The Spaniards had an unlimited reserve. They could not all hope to empty their guns into their heroic little foe, but they crowded round, ever near, to supply the attacking ships when needed with fresh soldiers, all manner of arms, and with powder and shot in plenty. To the Revenge there remained no such comfort, no supply of either ships or men or weapons, and, alas! no hope.
CHAPTER XX.
THE LAST FIGHT OF THE "REVENGE".
ONCE, indeed, in the course of the fight, an English ship appeared, brave and willing to offer her small help.
Towards sunset, during a momentary lull in the storm of battle, while one of the broken and battered Spanish ships was being cleared away from the ceaseless fury of the English guns, Jacob Hartop left the little brass falcon gun on the forecastle, at which he had stood for four terrible hours, and went down for a drink of water. A musket-shot had struck him in the thigh, and he was somewhat faint. He limped within the doorway of the seamen's quarters. A dozen men were in this shelter, some binding up their wounds, some resting and gathering breath before going out again upon the decks, others patiently waiting for their turn with the water-dipper.
Jacob's eyes surveyed them, passing slowly from one face to another. He nodded to one, gave a cheering smile to another, and helped a third to tie a knot in the kerchief which he was binding over his arm.
"What say you, my masters?" said he. "This be life, eh? This be tasting glory!"
"Ah—h!" breathed Jeff Dimsdale, the man who was taking the dipper from young Robin Redfern. "'Tis such glory as might fill many of our friends at home with envy. May I taste more on't ere I be like Tom Wilson that's down below on the ballast with a bullet in his honest heart!" He raised the water to his pale lips. "Tom would ha' given a deal for this drop o' water, I reckon," he said. Then, still hesitating to drink, he added: "Here's to Queen Bess, God bless her!"
Drinking the water at one long draught, he silently handed the dipper back to Robin and passed out into the open.