"I know not," he replied thoughtfully. "This much I will say, that before they conquer England they must face a united people, such as there hast not been since the time of William the Norman."
"Where lies the English fleet?" I asked. "I see naught of it, though it must be near."
"Behind yon acclivity," he replied, pointing to the left of us, where I could dimly see the jagged outline of the coast.
We were swiftly sailing towards that point; a few minutes passed and we rounded the promontory. There in the still waters lay the English squadron, their decks alive with men, lights gleaming everywhere as the boats moved hither and thither between the vessels. The rough commands of the officers floated out to us upon the night air; the bustle and stir of preparation were everywhere, as ammunition was piled upon the decks, the guns were cleaned for action, and all was gotten in readiness to meet the foe on the morrow.
The long roll of the drum upon our ship met my ear. Drake had aroused his men, and in a few moments our deck was as busy as any of those of the vessels around us. Sir Francis had gotten into his boat, and pulled out to where Lord Howard, who was in command, lay.
Our men ran to and fro upon the vessel, preparing, strengthening, arming, putting everything in order.
Naught had been said to me, so I looked on. Yet I would put in a blow for England to-morrow; though she spurned and disowned me, I would yet strike for the life of the country of my fathers, that had given me birth, and for which my ancestors had fought, bled, and died.
I paced the deck and watched the men, who, perspiring and grimy, were cleaning the great guns, stacking cutlasses and swords in huge heaps upon the vessel, and bringing up ammunition from the hold. Some of them were singing rude songs as they toiled at their work; others, grim and silent, were staggering under the weight of the iron balls for the guns. Everywhere there were hope and courage, even in the face of the overwhelming force they were to face in a few hours. Not for a moment did I see any trace of despair and discouragement.
"Let them come," growled one burly fellow, as he whirled a great cutlass and made it hum about his head; "we will give them such a dose that they will ne'er come back for a second." A low murmur of approval came from his fellows, as with set and determined faces they stopped work an instant to look at him.
All the short summer night the boats came and went, until when the great light of morning broke, everything was prepared for the fray. Oliver had been with Sir Francis Drake, running to and fro carrying messages and commands, and now he pulled back with him at daybreak from the vessel of Lord Howard, where Drake had been in consultation all night. Sleepy and red-eyed the boy scrambled on board.