"What is it?" I could hear White answer. "We are delayed, and are making all speed to join our consorts—we cannot stop."
"Thou dost go on at thy peril!" the voice roared. "A prisoner doomed to die has escaped from the Tower, and we are to search each vessel. It will take but a moment, and my orders are to fire on every ship that disobeys. Wait but a moment."
White shouted back: "I will go on a little further down the river, and stop at yonder wharf."
"No!" shouted the man, his voice becoming fainter, for the ship was staggering through the water with the speed of a race horse. "Stop! or I shall fire on thee."
White did not answer, only I heard him urge the men to put on more sail. A moment—then a dull roar, and the culverins crashed, as somewhere behind us they fired. A scornful laugh from the deck. Evidently we were out of range now. Then I heard a cry from above: "The man-of-war is making sail for us!" And there was the sound of hurried steps, as the men ran to and fro upon the deck in fear. If we could only keep this up but for a few minutes, we would soon be upon the high seas. The wind was blowing a very gale, as with every stitch of sail set, the vessel plunged through the water. It was broad daylight now, and every moment was golden to us; at any instant a vessel might block our way, and all would be lost.
Four long hours passed; several merchant vessels had gone by on their way to London, their crews pointing at us and staring in wonder as we dashed on at full speed. One or two had attempted to hail us, but we had paid no attention to their repeated shouts, and had kept steadily down the river. Our pursuer had fallen far behind us and was out of sight; only the rippling Thames lay before us.
A man knocked upon the door and informed us that Governor White awaited us on deck, and we followed him to where White stood, a little apart from his men.
"We have almost reached the ocean," he said as we approached him. "If Sir Robert desires to land, he had best do so now; but say the word and thou shalt go ashore where thou dost wish."
Bobby turned to me.
"I have half a mind to go with thee, Thomas," he said in a low voice. "It would be a change of scene, and I would be company for thee in that strange land."