Hawkins was too ill to resist further; he murmured sadly:
"Haul down the ensign, then, and hoist a flag of truce."
So they bade the rest cease firing, and a Spanish prisoner was sent from the hold to tell Beltran de Castro that if he would give his word of honour the ship should be surrendered.
Seeing the flag of truce, the Spaniard shouted:
"Hoist out your boat, Englishman."
"We cannot do so; it be all shot to pieces."
"So is ours. Amain your sails, then; strike sail, can't you?"
"No, we can't; there be not enough men left to handle them."
Meanwhile the vice-admiral, not seeing the flag of truce, had come upon the Dainty's quarter, and firing two of his chase-pieces, wounded the captain sorely in the thigh and maimed one of the master's mates.
Then the Spanish admiral came alongside, and the prisoner jumped into the warship, and was received with all courtesy.