me, thinking me mad, whom he knew to have been
married but that day.

Surely, he said, I should wait for the light and to gather up those of
the ship's company who were still ashore. I answered that I would wait
for nothing, and when he asked why, was inspired to tell him that it was
because I went about the King's business, having letters from his Grace
to deliver to his Envoys in the South Seas that brooked of no delay,
since on them hung peace or war.

"Beware," I said to him, "how you, or any of you, dare to disobey the
King's orders, for you know that the fate of such is a short shrift and
a long rope."

Then that captain grew frightened and summoned the sailors, who by
now had slept off their drink, and to them he told my commands. They
murmured, pointing to the sky, but when they saw me standing there,
wearing a knight's armour and looking very stern with my hand upon my
sword, when also through Kari I promised them double pay for the voyage,
they, too, grew frightened, and having set some small sails, got up the
anchors.

So it came about that within little more than an hour of our boarding of
that ship she was running out towards the sea as fast as tide and wind
could drive her. I think that it was not too soon, for as the quay
vanished in the gloom I saw men with lanterns moving on it, and thought
to myself that perhaps an alarm had been given and they were come to
take me.

This captain was one who knew the river well, and with the help of
another sailor he steered us down its reaches safely. By dawn we had
passed Tilbury and at full light were off Gravesend racing for the open
sea. Now it was that behind us we perceived from the rushing clouds that
the gale, which had lulled during the night, was coming up more strongly
than ever and still easterly. The sailors grew afraid again and together
with the captain vowed that it was madness to face the sea in such
weather, and that we must anchor, or make the shore if we could.

I refused to listen to them, whereat they seemed to give way.

At that moment Kari, who had gone forward, called to me. I went to
him and he pointed out to me men galloping along the bank and waving
kerchiefs, as though to signal to us to stop.

"I think, Master," said Kari, "that some have entered the sun-room at
your house."

I nodded and watched the men who galloped and waved. For some minutes I
watched them till suddenly I saw that the ship was altering her course
so that h