three days after the receipt of the letter, ned hearne stood with his bundle on the quay at plymouth. near him lay a large rowboat from the ships, waiting to take off the last comers. a little way behind, captain francis drake and his brother, captain john drake, talked with the notable people of plymouth, who had come down to bid them farewell; the more since this was a holiday, being whitsun eve, the 24th may, and all in the town who could spare time had made their way down to the hove to watch the departure of the expedition; for none could say how famous this might become, or how great deeds would be accomplished by the two little craft lying there. each looker on thought to himself that it might be that, to the end of his life, he should tell his children and his children's children, with pride, "i saw mr. drake start for his great voyage."

small, indeed, did the fleet appear, in comparison to the work which it had to do. it was composed of but two vessels. the first, the pacha, of seventy tons, carrying forty-seven men and boys, was commanded by captain francis drake himself. by her side was the swanne, of twenty-five tons, carrying twenty-six men and boys, and commanded by captain john drake. this was truly but a small affair to undertake so great a voyage.

in those days the spaniards were masters of the whole of south america, and of the isles of the west indies. they had many very large towns full of troops, and great fleets armed to carry the treasure which was collected there to spain. it did seem almost like an act of madness that two vessels, which by the side of those of the spaniards were mere cockleshells, manned in all by less than eighty men, should attempt to enter a region where they would be regarded, and rightly, as enemies, and where the hand of every man would be against them.

captain drake and his men thought little of these things. the success which had attended their predecessors had inspired the english sailors with a belief in their own invincibility, when opposed to the spaniards. they looked, to a certain extent, upon their mission as a crusade. in those days england had a horror of popery, and spain was the mainstay and supporter of this religion. the escape which england had had of having popery forced upon it, during the reign of mary, by her spouse, philip of spain, had been a narrow one; and even now, it was by no means certain that spain would not, sooner or later, endeavor to carry out the pretensions of the late queen's husband. then, too, terrible tales had come of the sufferings of the indians at the hands of the spaniards; and it was certain that the english sailors who had fallen into the hands of spain had been put to death, with horrible cruelty. thus, then, the english sailors regarded the spaniards as the enemy of their country, as the enemy of their religion, and as the enemy of humanity. besides which, it cannot be denied that they viewed them as rich men, well worth plundering; and although, when it came to fighting, it is probable that hatred overbore the thought of gain, it is certain that the desire for gold was, in itself, the main incentive to those who sailed upon these expeditions.

amid the cheers of the townsfolk the boats pushed off, mr. francis drake and his brother waving their plumed hats to the burghers of plymouth, and the sailors giving a hurrah, as they bent to the oars. ned hearne, who had received a kind word of greeting from mr. drake, had taken his place in the bow of one of the boats, lost in admiration at the scene; and at the thought that he was one of this band of heroes, who were going out to fight the spaniards, and to return laden with countless treasure wrested from them. at the thought his eyes sparkled, his blood seemed to dance through his veins.

the western main, in those days, was a name almost of enchantment. such strange tales had been brought home, by the voyagers who had navigated those seas, of the wonderful trees, the bright birds, the beauties of nature, the gold and silver, and the abundance of all precious things, that it was the dream of every youngster on the seaboard some day to penetrate to these charmed regions. a week since, and the realization of the dream had appeared beyond his wildest hopes. now, almost with the suddenness of a transformation scene, this had changed; and there was he on his way out to the swanne, a part of the expedition itself. it was to the swanne that he had been allotted, for it was on board that ship that the boy whose place he was to take had been seized with illness.

although but twenty-five tons in burden, the swanne made a far greater show than would be made by a craft of that size in the present day. the ships of the time lay but lightly on the water, while their hulls were carried up to a prodigious height; and it is not too much to say that the portion of the swanne, above water, was fully as large as the hull which we see of a merchantman of four times her tonnage. still, even so, it was but a tiny craft to cross the atlantic, and former voyages had been generally made in larger ships.

mr. francis drake, however, knew what he was about. he considered that large ships required large crews to be left behind to defend them, that they drew more water, and were less handy; and he resolved, in this expedition, he would do no small part of his work with pinnaces and rowboats; and of these he had three fine craft, now lying in pieces in his hold, ready to fit together on arriving in the indies.

as they neared the ships the two boats separated, and ned soon found himself alongside of the swanne. a ladder hung at her side, and up this ned followed his captain; for in those days the strict etiquette that the highest goes last had not been instituted.

"master holyoake," said mr. john drake, to a big and powerful-looking man standing near, "this is the new lad, whose skill in swimming, and whose courage, i told you of yesternight. he will, i doubt not, be found as willing as he is brave; and i trust that you will put him in the way of learning his business as a sailor. it is his first voyage. he comes on board a green hand, but i doubt not that, ere the voyage be finished, he will have become a smart young sailor."

"i will put him through," john holyoake, sailing master of the ship, replied; for in those days the sailing master was the navigator of the ship, and the captain was as often as not a soldier, who knew nothing whatever about seamanship. the one sailed the ship, the other fought it; and the admirals were, in those days, more frequently known as generals, and held that position on shore.

as ned looked round the deck, he thought that he had never seen a finer set of sailors. all were picked men, hardy and experienced, and for the most part young. some had made previous voyages to the west indies, but the greater portion were new to that country. they looked the men on whom a captain could rely, to the last. tall and stalwart, bronzed with the sun, and with a reckless and fearless expression about them, which boded ill to any foes upon whom they might fall.

although ned had never been to sea on a long voyage, he had sailed too often in the fishing boats of his native village to have any qualm of seasickness, or to feel in any degree like a new hand. he was, therefore, at once assigned to a place and duty.

an hour later the admiral, as mr. francis drake was called, fired a gun, the two vessels hoisted their broad sails and turned their heads from shore, and the crews of both ships gave a parting cheer, as they turned their faces to the south.

as ned was not in the slightest degree either homesick or seasick, he at once fell to work, laughing and joking with the other boys, of whom there were three on board. he found that their duties consisted of bearing messages, of hauling any rope to which they were told to fix themselves, and in receiving, with as good a face as might be, the various orders, to say nothing of the various kicks, which might be bestowed upon them by all on board. at the same time their cheerful countenances showed that these things which, when told, sounded a little terrible, were in truth in no way serious.

ned was first shown where he was to sling his hammock, and how; where he was to get his food; and under whose orders he was specially to consider himself; the master, for the present, taking him under his own charge. for the next ten days, as the vessel sailed calmly along, with a favoring wind, ned had learned all the names of the ropes and sails, and their uses; could climb aloft, and do his share of the work of the ship; and if not yet a skilled sailor, was at least on the high road to become one. the master was pleased at his willingness and eagerness to oblige, and he soon became a great favorite of his.

between the four boys on the ship a good feeling existed. all had been chosen as a special favor, upon the recommendation of one or other of those in authority. each of them had made up his mind that, one of these days, he, too, would command an expedition to the west indies. each thought of the glory which he would attain; and although, in the hearts of many of the elder men in the expedition, the substantial benefits to be reaped stood higher than any ideas of glory or honor; to the lads, at least, pecuniary gain exercised no inducement whatever. they burned to see the strange country, and to gain some of the credit and glory which would, if the voyage was successful, attach to each member of the crew. all were full of fun, and took what came to them, in the way of work, so good temperedly and cheerfully, that the men soon ceased to give them work for work's sake.

they were, too, a strong and well-built group of boys. ned was by a full year the youngest, and by nigh a head the shortest of them; but his broad shoulders and sturdy build, and the strength acquired by long practice in swimming and rowing, made him their equal.

there were, however, no quarrels among them, and their strength they agreed to use in alliance, if need be, should any of the crew make a dead set at one or other of them; for even in an expedition like this there must be some brutal, as well as many brave men. there were assuredly two or three, at least, of those on board the swanne who might well be called brutal. they were for the most part old hands, who had lived on board ship half their lives, had taken part in the slave traffic of captain hawkins, and in the buccaneering exploits of the earlier commanders. to them the voyage was one in which the lust of gold was the sole stimulant; and, accustomed to deeds of bloodshed, what feelings they ever had had become utterly blunted, and they needed but the power to become despotic and brutal masters.

the chief among these was giles taunton, the armorer he was a swarthy ruffian, who hid, beneath the guise of a jovial bonhomie, a cruel and unfeeling nature. he was ever ready to cuff and beat the boys, on the smallest provocation.

they soon gathered together, in a sort of defensive league, against their common oppressors. all four were high-spirited lads. the other three, indeed, were sons of men of substance in devon, whose fathers had lent funds to captain drake for the carrying out of his great enterprise. they therefore looked but ill on the kicks and curses which, occasionally, fell to their lot.

one day they gathered together round the bowsprit, and talked over what they should do. gerald summers, the eldest of the party, proposed that they should go in a body to captain drake, and complain of the tyranny to which they were subject. after some talk, however, all agreed that such a course as this would lower them in the estimation of the men, and that it would be better to put up with the ill treatment than, to get the name of tell tales.

ned then said to the others:

"it seems to me that, if we do but hold together, we need not be afraid of this big bully. if we all declare to each other and swear that, the first time he strikes one of us, we will all set upon him; my faith on it, we shall be able to master him, big as he is. we are all of good size, and in two years will think ourselves men; therefore it would be shame, indeed, if the four of us could not master one, however big and sturdy he may be."

after much consultation, it was agreed that this course should be adopted; and the next day, as reuben gale was passing by giles, he turned round and struck him on the head with a broom. the boy gave a long whistle, and in a moment, to the astonishment of the armorer, the other three lads rushed up, and at once assailed him with fury. astonished at such an attack, he struck out at them with many strange oaths. gerald he knocked down, but ned leaped on his back from behind, and the other two, closing with him, rolled him on to the deck; then, despite of his efforts, they pummeled him until his face was swollen and bruised, and his eyes nearly closed.

some of the men of his own sort, standing by, would fain have interfered; but the better disposed of the crew, who had seen, with disgust, the conduct of the armorer and his mates to the boys, held them back, and said that none should come between.

just as the boys drew off, and allowed the furious armorer to rise to his feet, captain john drake, attracted by the unusual noise, came from his cabin.

"what is this?" he asked.

"these young wild cats have leapt upon me," said giles taunton furiously, "and have beaten me nigh to death. but i will have my turn. they will see, and bitterly shall they have cause to regret what they have done."

"we have been driven almost weary of our lives, sir, with the foul and rough conduct of this man, and of some of his mates," gerald said. "we did not like to come to tell you of it, and to gain the name of carry tales; but we had resolved among ourselves at last that, whoever struck one of us, the whole should set upon him. today we have carried it out, and we have shown giles taunton that we are more than a match for one man, at any rate."

"four good-sized dogs, if they are well managed," said captain john drake, "will pull down a lion; and the best thing that the lion can do is to leave them alone.

"i am sorry to hear, master taunton, that you have chosen to mistreat these lads; who are, indeed, the sons of worthy men, and are not the common kind of ship boys. i am sure that my brother would not brook such conduct, and i warn you that, if any complaint again on this head reaches me, i shall lay it before him."

with angry mutterings, the armorer went below.

"we have earned a bitter foe," ned said to his friends, "and we had best keep our eyes well open. there is very little of the lion about master taunton. he is strong, indeed; but if it be true that the lion has a noble heart, and fights his foes openly, methinks he resembles rather the tiger, who is prone to leap suddenly upon his enemies."

"yes, indeed, he looked dark enough," gerald said, "as he went below; and if looks could have killed us, we should not be standing here alive, at present."

"it is not force that we need fear now, but that he will do us some foul turn; at all events, we are now forewarned, and if he plays us a scurvy trick it will be our own faults."

for several days the voyage went on quietly, and without adventure. they passed at a distance the portuguese isle of madeira, lying like a cloud on the sea. the weather now had become warm and very fair, a steady wind blew, and the two barks kept along at a good pace.

all sorts of creatures, strange to the boys, were to be seen in the sea. sometimes there was a spout of a distant whale. thousands of flying fish darted from the water, driven thence by the pursuit of their enemies beneath; while huge flocks of gulls and other birds hovered over the sea, chasing the flying fish, or pouncing down upon the shoals of small fry; whose splashings whitened the surface of the water, as if a sandbank had laid below it.

gradually, as the time went on, the heat increased. many of the crew found themselves unable to sleep below, for in those days there was but little thought of ventilation. the boys were among these, for the heat and the confinement were, to them, especially irksome.

one day the wind had fallen almost to a calm, and the small boat had been lowered, to enable the carpenter to do some repair to the ship's side, where a seam leaked somewhat, when the waves were high. when night came on, and all was quiet, ned proposed to the others that they should slip down the rope over the stern into the boat which was towing behind; where they could sleep undisturbed by the tramp of the sentry, or the call to pull at ropes and trim sails.

the idea was considered a capital one, and the boys slid down into the boat; where, taking up their quarters as comfortably as they could, they, after a short chat, curled themselves up and were soon sound asleep, intending to be on board again, with the earliest gleam of morn.

alone in mid-ocean

when they awoke, however, it was with a start and a cry. the sun was already high, but there were no signs whatever of the ship; they floated, alone, in the mid-ocean. with blank amazement they looked at each other.

"this is a stroke of misfortune, indeed," gerald said. "we have lost the ship, and i fear our lives, as well.

"what do you say, otter?"

for the lad's nickname had come on board ship with him, and he was generally known by it.

"it seems to me," said ned, "that our friend the armorer has done us this bad turn. i am sure that the rope was well tied, for i was the first who slipped down it, and i looked at the knot well, before i went over the side and trusted my weight to it. he must have seen us, and as soon as he thought we were fairly asleep must have loosened the knot and cast us adrift. what on earth is to be done, now?"

"i should think," gerald said, "that it will not be long before the ship comes back for us. the boat is sure to be missed, in the morning, for the carpenter will be wanting it to go over the side. we, too, will be missed, for the captain will be wanting his flagon of wine, soon after the day has dawned."

"but think you," tom tressilis said, "that the captain will turn back on his voyage, for us?"

"of that i think there is no doubt," gerald said; "the only question is as to the finding us, but i should say that of that there is little fear; the wind is light, the ship was not making fast through the water, and will not be more than fifty miles, at most, away, when she turns on her heel and comes to look for us. i expect that master taunton knew, well enough, that we should be picked up again; but he guessed that the admiral would not be pleased at losing a day, by our freak, and that the matter is not likely to improve the favor in which we may stand with him and his brother."

"it is going to be a terrible hot day," ned said, "and with the sun above our heads and no shade, and not so much as a drop of water, the sooner we are picked up the more pleasant it will be, even if we all get a touch of the rope's end for our exploit."

all day the boys watched anxiously. once they saw the two vessels sailing backward on their track, but the current had drifted the boat, and the ships passed fully eight miles away to windward of them, and thus without seeing them. this caused the boys, courageous as they were, almost to despair.

"if," argued gerald, "they pass us in the daylight, our chance is small, indeed, that they will find us at night. they will, doubtless, sail back till dusk; and then judge that they have missed us, or that we have in some way sunk; then, putting their heads to the west, they will continue their voyage.

"if we had oars, or a sail, we might make a shift to pull the boat into the track they are following, which would give us a chance of being picked up when they again turn west; but as we have neither one nor the other, we are helpless, indeed."

"i do not think," ned said, "that captain john or his brother are the men to leave us, without a great effort; and methinks that, when they have sailed over the ground to the point where, at the utmost, we must have parted from them, they will lay by through the night, and search back again, tomorrow."

and so it proved. on the morrow, about midday, the boys beheld one of the ships coming up, nearly in a line behind them; while the other, some six miles away to leeward, was keeping abreast of her.

"they are quartering the ground, like hounds," gerald said; "and, thanks to their care and thoughtfulness, we are saved, this time."

by the time that, three hours later, the ship, which was the pacha, came alongside, the boys were suffering terribly from the heat and thirst; for thirty-six hours no drop of water had passed their lips, and the sun had blazed down upon them with terrible force. therefore when the vessel hauled her course, and laid by for a boat to be lowered to pick them up, their plight was so bad a one that captain francis, although sorely vexed at having lost near two days of his voyage, yet felt that they had been amply punished for their escapade.