et. Edward looked at her with a kindling
eye, for indeed she was a noble sight with the blue water creaming under
her gilded prow.

"This is a most worthy and debonair vessel, Master Bunce," said he to
the shipman beside him. "I would fain have a tilt with her. I pray you
to hold us straight that we may bear her down."

"If I hold her straight, then one or other must sink, and it may be
both," the seaman answered.

"I doubt not that with the help of our Lady we shall do our part," said
the King. "Hold her straight, master-shipman, as I have told you."

Now the two vessels were within arrow flight, and the bolts from the
crossbowmen pattered upon the English ship. These short thick devil's
darts were everywhere humming like great wasps through the air, crashing
against the bulwarks, beating upon the deck, ringing loudly on the armor
of the knights, or with a soft muffled thud sinking to the socket in a
victim.

The bowmen along either side of the Philippa had stood motionless
waiting for their orders, but now there was a sharp shout from their
leader, and every string twanged together. The air was full of their
harping, together with the swish of the arrows, the long-drawn keening
of the bowmen and the short deep bark of the under-officers. "Steady,
steady! Loose steady! Shoot wholly together! Twelve score paces! Ten
score! Now eight! Shoot wholly together!" Their gruff shouts broke
through the high shrill cry like the deep roar of a wave through the
howl of the wind.

As the two great ships hurtled together the Spaniard turned away a few
points so that the blow should be a glancing one. None the less it was
terrific. A dozen men in the tops of the carack were balancing a huge
stone with the intention of dropping it over on the English deck. With a
scream of horror they saw the mast cracking beneath them. Over it went,
slowly at first, then faster, until with a crash it came down on its
side, sending them flying like stones from a sling far out into the sea.
A swath of crushed bodies lay across the deck where the mast had fallen.
But the English ship had not escaped unscathed. Her mast held, it is
true, but the mighty shock not only stretched every man flat upon the
deck, but had shaken a score of those who lined her sides into the sea.
One bowman was hurled from the top, and his body fell with a dreadful
crash at the very side of the prostrate King upon the forecastle. Many
were thrown down with broken arms and l