"What a murrain have you, Leigh, to quarrel with Winter?" asked two or three.
"I say, my reverend fathers and dear children, do get the Don's talking tackle free again, and leave me and the admiral to settle it our own way."There was more than one captain sitting in the ring, but discipline, and the degrees of rank, were not so severely defined as now; and Amyas, as a "gentleman adventurer," was, on land, in a position very difficult to be settled, though at sea he was as liable to be hanged as any other person on board; and on the whole it was found expedient to patch the matter up.So Captain Raleigh returning, said that though Admiral Winter had doubtless taken umbrage at certain words of Mr.Leigh's, yet that he had no doubt that Mr.Leigh meant nothing thereby but what was consistent with the profession of a soldier and a gentleman, and worthy both of himself and of the admiral.
From which proposition Amyas found it impossible to dissent;whereon Raleigh went back, and informed Winter that Leigh had freely retracted his words, and fully wiped off any imputation which Mr.Winter might conceive to have been put upon him, and so forth.So Winter returned, and Amyas said frankly enough--"Admiral Winter, I hope, as a loyal soldier, that you will understand thus far; that naught which has passed to-night shall in any way prevent you finding me a forward and obedient servant to all your commands, be they what they may, and a supporter of your authority among the men, and honor against the foe, even with my life.For I should he ashamed if private differences should ever prejudice by a grain the public weal."This was a great effort of oratory for Amyas; and he therefore, in order to be safe by following precedent, tried to talk as much as he could like Sir Richard Grenville.Of course Winter could answer nothing to it, in spite of the plain hint of private differences, but that he should not fail to show himself a captain worthy of so valiant and trusty a gentleman; whereon the whole party turned their attention to the captive, who, thanks to Will Cary, was by this time sitting up, standing much in need of a handkerchief, and looking about him, having been unhelmed, in a confused and doleful manner.
"Take the gentleman to my tent," said Winter, "and let the surgeon see to him.Mr.Leigh, who is he?--""An enemy, but whether Spaniard or Italian I know not; but he seemed somebody among them, I thought the captain of a company.He and I cut at each other twice or thrice at first, and then lost each other; and after that I came on him among the sand-hills, trying to rally his men, and swearing like the mouth of the pit, whereby I guess him a Spaniard.But his men ran; so I brought him in.""And how?" asked Raleigh."Thou art giving us all the play but the murders and the marriages.""Why, I bid him yield, and he would not.Then I bid him run, and he would not.And it was too pitch-dark for fighting; so I took him by the ears, and shook the wind out of him, and so brought him in.""Shook the wind out of him?" cried Cary, amid the roar of laughter which followed."Dost know thou hast nearly wrung his neck in two?
His vizor was full of blood."
"He should have run or yielded, then," said Amyas; and getting up, slipped off to find some ale, and then to sleep comfortably in a dry burrow which he scratched out of a sandbank.
The next morning, as Amyas was discussing a scanty breakfast of biscuit (for provisions were running very short in camp), Raleigh came up to him.
"What, eating? That's more than I have done to-day.""Sit down, and share, then."
"Nay, lad, I did not come a-begging.I have set some of my rogues to dig rabbits; but as I live, young Colbrand, you may thank your stars that you are alive to-day to eat.Poor young Cheek--Sir John Cheek, the grammarian's son--got his quittance last night by a Spanish pike, rushing headlong on, just as you did.But have you seen your prisoner?""No; nor shall, while he is in Winter's tent.""Why not, then? What quarrel have you against the admiral, friend Bobadil? Cannot you let Francis Drake fight his own battles, without thrusting your head in between them?""Well, that is good! As if the quarrel was not just as much mine, and every man's in the ship.Why, when he left Drake, he left us all, did he not?""And what if he did? Let bygones be bygones is the rule of a Christian, and of a wise man too, Amyas.Here the man is, at least, safe home, in favor and in power; and a prudent youth will just hold his tongue, mumchance, and swim with the stream.""But that's just what makes me mad; to see this fellow, after deserting us there in unknown seas, win credit and rank at home here for being the first man who ever sailed back through the Straits.What had he to do with sailing back at all! As well make the fox a knight for being the first that ever jumped down a jakes to escape the hounds.The fiercer the flight the fouler the fear, say I.""Amyas! Amyas! thou art a hard hitter, but a soft politician.""I am no politician, Captain Raleigh, nor ever wish to be.An honest man's my friend, and a rogue's my foe; and I'll tell both as much, as long as I breathe.""And die a poor saint," said Raleigh, laughing."But if Winter invites you to his tent himself, you won't refuse to come?""Why, no, considering his years and rank; but he knows too well to do that.""He knows too well not to do it," said Raleigh, laughing as he walked away.And verily in half-an-hour came an invitation, extracted of course, from the admiral by Raleigh's silver tongue, which Amyas could not but obey.
