e she was to me), and painted me all over in
patterns, as you see; and because I had some knowledge of surgery and
blood-letting, and my fleams in my pocket, which were worth to me a
fortune, I rose to great honor among them, though they taught me more of
simples than ever I taught them of surgery. So I lived with them merrily
enough, being a very heathen like them, or indeed worse, for they
worshipped their Xemes, but I nothing. And in time my wife bare me a
child; in looking at whose sweet face, gentlemen, I forgot Mr. Oxenham
and his little maid, and my oath, ay, and my native land also. Wherefore
it was taken from me, else had I lived and died as the beasts which
perish; for one night, after we were all lain down, came a noise outside
the town, and I starting up saw armed men and calivers shining in the
moonlight, and heard one read in Spanish, with a loud voice, some fool's
sermon, after their custom when they hunt the poor Indians, how God had
given to St. Peter the dominion of the whole earth, and St. Peter
again the Indies to the Catholic king; wherefore, if they would all
be baptized and serve the Spaniard, they should have some monkey's
allowance or other of more kicks than pence; and if not, then have
at them with fire and sword; but I dare say your worships know that
devilish trick of theirs better than I."

"I know it, man. Go on."

"Well--no sooner were the words spoken than, without waiting to hear
what the poor innocents within would answer (though that mattered
little, for they understood not one word of it), what do the villains
but let fly right into the town with their calivers, and then rush
in, sword in hand, killing pell-mell all they met, one of which shots,
gentlemen, passing through the doorway, and close by me, struck my poor
wife to the heart, that she never spoke word more. I, catching up the
babe from her breast, tried to run: but when I saw the town full of
them, and their dogs with them in leashes, which was yet worse, I knew
all was lost, and sat down again by the corpse with the babe on my
knees, waiting the end, like one stunned and in a dream; for now I
thought God from whom I had fled had surely found me out, as He did
Jonah, and the punishment of all my sins was come. Well, gentlemen, they
dragged me out, and all the young men and women, and chained us together
by the neck; and one, catching the pretty babe out of my arms, calls
for water and a priest (for they had their shavelings