prit. The high poop such as distinguished the Spanish vessels was in
the same deplorable condition; as well as the figure-head, which
represented a beardless man with a halo behind his head, and which bore
the marks of fierce hacks as well as of shot.

Anthony read the name,--the _San Juan da Cabellas_.

From the high quay too he could see down on to the middle decks, and
there was the most shocking sight of all, for the boards and the
mast-stumps and the bulwarks and the ship's furniture were all alike
splashed with blood, some of the deeper pools not even yet dry. It was
evident that the _San Juan_ had not yielded easily.

Presently Anthony saw an officer approaching, and not wishing to be led
into conversation slipped away again through the crowd to take Isabel the
news.

The two remained quietly upstairs the rest of the afternoon, listening to
the singing and the shouting in the streets, and watching from their
window the groups that swung and danced to and fro in joy at Rye's
contribution to the defeat of the invaders. When the dusk fell the noise
was louder than ever as the men began to drink more deep, and torches
were continually tossing up and down the steep cobbled streets; the din
reached its climax about half-past nine, when the main body of the
revellers passed up towards the inn, and, as Anthony saw from the window,
finally entered through the archway below; and then all grew tolerably
quiet. Presently Isabel said that she would go to bed, but just before
she left the room, the servant again came in.

"If you please, sir, Lieutenant Raxham, of the _Seahorse_, is telling the
tale of the capture of the Spanish ship; and the landlord bid me come and
tell you."

Anthony glanced at Isabel, who nodded at him.

"Yes; go," she said, "and come up and tell me the news afterwards, if it
is not very late."

When Anthony came downstairs he found to his annoyance that the place of
honour had been reserved for him in a tall chair next to the landlord's
at the head of the table. The landlord rose to meet his guest.

"Sit here, sir," he said. "I am glad you have come. And now, Mr.
Raxham----"

Anthony looked about him with some dismay at this extreme publicity. The
room was full from end to end. They were chiefly soldiers who sat at the
table--heavy-looking rustics from Hawkhurst, Cranbrook and Appledore, in
brigantines and steel caps, who had been sent in by the magistrates to
the nearest seaport to assist in