him. My iron-bound fist took him
full betwixt the eyes, and looking down upon his crushed and spattered
face as he lay I knew that Pedro the whip-master would whip men no more
these many days.

Then (not minded to die by the whip or upon a pike-head) turned I and
sprang for the ship's side, but the chain about my leg hampered me
sorely, and ere I could mount the high bulwark I was beset from behind.
So would I have faced them and died fighting but fierce strokes
battered me to my knees, fierce hands wrenched and tore at me, and
grown faint with blows I was overborne, my hands lashed behind me, and
thus helpless I was dragged along the gangway and so up the ladder to
the poop where, plain to all men's sight, a whipping-post had been set
up. Yet even so I struggled still, panting out curses on them, French
and Spanish and English, drawing upon all the vile abuse of the
rowing-bench and lazarette since fain would I have them slay me out of
hand the rather than endure the miseries and anguish of my lot. Yet
this might not be (since slaves were hard to come by and I was mighty
and strong) wherefore I struggled no more, but suffered them to strike
off my broken fetters and bind me to the whipping-post as they listed.
Yet scarce had they made an end when there comes a loud hail from the
masthead, whereupon was sudden mighty to-do of men running hither and
yon, laughing and shouting one to another, some buckling on armour as
they ran, some casting loose the great ordnance, while eyes turned and
hands pointed in the one direction; but turn and twist me how I might I
could see nought of any strange sail by reason of the high bulkhead
beside me.

Of a sudden all voices were hushed as up the poop-ladder comes the
commander Don Miguel in his black armour, who, looking long and
steadily to windward, gives a sign with his gauntleted hand, whereon
divers of the officers go off hot-foot, some to muster the long files
of arquebusiers, others to overlook the setting of more sail and the
like. And now was a prodigious cracking of whips followed by groans
and cries and screaming curses, and straightway the long oars began to
swing with a swifter beat. From where I stood in my bonds I could look
down upon the poor, naked wretches as they rose and fell, each and all
at the same moment, in time to the stroke.

For maybe half an hour the chase was kept up and then all at once the
decks quivered 'neath the discharge of one of the forward