eaded man who snapped the norman's
arm-bone, and the black man from norwich, and a score of others,
rattling their dice in an archer's gauntlet for want of a box.
'the ship can scarce last much longer, my masters,' quoth i.
'that is your business, old swine's-head,' cried the black
galliard. 'le diable t'emporte,' says aylward. 'a five, a four
and the main,' shouted the big man, with a voice like the flap of
a sail. hark to them now, young sir, and say if i speak not
sooth."
as he spoke, there sounded high above the shriek of the gale and
the straining of the timbers a gust of oaths with a roar of deep-
chested mirth from the gamblers in the forecastle.
"can i be of avail?" asked alleyne. "say the word and the thing
is done, if two hands may do it."
"nay, nay, your head i can see is still totty, and i' faith
little head would you have, had your bassinet not stood your
friend. all that may be done is already carried out, for we have
stuffed the gape with sails and corded it without and within.
yet when we bale our bowline and veer the sheet our lives will
hang upon the breach remaining blocked. see how yonder headland
looms upon us through the mist! we must tack within three arrow
flights, or we may find a rock through our timbers. now, st.
christopher be praised! here is sir nigel, with whom i may
confer."
"i prythee that you will pardon me," said the knight, clutching
his way along the bulwark. "i would not show lack of courtesy
toward a worthy man, but i was deep in a matter of some weight,
concerning which, alleyne, i should be glad of your rede. it
touches the question of dimidiation or impalement in the coat of
mine uncle, sir john leighton of shropshire, who took unto wife
the widow of sir henry oglander of nunwell. the case has been
much debated by pursuivants and kings-of-arms. but how is it
with you, master shipman?"
"ill enough, my fair lord. the cog must go about anon, and i
know not how we may keep the water out of her."
"go call sir oliver!" said sir nigel, and presently the portly
knight made his way all astraddle down the slippery deck.
"by my soul, master-shipman, this passes all patience!" he cried
wrathfully. "if this ship of yours must needs dance and skip
like a clown at a kermesse, then i pray you that you will put me
into one of these galeasses. i had but sat down to a flask of
malvesie and a mortress of brawn, as is my use about this hour,
when there comes a cherking, and i find my wine over my legs and
the flask in my lap, and then as i stoop to clip it there comes
another cursed cherk, and there is a mortress of brawn stuck fast
to the nape of my neck. at this moment i have two pages coursing
after it from side to side, like hounds behind a leveret. never
did living pig gambol more lightly. but you have sent for me,
sir nigel?"
"i would fain have your rede, sir oliver, for master hawtayne
hath fears that when we veer there may come danger from the hole
in our side."
"then do not veer," quoth sir oliver hastily. "and now, fair
sir, i must hasten back to see how my rogues have fared with the
brawn."
"nay, but this will scarce suffice," cried the shipman. "if we
do not veer we will be upon the rocks within the hour."
"then veer," said sir oliver. "there is my rede; and now, sir
nigel, i must crave----"
at this instant, however, a startled shout rang out from two
seamen upon the forecastle. "rocks!" they yelled, stabbing into
the air with their forefingers. "rocks beneath our very bows!"
through the belly of a great black wave, not one hundred paces to
the front of them, there thrust forth a huge jagged mass of brown
stone, which spouted spray as though it were some crouching
monster, while a dull menacing boom and roar filled the air.
"yare! yare!" screamed goodwin hawtayne, flinging himself upon
the long pole which served as a tiller. "cut the halliard! haul
her over! lay her two courses to the wind!"
over swung the great boom, and the cog trembled and quivered
within five spear-lengths of the breakers.
"she can scarce draw clear," cried hawtayne, with his eyes from
the sail to the seething line of foam. "may the holy julian
stand by us and the thrice-sainted christopher!"
"if there be such peril, sir oliver," quoth sir nigel, "it would
be very knightly and fitting that we should show our pennons. i
pray you. edricson, that you will command my guidon-bearer to
put forward my banner."
"and sound the trumpets!" cried sir oliver. "in manus tuas,
domine! i am in the keeping of james of compostella, to whose
shrine i shall make pilgrimage, and in whose honor i vow that i
will eat a carp each year upon his feast-day. mon dieu, but the
waves roar! how is it with us now, master-shipman?"
"we draw! we draw!" cried hawtayne, with his eyes still f
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