Avila, General of the fleet of the King of
Spain, Don Felipe the Second, who come hither to hang and behead all
Lutherans whom I find by land or sea, according to instructions from his
Majesty, which leave me no discretion. These commands I shall obey, as
you will presently see. At daybreak I shall board your ships. If I find
there any Catholic he shall be well treated. But every heretic shall
die."

The reply to the rolling sonorous ultimatum was a shout of derision.

"Ah, if you are a brave man, don't put it off till daylight! Come on now
and see what you will get!"

Menendez in black fury snapped out a command. Cables were slipped, and
the towering black hulk of the _San Pelayo_ bore down toward the
_Trinity_. But the Breton captain was already leading the little fleet
out of danger, and with all sail set, went out to sea, answering the
Spanish fire with tart promptness. In the morning Menendez gave up the
chase and came back to find armed men drawn up on the beach, and all
the guns of the ships inside the bar pointed in his direction. He
steered southward and found three ships already unloading in a harbor
which he named San Augustin and proceeded to fortify.

In Fort Caroline, Pierre Debre, awakened by the sound of firing, ran
down to the beach, where a crowd was gathering. No one could see
anything but the flashes of the guns; who or what was attacking the
ships there was no way of knowing. The first light of dawn showed the
two fleets far out at sea, and Ribault at once ordered the drums to beat
"To arms!" They saw the great galleon approach, hover about awhile, and
bear away south. When the French fleet came back later, one of the
captains, Cosette, reported that trusting in the speed of his ship he
had followed the Spaniards to the harbor where they were now landing and
entrenching themselves.

The terror which haunted the future of every Huguenot in France now
menaced the New World.

Ribault gave his counsel for an immediate attack by sea, before Menendez
completed his defense or received reinforcements. Laudonniere was ill in
bed. The fleet sailed as soon as it could be made ready, and with it
nearly every able fighting man in the settlement. Pierre, nearly crying
with wrath and disappointment, was left among the non-combatants at the
fort. In vain did old Challeux the carpenter try to console him. It
might be, as Challeux said, that there would be plenty of chances to
fight after his beard was grown,