When the man turned his back to them he could see great lights dotted irregularly over the black surface of the ocean.
These were the lanterns hanging at the masts of the fleet, silently and closely following its leader.
When he turned again and came under the sparse rays of one of his own lamps, that was fastened a man’s height on the mast, he was shown to be a stout, short gentleman with a ruddy face and thick brown hair, very splendidly dressed in scarlet velvet trimmed with gold braid, and wearing a heavy sword in his fringed baldric and a handsome pistol in his belt.
His wide boots were turned over with crimson leather flaps, and on his right shoulder was a bunch of black ribbons.
He carried his red plumed hat under his arm and walked with a slightly swaggering gait.
Pausing for a moment under the lantern he drew out his watch.
Two o’clock.
As he was passing on again a sailor came noiselessly across the deck.
“Mynheer the Admiral, Mynheer Cornelius de Witt would like to speak to you.”