The English pelted the Spaniards quite cheerfully, however, with arquebus shot, whenever they showed themselves above the bulwarks, picked off a considerable number, and sustained a rather severe loss themselves, Lieutenant Preston of the Ark-Royal, among others, being dangerously wounded.  “We had a pretty skirmish for half-an-hour,” said Tomson.  At last Don Hugo de Moncada, furious at the inefficiency of his men, and leading them forward in person, fell back on his deck with a bullet through both eyes.  The panic was instantaneous, for, meantime, several other English boats—­some with eight, ten; or twelve men on board—­were seen pulling—­towards the galeasse; while the dismayed soldiers at once leaped overboard on the land side, and attempted to escape by swimming and wading to the shore.  Some of them succeeded, but the greater number were drowned.  The few who remained—­not more, than twenty in all—­ hoisted two handkerchiefs upon two rapiers as a signal of truce.  The English, accepting it as a signal of defeat; scrambled with great difficulty up the lofty sides of the Capitana, and, for an hour and a half, occupied themselves most agreeably in plundering the ship and in liberating the slaves.

It was their intention, with the flood-tide, to get the vessel off, as she was but slightly damaged, and of very great value.  But a serious obstacle arose to this arrangement.  For presently a boat came along-side, with young M. de Gourdon and another French captain, and hailed the galeasse.  There was nobody on board who could speak French but Richard Tomson.  So Richard returned the hail, and asked their business.  They said they came from the governor.

“And what is the—­governor’s pleasure?” asked Tomson, when they had come up the side.

“The governor has stood and beheld your fight, and rejoiced in your victory,” was the reply; “and he says that for your prowess and manhood you well deserve the pillage of the galeasse.  He requires and commands you, however, not to attempt carrying off either the ship or its ordnance; for she lies a-ground under the battery of his castle, and within his jurisdiction, and does of right appertain to him.”

This seemed hard upon the hundred volunteers, who, in their two open boats, had so manfully carried a ship of 1200 tons, 40 guns, and 750 men; but Richard answered diplomatically.

“We thank M. de Gourdon,” said he, “for granting the pillage to mariners and soldiers who had fought for it, and we acknowledge that without his good-will we cannot carry away anything we have got, for the ship lies on ground directly under his batteries and bulwarks.  Concerning the ship and ordnance, we pray that he would send a pinnace to my Lord Admiral Howard, who is here in person hard by, from whom he will have an honourable and friendly answer, which we shall all-obey.”