THE English armament was now on its homeward voyage, being nigh upon Cape St. Vincent. The victors brought with them, beside the two galleons and the spoil of Cadiz, divers wealthy prisoners, and forty hostages, for the due performance of the ransom; and afterwards having landed at a town called Faro, which they took, did bring away with them the library of a famous ecclesiastic-one Osorio, Bishop of Sylves. Master Francis and Harry Daring were sitting together in a secluded part of the main deck. There was, as often happened, a marked contrast between the two; the face of the former being paler than usual, and of a settled melancholy, whilst the features of the other were lighted up with a wonderful animation. Harry carried his arm in a sling, showing that he had a wound of some kind; but to look at the cheerfulness of his countenance, none would have believed it was any great matter-yet it had been cut to the bone with a halbert. It appeared he was relating to his friend what he had seen of the taking of Cadiz.

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"It was a horrible march that over the sands," exclaimed Harry; but at last, I being with Sir Walter, who was carried on men's shoulders till my lord admiral lent him a horse, entered the town with our colours flying very gallantly, and soon came up with my Lord Essex, who was fighting in the market-place surrounded by enemies. As ill luck would have it, the villains made but little resistance after we came.

I managed however to get into the thick of the fight before it was all over, and got me this thrust in my arm; whereupon I paid the caitiff who did it so handsomely, I doubt not he was as thoroughly satisfied as ever a dead Spaniard could be. The town now being our own, Sir Walter, who had hitherto rode with us on horseback, suffering much from his wound, returned to the fleet, but I was left with the rest to help keep possession of our conquest. Then came the sack. Now I did think the taking of the galleon was as exquisite fine fun as could be known; but the sacking of Cadiz beateth it hollow. Methinks all the houses in the place in the twinkling of an eye were turned inside out into the streets; and our men began a plundering away like a troop of half-starved mice just broke into a malthouse. There was such shouting and laughing as I never heard before;-some guzzling rare wines with as little discretion as an apprentice might swallow small beer -others devouring the choicest cates as greedily as a litter of pigs taketh to a feed of grains. They who cared not so much for eating, stuffed their trunks with whatsoever valuables came nighest to hand, and then filled their hats, and then loaded themselves with as much as they could carry. Perchance coming away and meeting with something they liked better, they disgorged what they had about them, and took to burthening themselves with the choicer commodity. Here you might see one fellow wrapt up in the costliest silks knocking out the head of a cask of raisins, and a little way on, another in a famous robe of gold brocade, diligently sucking of a wine barrel. In an incredible short time the principal streets were covered with almonds and olives, figs, raisins, and spices, which were kicked about and trampled under foot, and mixed with streams of wine and oil, left running out of casks that had been broken to see what they contained: and upon these were bales of stuffs and articles of furniture of great value, that had been abandoned for less bulky or more attractive plunder. But the next day I saw a sight that put me into such a humour I could take pleasure in nothing.'

"What was that, Harry ?" inquired Master Francis.

"This was it," replied the other. "Sir Walter had sent at day-break into the town to get orders from the lord general that he might go and secure the Indian fleet-which might easily have been done-but he got no answer: and whilst my lord admiral and others were disputing with the Spaniards about the ransoming of these ships, the monstrous horrible

villains set fire to them all; and there were burned nearly forty sail of as excellent fine vessels as Christian might wish to see, laden with choice merchandise for Mexico. Well, it be a certain sure thing that they who set them a fire will get a like burning themselves some of these days-that's one comfort."

His companion did not answer to this. Indeed he was too intent upon his own contemplations to pay it any regard.

"Hast noticed this Colonel Harquebus, Master Francis, that Sir Walter hath taken so much to lately!" asked Harry Daring.

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In truth no, Harry," answered his friend; "I cannot say I have taken of him any great notice."

"Methinks he behaveth exceeding uncivil to you," observed his companion.

"I have noted no such behaviour in him," replied Master Francis.

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Why he looketh at you with a perpetual frown," added Harry; and when he, in company with Sir Walter, passed us to-day on the quarter-deck, I heard him utter the words 'paltry secretary,' with a visage sour enough to turn all the wine in the ship into verjuice."

"There can be no harm in that," observed his companion, carelessly.

"No harm!" cried Harry Daring, in some astonishment. "Let any of my quality frown at me, or say or do any thing despisingly, I warrant you I could not be easy till I picked a quarrel with the varlet, and taught him to carry his sweetest looks next time we came in sight of each other. Now you be fully as good a gentleman as is any Colonel Harquebus of them all, and next time he seeketh to put on you any such indignity, I would have you call him a villain, and if he draweth upon that, have at him, and show him what brave stuff you be made of."

"That I can never do, Harry," replied Master Francis: "Colonel Harquebus is so far my superior, as to render such a course out of the question. Besides he hath done me no offence, nor do I think he would affront me wantonly and without any provocation on my part, for I have heard he is one of marvellous great magnanimity, and of exceeding singular fine gallantry in warlike matters. Indeed he hath been looked upon by many as one of the completest soldiers in all

Christendom added to which, his many laudable good vir tues have made him Sir Walter's particular friend.”

"Were he the devil's particular friend I would care not!" exclaimed his companion. Here the conversation ended, by a messenger coming from Sir Walter for Master Francis to attend him in the state cabin. Thither then hurried he on the instant, and found none there but his patron and Colonel Harquebus, socially quaffing of their wine after dinner. The latter seemed to be a man of some fifty years or so-his hair and beard gray, or rather, grizzled-his face brown, and marked with a famous scar along the right cheek and another over the forehead, his eyes were piercing and severe, and his features, though not uncomely, were so stern and haughty as almost to be repulsive. It was evident, from the great breadth of his shoulders and size of his limbs, he was of exceeding vigour: indeed, he had been one of the tallest and properest men of his time and even now appeared scarcely to have passed the very prime of his age. His dress was of extreme plainness, carelessly put on, having a dagger at his girdle, and a Spanish rapier of great length at his side. He was talking when Master Francis entered, whom he only noticed with a stare, somewhat of the rudest.

"Sit you down, Master Francis," said Sir Walter kindly to him. "There is some of the enemy's wine before you, and of very choice quality. Drink you our safe and speedy return to our own shores." Master Francis did as he was bid, the Colonel all the time seeming to scrutinise his appearance with so searching and severe a look, that others beside Harry Daring might have supposed from it he was monstrons uncivil in his manners.

"The fight commenced," said Colonel Harquebus to Sir Walter in a quick sharp voice, and as if in continuation of what he had before stated-" Enemy strongly posted. Met us with a galling fire, and the action soon became sharp. Right wing engaged with a superior force. Held their ground well. Enemy's cavalry tried to turn our left, were charged by our own horse. Desperate conflict-slashing work-as excellent good fighting as ever I saw ! Our horse forced to give way, were reinforced by another regiment, and then they charged the enemy with such wonderful fine vigour, they retreated behind the village in a presently. Enemy's guns an noyed our centre. Shifted ground and took up better. Splendid manœuvre, by this hand! Enemy's pikemen and mus