At the touch of the cord he snapped the
bonds which bound him, dashed one of the archers to the deck, and
seizing the other round the waist sprang with him into the sea.
"By my hilt, he is gone!" cried Aylward, rushing to the side.
"They have sunk together like a stone."
"I am right glad of it," answered Sir Nigel; "for though it was
against my vow to loose him, I deem that he has carried himself
like a very gentle and debonnaire cavalier."
CHAPTER XVII.
HOW THE YELLOW COG CROSSED THE BAR OF GIRONDE.
For two days the yellow cog ran swiftly before a northeasterly
wind, and on the dawn of the third the high land of Ushant lay
like a mist upon the shimmering sky-line. There came a plump of
rain towards mid-day and the breeze died down, but it freshened
again before nightfall, and Goodwin Hawtayne veered his sheet and
held head for the south. Next morning they had passed Belle
Isle, and ran through the midst of a fleet of transports
returning from Guienne. Sir Nigel Loring and Sir Oliver
Buttesthorn at once hung their shields over the side, and
displayed their pennons as was the custom, noting with the
keenest interest the answering symbols which told the names of
the cavaliers who had been constrained by ill health or wounds to
leave the prince at so critical a time.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339