"Thinkest thou that I value life? What hinders me from
destroying every one of you and myself as well?"

"This!" said Pharaoh, suddenly knocking the candle out of his hand. It
flew across the powder, and striking a bulkhead opposite, went out
harmlessly. So we seized Frey Bartolomeo, who now bitterly reproached
himself for not having blown up the ship before we reached him, and
conducted him to the upper deck, from whence he and Captain Nunez were
presently conveyed to the Golden Hinde, where they were safely stowed in
irons.

And now, the fight being over, Drake and his men made haste to see what
treasure the galleon contained. In this quest, however, those of us who
had been rescued from the oars took no part, for now that the excitement
was dying away our feverish strength went with it, so that we presently
began to exhibit signs of terrible distress and exhaustion, and many of
us swooned away. Here, however, our rescuers came to our further relief,
and the ship's doctor was soon busily engaged in seeing to us, dressing
our wounds, giving us oils and unguents for our bloody stripes, and
ordering wine and food for all of us. So we were much refreshed; but
none of these things, comforting as they were, seemed so good to us as
the words of kindness, which we heard with wonder and astonishment, our
ears having become accustomed to naught but threatenings and revilings.

While we were occupied in this pleasant fashion, Drake's men transferred
a vast amount of treasure from the Santa Filomena to the Golden Hinde.
There was a large quantity of jewels, fourteen chests of ryals of plate,
over a hundred pounds weight of gold, twenty tons of uncoined silver,
and pieces of wrought gold and silver plate of great value. The
discovery of all this treasure put our newly-found friends in high
good-humor, such ventures not having come in their way since they had
left the coast of Panama some months previous.

When all this treasure had been transferred to Drake's vessel, the
Golden Hinde, the admiral sent for the Englishmen who had been rescued
from the Santa Filomena, and gave audience to us on the quarterdeck. A
sad and sorry multitude we looked, spite of the surgeon's care, as we
stood gazing at the great sea-captain who had rescued us, and waiting
for him to speak.

"Friends and fellow-countrymen," said he, "every one of you shall go
back with me to England. We have strange tales to tell ourselves, and
so, it is somewhat evid