d began to plait slippers for
the little maid.

"And as I was plaiting, Mr. Oxenham said, 'What hinders us from dying
like men, every man falling on his own sword?' To which I answered that
I dare not; for a wise woman had prophesied of me, sirs, that I should
die at sea, and yet neither by water or battle, wherefore I did not
think right to meddle with the Lord's purposes. And William Penberthy
said, 'That he would sell his life, and that dear, but never give it
away.' But the lady said, 'Ah, how gladly would I die! but then la
paouvre garse,' which is in French 'the poor maid,' meaning the little
one. Then Mr. Oxenham fell into a very great weeping, a weakness I never
saw him in before or since; and with many tears besought me never
to desert that little maid, whatever might befall; which I promised,
swearing to it like a heathen, but would, if I had been able, have kept
it like a Christian. But on a sudden there was a great cry in the
wood, and coming through the trees on all sides Spanish arquebusiers,
a hundred strong at least, and negroes with them, who bade us stand
or they would shoot. William Penberthy leapt up, crying 'Treason!' and
running upon the nearest negro ran him through, and then another, and
then falling on the Spaniards, fought manfully till he was borne down
with pikes, and so died. But I, seeing no thing better to do, sate
still and finished my plaiting. And so we were all taken, and I and Mr.
Oxenham bound with cords; but the soldiers made a litter for the lady
and child, by commandment of Senor Diego de Trees, their commander, a
very courteous gentleman.

"Well, sirs, we were brought down to the place where the house of boughs
had been by the river-side; there we went over in boats, and found
waiting for us certain Spanish gentlemen, and among others one old and
ill-favored man, gray-bearded and bent, in a suit of black velvet, who
seemed to be a great man among them. And if you will believe me, Mr.
Leigh, that was none other than the old man with the gold falcon at his
breast, Don Francisco Xararte by name, whom you found aboard of the Lima
ship. And had you known as much of him as I do, or as Mr. Oxenham did
either, you had cut him up for shark's bait, or ever you let the cur
ashore again.

"Well, sirs, as soon as the lady came to shore, that old man ran upon
her sword in hand, and would have slain her, but some there held him
back. On which he turned to, and reviled with every foul and spi