nearly as we can sail to the wind of the truth, the man, desiring
restitution and reward, speaks plain honesty."

"He spoke 'plain honesty' after the taking of the _San José_," muttered
Arden. "Yet we found a hawk where we looked for a wren's nest. Oh, I
grant you there were explanations enough to stand between him and the
yard-arm, and that Fortune, having turned her wheel in our favor,
apparently left her industry and fell asleep! She awakened
this morning."

"Wring thine own neck for a bird of ill omen!" began Baldry, to be cut
short by the Admiral's grave "Where all's danger, whatever course we
shape, who gives a safer chart?" Then, as no one spoke: "To our loss we
have found both shoal and reef between us and yonder castle. Think you
not that I know, as knew Sir Mortimer Ferne, that we are shown a
doubtful channel by a shifty pilot? But beyond is the open sea of all
our hopes. Fortune and her wheel, Giles Arden!--nay, rather God and His
hand over the issues of life and death!"

Up in his white fortress that same hour De Guardiola heard in silence
the Admiral's message of defiance, then when he and Mexia were again
alone frowned thoughtfully over a slip of paper which by devious ways
had shortly before reached his hand. With all their vigilance not every
hole and crevice could the English stop; Spanish was the town and
Spanish the overhanging fortress, and the former was the place of many
women and priests. The conquerors strove to secure the place as with a
fowler's net, yet now and again a bird of the air fluttered through
their meshes. The paper which Don Luiz held ran as follows: "May not a
countryman of heretics choose his own king? When Death peers too
closely--as was the case upon the galleon _San José_--may not a man turn