life; and that it was loss of blood,
alone, which had caused him to faint. At this news the men all took
heart, and rejoiced so exceedingly that a stranger would have
supposed that they had attained some great victory, rather than
have come out unsuccessful from an adventure which promised to make
each man wealthy.

Upon the second day after their arrival at the Isle of Victuals,
they saw a boat rowing out from the direction of Nombre de Dios. As
they knew that there was no fleet in that harbor which would
venture to attack them, the English had no fear of the approaching
boat; although, indeed, they wondered much what message could have
been sent them. On board the boat was an hidalgo, or Spanish noble,
who was rowed by four negroes. He said that he had come from the
mainland to make inquiries as to the gallant men who had performed
so great a feat, and that he cherished no malice, whatever, against
them. He wished to know whether the Captain Drake who commanded
them was the same who had been there before, and especially did he
inquire whether the arrows used by the English were poisoned; for,
he said, great fear and alarm reigned in the town, many believing
that all who had been struck by the English shafts would certainly
die.

Upon this head he was soon reassured; and the English were, indeed,
mightily indignant at its being supposed that they would use such
cowardly weapons as poisoned arrows.

Then the hidalgo inquired why the English had so suddenly retreated
from the town, when it was in their hands, and why they had
abstained from carrying off the three hundred and sixty tons of
silver which lay at the governor's house, and the still greater
value of gold in the treasure house--the gold, indeed, being far
more valuable than the silver, insomuch as it was more portable.
The answers to all these questions were freely given, for in those
days there was a curious mixture of peace and war, of desperate
violence and of great courtesy, between combatants; and whereas,
now, an enemy arriving with a view merely to obtain information
would be roughly treated, in those days he was courteously
entertained, and his questions as freely answered as if he had been
a friend and ally.

When he heard of the wound of Captain Drake he expressed great
sorrow; and, after many compliments were exchanged, he returned to
Nombre de Dios; while, the next day, Captain Drake and the English
rowed away to the Isle of Pines, where Cap