dangerous offing.

"Where she went we can follow!" sang out a voice from the throng in our
waist. "A d--d easy prize! And we'll give no quarter this time!" There
was a grimness in the applause of his fellows that boded little good to
some on either ship.

"Lord help all poor souls this day!" ejaculated the minister in
undertones; then aloud and more hopefully, "She hath not the look of a
don; maybe she's buccaneer."

"She is an English merchantman," said Paradise. "Look at her colors. A
Company ship, probably, bound for Virginia, with a cargo of servants,
gentlemen out at elbows, felons, children for apprentices, traders,
French vignerons, glasswork Italians, returning Councilors and heads
of hundreds, with their wives and daughters, men servants and maid
servants. I made the Virginia voyage once myself, captain."

I did not answer. I too saw the two crosses, and I did not doubt that
the arms upon the flag beneath were those of the Company. The vessel,
which was of about two hundred tons, had mightily the look of the
George, a ship with which we at Jamestown were all familiar. Sparrow
spoke for me.

"An English ship!" he cried out of the simplicity of his heart. "Then
she's safe enough for us! Perhaps we might speak her and show her that
we are English, too! Perhaps"--He looked at me eagerly.

"Perhaps you might be let to go off to her in one of the boats,"
finished Paradise dryly. "I think not, Master Sparrow."

"It's other guess messengers that they'll send," muttered Diccon.
"They're uncovering the guns, sir."

Every man of those villains, save one, was of English birth; every
man knew that the disabled ship was an English merchantman filled with
peaceful folk, but the knowledge changed their plans no whit. There was
a great hubbub; cries and oaths and brutal laughter, the noise of the
gunners with their guns, the clang of cutlass and pike as they were
dealt out, but not a voice raised against the murder that was to be
done. I looked from the doomed ship, upon which there was now frantic
haste and confusion, to the excited throng below me, and knew that I had
as well cry for mercy to winter wolves.

The helmsman behind me had not waited for orders, and we were bearing
down upon the disabled bark. Ahead of us, upon our larboard bow, was
a patch of lighter green, and beyond it a slight hurry and foam of the
waters. Half a dozen voices cried warning to the helmsman. It was he of
the woman's mantle, whom I had