In Doublet and Hose Part 34

"Boy, I thought thee asleep," cried the admiral. "How long hast thou been awake?"

"But just to hear you say that you needed men for some service," answered Francis, springing lightly out of the hammock.

"I said men, not boys," said Drake smiling.

"Speak not so, Sir Francis," reproved the admiral. "The lad hath borne well his part though he is so slight and maiden-like."

"And there is this to be considered," went on Francis eagerly. "I have escaped from the Tower. My father, as ye know, is an exile. What lies before me but imprisonment, or that worse than death, exilement from my native land. 'Twere better to send me whatever may be the hazard than others who can illy be spared."

"Listen, boy, and thou shalt hear what the enterprise is. I trow that it will quell even thy brave spirit, burning though it be with valor. This night some of our ships covered over with rosin and pitch and filled with sulphur, gunpowder and other combustibles, are to be sent into the midst of the Spanish, fired and set adrift amongst them. 'Tis fraught with great danger and peril to the lives of those who adventure it."

"Still let me be one of them," pleaded the girl earnestly.

"There is much in the lad's favor," said Drake meditatively. "He speaks truth when he declares that it would be best to send one who lies under the queen's disfavor than another."

"Yes; and if successfully performed it may bring him pardon. Elizabeth cannot but look with favor upon those who help to carry out a project devised by herself. Drake, I give my consent for the lad to go."

"Perchance Edward Devereaux----" began Francis and then paused. What right had she to bring another into peril that might result in loss of life? But Lord Howard laughingly said:

"Another youth, Sir Francis, who burns to distinguish himself."

"Then let him have his chance," was the vice-admiral's reply. "You and I would have jumped at such opportunity, my lord."

"Go you then, Stafford, to Master Devereaux and tell him privately of the enterprise. 'Twill be naught against him if he chooses not to accompany the expedition. If he should so select, come to me, both of you."

Francis eagerly sought young Devereaux. It so chanced that he stood for the moment apart from his fellows. Joining him she said in a low tone:

"Edward, do you wish to adventure a most perilous undertaking?"

"Marry! Francis Stafford! how canst thou ask such question? Thou knowest that I burn to do something. It chafes me to be so inactive while in such near distance lies the Spaniard."

"Then hearken! This night ships besmeared with pitch and rosin and filled with combustibles are to be sent into the midst of yon fleet. Two men are already chosen to guide them thither, and thou and I can accompany them also. But the admiral bids me say that it may be dangerous."

"Huzzah!" pealed forth from the lips of the youth like the blast of a trumpet.

"Hush!" whispered Francis. "He desires it not to be made public. Come to him."

She could scarce keep pace with his eagerness as he bounded before her into the presence of the English commanders.

"I thank you, my lords," he said bowing to them, "for this opportunity.

When shall we be off?"

The two men could not forbear a smile.

"There is no hurry, Devereaux," said Lord Howard. "It will be after night falls before the ships are started. Art sure that the peril is well understood? It may be that you will not come back."

"It may be so, sir," answered the young man. "Sir Francis or any one of us may be taken in the next engagement. But who would preserve life if by giving it he may keep England and England's queen from the invader?"

"Spoken like a true Englishman, lad," cried Drake heartily. "Now, my lord, these two will return with me and, in G.o.d's name, with my two Devon men we shall this night so put upon the Spaniards as they shall ne'er dream of setting foot on English soil again."

"Go," said the lord admiral placing an arm about the neck of each. "Go, my lads. My hopes and prayers go with you. And should aught happen to ye, the queen shall know that ye died in her service. And so fare you well."

"Fare you well," answered they both and followed after Drake to his own boat--The Revenge.

About two o'clock Monday morning eight ships smeared all over the outside with pitch and rosin, their ordnance loaded with stones and bullets and filled with sulphur and other materials suddenly combustible glided out from among the English fleet and took their way silently toward the Spanish ships lying so serenely at anchor. The night was cloudy. The moon was late in its last quarter and did not rise till morning. The darkness favored their enterprise. The wind blew in long, low gusts from the westward which drove them full upon the Armada. Presently as the dark forms of the ships bore full upon the Spanish vessels a tiny spark of light gleamed like a twinkling star at the stern of the boats. For a second it wavered and flickered and then in a moment more a red glare lighted up the heavens and cast a lurid glow upon the two fleets, the cliffs of England and the sea and showing plainly two boats--with Young and Prowse, the two men of Devon in one; Francis and Edward in the other.

With a rush and roar the flames leaped madly from stem to stern and up through all the rigging sending out great tongues of fire forward, backward, sideways threatening total destruction to anything that came within their reach.

"Pull, Francis," cried Devereaux bending with desperate strength to the oars. "Pull for your life."

The girl obeyed with a will. And now from the ships of Spain there went up a fearful cry. A panic seized upon them at sight of those awful burning vessels. They cried out that not only was there danger of fire but that they contained deadly engines also. Everything was in confusion.

Panic-stricken they weighed anchor, cut their cables, hoisted their sails and struck for the open sea, every ship afoul of her neighbor. A huge gallea.s.s had her rudder broken and drifted helplessly with the tide.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_PULL, PULL FOR YOUR LIFE!_"]

With shouts and cries of joy the English fleet sailed after the Armada.

Meantime the small boats pulled hastily for the nearest English vessel, but so suddenly did the Spanish scatter, and the English change to take advantage of their flight, that the position of the boats became dangerous in the extreme: for what with the high wind, the burning ships, the rolling of the deep, the helter-skelter flight of the Armada and the pursuit of the English their position was, to say the least, precarious.

Devereaux changed the course of his boat several times, but as he was borne in spite of himself among the Spanish vessels he cried despairingly to Francis,

"It is of no avail, Francis. We must die."

"Look!" was the girl's reply.

Full well upon them bore a galleon, The Saint Matthew.

"Dogs of heretics," cried the commander from the p.o.o.p of the vessel, "die!"

"Ned, dear Ned!" shrieked Francis, throwing herself upon him, striving to shield him from the bullets and arrows that rained about them. The lad gave her one look, and opened his lips to reply when, with a shout of wild joy from the sailors, The Revenge glided in between the frail bark and her towering foe.

"Heave ho," cried Francis Drake in stentorian tones. "Lie to, my lads.

Did'st think we'd leave such likely lads to perish? Nay; below with ye,"

as they were pulled on deck. "Ye have done your part. The rest of us will now bear the brunt of action."

And the English fleet swept on to deal the final blow to His Most Catholic Majesty, Philip of Spain's, Invincible Armada.

CHAPTER x.x.x

PARDON AND HAPPINESS

The final blow which sent the Armada flying northward had been given.

With not a single ship taken and but one, the small bark of c.o.c.k, lost, and not more than sixty men killed, the English fleet sent up a paean of joy, and drew up for conference before following further the fleeing enemy.

"Ye two," said the lord admiral to Francis and Devereaux, "seeing that ye lie under Her Most Sovereign Majesty's displeasure, shall bear to her the tidings of our victory. None deserve it more, and, please G.o.d, by so doing ye shall win pardon from her. As for me I shall on after the Spaniard as long as provisions and ammunition will permit."