“Go to; you are drunken!” said De Guardiola, coldly.  “You speak what you cannot act.”

“I have three houses in the town,” swore the other.  “A reasonable ransom—­”

“There is no longer any question of ransom,” answered Don Luiz.  “Fellow”—­to the armorer,—­“fetch me a surgeon.”

Mexia sat upright, his eyes widening:  “No question of ransom!  I thank the saints that I am no hidalgo!  Now had simple Pedro Mexia been somewhat roughly handled, unhorsed mayhap, even the foot of an English heretic planted on his breast, I think that talk of the ransom of Nueva Cordoba would not have ceased.  But Don Luiz de Guardiola!—­quite another matter!  Santa Teresa! if the town is burnt I will have payment for my three houses!” His superior snarled, then as the surgeon entered, made signs to the latter to uncover a bruised shoulder and side.

At sunrise a trumpet was blown without the tunal, and the English again made demand of ransom money.  The fortress crouching upon the hilltop gave no answer, stayed silent as a sepulchre.  Shortly afterwards from one quarter of the town arose together many columns of smoke; a little later an explosion shook the earth.  The great magazine of Nueva Cordoba lay in ruins, while around it burned the houses fired by English torches.  “Shall we destroy the whole of your city?” demanded the English.  “Judge you if fifty thousand ducats will build it again!”

Nueva Cordoba, distracted, sent petitioners to their Governor.  “Pay these hell-hounds and pirates and let them sail away!” “Pay,” advised also Pedro Mexia, “or presently they may have the fortress as well as the town!  The squadron—­it is yet at Cartagena!  Easier to torment the caciques until more gold flows than to build another Nueva Cordoba.  Scarpines and strappado won’t lay stone on stone!”

Don Luiz kept long silence where he stood, a man of iron, cold as the stone his long fingers pressed, venomous as any snake in the tunal, proud as a Spaniard may be, and like the rest of his world very mad for gold; but at last he turned, and despatching to the English camp a white flag, proposed by mouth of his herald a brief cessation of hostilities, and a meeting between himself, Don Luiz de Guardiola, Governor of Nueva Cordoba, and the valorous Senor John Nevil, commandant of Englishmen.  Whereto in answer came, three-piled with courtesy, an invitation to Don Luiz de Guardiola and ten of his cavaliers to sup that evening in Nueva Cordoba with John Nevil and his officers.  Truce should be proclaimed, safe-conduct given; for table-talk could be no better subject than the question of ransom.

Facing the square of Nueva Cordoba was a goodly house, built by the Church for the Church, but now sacrilegiously turned to other uses and become the quarters of Sir John Nevil and Sir Mortimer Ferne, who held the town and menaced the fortress, while Baptist Manwood and Robert Baldry kept the fleet and conquered battery.  The place had a great arched refectory, and here the English prepared their banquet.