d-for-end but at an angle. The two flagships met with a
terrific crash; and the crowded main-top of the Spaniard, snapping from
off the mast, went splash into the sea, carrying its little garrison
down with all their warlike gear. The charging ships rebounded for a
moment, and then ground against each others' sides, wrecked each
others' rigging, and began the fight with showers of arrows, battering
stones from aloft, and wildfire flying to and fro. The Spanish
flagship was the bigger of the two, more stoutly built, and with more
way on when they met; so she forged ahead a good deal damaged, while
the King's ship wallowed after, leaking like a sieve. The tremendous
shock of the collision had opened every seam in her hull and she began
to sink. The King still wanted to follow the Spanish flagship; but his
sailors, knowing this was now impossible, said: "No, Sire, your Majesty
can not catch her; but we can catch another." With that they laid
aboard the next one, which the king took just in time, for his own ship
sank a moment after.

The Black Prince had the same good luck, just clearing the enemy's deck
before his own ship sank. Strange to say, the same thing happened to
Robert of Namur, a Flemish friend of Edward's, whose vessel, grappled
by a bigger enemy, was sinking under him as the two were drifting side
by side, when Hanekin, an officer of Robert's, climbed into the Spanish
vessel by some entangled rigging and cut the ropes which held the
Spanish sails. Down came the sails with a run, flopping about the
Spaniards' heads; and before the confusion could be put right Robert
was over the side with his men-at-arms, cutting down every Spaniard who
struggled out of the mess. The Basques and Spaniards fought most
bravely. But the chief reason why they were beaten hand-to-hand was
because the English archers, trained to shooting from their boyhood up,
had killed and wounded so many of them before the vessels closed.

The English won a great victory. But it was by no means complete,
partly because the Spanish fleet was too strong to be finished off, and
partly because the English and their Flemish friends wanted to get home
with their booty. Time out of mind, and for at least three centuries
to come, fleets were mostly made up of vessels only brought together
for each battle or campaign; and even the King's vessels were expected
to make what they could out of loot.

With the sea roads open to the English and mos