raised her again, and carried her yet farther in;
and then a third succeeded, and left her far inshore of the more
dangerous breakers, wedged upon a bank.

"Now, boys," cried Lawless, "the saints have had a care of us, indeed.
The tide ebbs; let us but sit down and drink a cup of wine, and before
half an hour ye may all march me ashore as safe as on a bridge."

A barrel was broached, and, sitting in what shelter they could find from
the flying snow and spray, the shipwrecked company handed the cup
around, and sought to warm their bodies and restore their spirits.

Dick, meanwhile, returned to Lord Foxham, who lay in great perplexity
and fear, the floor of his cabin washing knee-deep in water, and the
lamp, which had been his only light, broken and extinguished by the
violence of the blow.

"My lord," said young Shelton, "fear not at all; the saints are plainly
for us; the seas have cast us high upon a shoal, and as soon as the tide
hath somewhat ebbed, we may walk ashore upon our feet."

It was nearly an hour before the vessel was sufficiently deserted by the
ebbing sea, and they could set forth for the land, which appeared dimly
before them through a veil of driving snow.

Upon a hillock on one side of their way a party of men lay huddled
together, suspiciously observing the movements of the new arrivals.

"They might draw near and offer us some comfort," Dick remarked.

"Well, an' they come not to us, let us even turn aside to them," said
Hawksley. "The sooner we come to a good fire and a dry bed the better
for my poor lord."

But they had not moved far in the direction of the hillock, before the
men, with one consent, rose suddenly to their feet, and poured a flight
of well-directed arrows on the shipwrecked company.

"Back! back!" cried his lordship. "Beware, in Heaven's name, that ye
reply not."

"Nay," cried Greensheve, pulling an arrow from his leather jack. "We are
in no posture to fight, it is certain, being drenching wet, dog-weary,
and three-parts frozen; but for the love of old England, what aileth
them to shoot thus cruelly on their poor country people in distress?"

"They take us to be French pirates," answered Lord Foxham. "In these
most troublesome and degenerate days we cannot keep our own shores of
England; but our old enemies, whom we once chased on sea and land, do
now range at pleasure, robbing and slaughtering and burning. It is the
pity and reproach of this poor land."

The men upon