the defence of the coast--a few of them
wore corselets with almain rivets and carried swords, while the
pike-heads of the others rose up here and there above the crowd. The rest
of the room was filled with the townsmen of Rye--those who had been
retained for the defence of the coast, as well as others who for any
physical reason could not serve by sea or land. There was an air of
extraordinary excitement in the room. The faces of the most stolid were
transfigured, for they were gathered to hear of the struggle their own
dear England was making; the sickening pause of those months of waiting
had ended at last; the huge southern monster had risen up over the edge
of the sea, and the panting little country had flown at his throat and
grappled him; and now they were hearing the tale of how deep her fangs
had sunk.

The crowd laughed and applauded and drew its breath sharply, as one man;
and the silence now and then was startling as the young officer told his
story; although he had few gifts of rhetoric, except a certain vivid
vocabulary. He himself was a lad of eighteen or so, with a pleasant
reckless face, now flushed with drink and excitement, and sparkling eyes;
he was seated in a chair upon the further end of the table, so that all
could hear his story; and he had a cup of huff-cup in his left hand as he
talked, leaving his right hand free to emphasise his points and slap his
leg in a clumsy sort of oratory. His tale was full of little similes, at
which his audience nodded their heads now and then, approvingly. He had
apparently already begun his story, for when Anthony had taken his seat
and silence had been obtained, he went straight on without any further
introduction.

The landlord leaned over to Anthony. "The _San Juan_," he whispered
behind his hot hairy hand, and nodded at him with meaning eyes.

"And every time they fired over us," went on the lieutenant, "and we
fired into them; and the only damage they did us was their muskets in the
tops. They killed Tom Dane like that"--there was a swift hiss of breath
from the room; but the officer went straight on--"shot him through the
back as he bent over his gun; and wounded old Harry and a score more; but
all the while, lads, we were a-pounding at them with the broadsides as we
came round, and raking them with the demi-cannon in the poop,
until--well; go you and see the craft as she lies at the quay if you
would know what we did. I tell you, as we came at her once to