For the Love of Lady Margaret: A Romance of the Lost Colony

by William Thomas Wilson

I stood a little to one side of Drake, my breastplate on; in my hands was a great ax, for I had not asked for my sword, and had chosen this weapon for the fight. We almost touched the enemy, their tier of guns hung high above us; I could have tossed a biscuit easily on board.

"Now," cried Drake, "Let them have it, boys!"

At the sound there arose a deafening roar; the vessel rocked like a leaf upon the water; the smoke in a dense cloud hid us from the foe. I could hear the crash as the balls struck the ship; could hear the exclamations and oaths of the men; and our sailors, leveling their musketoons into the smoke, fired. Another chorus of yells and curses—we had evidently struck them somewhere.

The noise and uproar around us were deafening, as ship after ship wreathed in fire and smoke closed with the galleons; oaths, curses, and shouts filled the air; volley after volley sounded as the vessels exchanged broadsides; the smoke hid everything from us in a dense cloud. Hoarse words of command, prayers, the screams of the wounded and dying, the shouts of the victorious, the clashing of swords as some ship was boarded—and over it all a dense pall, dark and impenetrable.

Now and then a breeze would blow aside the smoke, and I could see vessels, English and Spanish, around me; could see the men fighting hand to hand on the deck of some great galleon that had been boarded—rising and falling, cutting and thrusting; the Englishmen now advancing and bearing their foes before them, now borne back by some desperate rush. Then another vessel would sweep up to the side of the ship on which they were struggling, and would discharge a load of men. With a yell they would bear down upon the Spaniards and beat them back, and then the smoke would settle, and like a dark curtain shut out the scene.

The Spaniards in the great vessel under which we lay had endeavored to train their culverins upon us, but in vain, we were too far below them. So they had given that up, and with a volley of small arms had swept our deck. Many of our men had fallen under the storm of lead, and we had replied with another broadside, and then another.

The galleon was sorely hit; we could hear her as she reeled from the shock of the shot, and the smoke clearing showed us the great rents in the side of the ship where our balls had torn through her. At close range the destruction was terrible; her decks were strewn with the dead and dying. It looked like a slaughter pen as the blood ran in great streams down the rough planks.

Then another great ship sailed alongside of us, and our deck swarmed with Spaniards; at the same time the stricken galleon poured what remained of her crew over into us and we were boarded from both sides at the same time. We divided our ranks, fore and aft, with a volley that dropped many a man; then sword in hand we stood firm and steadfast.

Ah! that was a good fight that day. Though they outnumbered us three to one, yet they had not the stern stuff in them of our men. Drake seemed to bear a charmed life; he was here and there—now in the midst of the foe, a dozen swords aimed at him, now back among our men; one moment in front, now on the other side. Wherever the Spaniards pressed our men the hardest, there might be seen his yellow beard and bloody sword.

But I had short time to observe him, for a dozen Spaniards were at me. With a shout, I brained a couple with my great ax, and the others gave way before me; but in an instant they were back, cutting at me with their swords. Oliver was by my side, and right nobly did he play his part; I know not what I would have done without him. Gay, debonair, smiling, he met them and with me drove them back.