d. We pursued other craft--mostly merchantmen--and took them; and
those of the slaves who were killed by the shot of the other ships were
replaced by their crews.

"Many a time did I pray that I should be one of those to find death; but
it never came to me, though often enough to the men by my side. At
last, one day we attacked a Spanish vessel--for we had gone down towards
the Straits of Jebel-al-Tarik--that looked like a harmless
merchant-ship, but she proved to be a war-ship disguised on purpose to
take us, and others like us. After more than an hour's fighting, during
which nearly all our men were killed, she took us; and I, with the other
Englishmen on board the galley, gave thanks to God, for we foolishly
thought that all our troubles were now over. But we were soon to find
out our mistake. There was now war between England and Spain, and we
quickly discovered that we had merely made an exchange of masters.

"We were taken on board the Spaniard and the galley was sunk. Her
owners were all hanged, being heathens, but we Englishmen were
considered heretics, and we were to be reserved for the Holy
Inquisition, that that office might convert us from our sins, and `save
us from everlasting flame', as the Spanish Dons put it. We were landed
at Cartagena, in Spain, and I, with eight others, was thrown into
prison, to await my trial at the hands of the Holy Office. One by one
we were tried, and all found guilty of `heresy'. Then they asked if we
would recant. We all refused, with the natural result that we were put
to the torture. Oh, my masters, pray daily and nightly that you may
never fall into the hands of the Holy Inquisition! Those years that I
spent on the galley were as heaven compared to being in the hands of the
Dons.

"I will not tell you how they tortured us--for indeed the story will not
bear telling,--but I bear the marks of their irons and the rack to this
day. My companions steadfastly refused to renounce their faith, and
after enduring the most hideous and awful tortures they were burnt
alive. I know not whether my tortures were worse than theirs, but at
last I could bear them no longer, and I recanted, to gain release from
my daily pain. But I was mistaken in supposing that this late
conversion was going to save me. I was tortured again, for my past
obstinacy, and then, instead of being released, I was sent to their
galleys, to spend the remainder of my life therein. By turning Romanis