The fate of Hortop and his comrades was, of course, still unknown to
the rescued men; but the history even of their party was not likely to
improve the good feeling of the crew toward the Spanish ship which was
two miles to leeward of them, and which must be fought with, or fled
from, before a quarter of an hour was past. So, kneeling down upon the
deck, as many a brave crew in those days did in like case, they "gave
God thanks devoutly for the favor they had found;" and then with one
accord, at Jack's leading, sang one and all the Ninety-fourth Psalm:*
"Oh, Lord, thou dost revenge all wrong;
Vengeance belongs to thee," etc.
* The crew of the Tobie, cast away on the Barbary coast a
few years after, "began with heavy hearts to sing the
twelfth Psalm, 'Help, Lord, for good and godly men,' etc.
Howbeit, ere we had finished four verses, the waves of the
sea had stopped the breaths of most."
And then again to quarters; for half the day's work, or more than half,
still remained to be done; and hardly were the decks cleared afresh,
and the damage repaired as best it could be, when she came ranging up to
leeward, as closehauled as she could.
She was, as I said, a long flush-decked ship of full five hundred tons,
more than double the size, in fact, of the Rose, though not so lofty in
proportion; and many a bold heart beat loud, and no shame to them, as
she began firing away merrily, determined, as all well knew, to wipe out
in English blood the disgrace of her late foil.
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