captain Drake came into the
South Seas:--over the neck, as we did?"

"Through the Straits, good fellow, like any Spaniard: but go on with thy
story, and thou shalt have Mr. Leigh's after."

"Through the Straits! O glory! But I'll tell my tale. Well, sirs
both--To the Island of Pearls we came, we and some of the negroes. We
found many huts, and Indians fishing for pearls, and also a fair house,
with porches; but no Spaniard therein, save one man; at which Mr.
Oxenham was like a man transported, and fell on that Spaniard, crying,
'Perro, where is your mistress? Where is the bark from Lima?' To which
he boldly enough, 'What was his mistress to the Englishman?' But Mr. O.
threatened to twine a cord round his head till his eyes burst out; and
the Spaniard, being terrified, said that the ship from Lima was expected
in a fortnight's time. So for ten days we lay quiet, letting neither
negro nor Spaniard leave the island, and took good store of pearls,
fe