ese, without meeting with a Spaniard. If we do meet with
one, and he tries to interfere with us, so much the worse for him.

"Then, when we have taken in what we want, we will sail west; and
if we find this land, as I doubt not we shall, we will return home
with such treasures as were never brought before into an English
port.

"You must make up your minds, lads, that it is not to be all plain
sailing, and that we may have hardships and trials to meet with;
but no true sailor shrinks from these. It is a grand adventure,
lads--an adventure that nobles and princes would be glad to share
in. There is honor and glory in it, as well as booty. We shall be
the first Englishmen who ever sailed those seas, or dared to
dispute the right of the Spaniards to keep all the treasures of the
west in their hands; and in time to come your children's children
will be proud to say, 'My grandsire was one of those who sailed in
the Swan.'"

When the captain ceased speaking, there was a shout of enthusiasm
from his hearers; not one of whom but considered himself to be one
of the most fortunate of men, in being chosen as one of the crew of
the Swan. This was an adventure, indeed. It was no mere trading
voyage, but a grand expedition. There were new lands to be seen,
there was the satisfaction of outwitting the Spaniards, there were
glory and honor and gold to be obtained.

As for hardships and danger, they recked little of them. These
always formed part of their lot; and with so well found a ship, and
so good a crew, they felt confident of being able to face anything
that might befall them.

They speedily broke up into excited groups, eagerly discussing the
news they had heard. The new hands plied the older ones with
questions, as to the general strength of the Spanish ships, the
number of men they carried, and their armament. The guns were
examined with fresh attention and admiration, and men looked along
the sights as if already, in fancy, engaging in an encounter with
the Dons. A horn of strong ale was served out to each, by the
captain's orders, to celebrate the occasion; and the men drank
success to the enterprise, shaking each other by the hand, and each
vowing to do his share, bravely.

The wind continued favorable until they had passed Madeira, which
was seen like a cloud on the port side. Three days later the breeze
dropped, and there was a stark calm, in which the Swan lay
motionless on the sea for well nigh a fortnight. The