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. With a rush, a new reënforcement came over the rail and made for us, led by a sturdy fellow with a long tawny beard. Then for the first time our depleted ranks gave back, and I was left almost alone; only Oliver and a dozen more stayed by me. I cut down the first fellow, and dropping my ax, for I was too hard pressed for that, I caught up his sword. "Come!" I shouted to their leader as he neared me. "Cross swords with a man!" With an oath he cut viciously at my head; I parried his thrust and lunged at him; and then with a rush a score bore down upon me, and I stood alone among the foe. It had gone hard with me, had not Drake come to the rescue; with a shout he cut his way into their ranks, and to where I still fought doggedly on. A thrust had grazed my forehead, I had another cut in the back of my head, but they were scratches and I felt them not; turning, twisting among them, I evaded the myriad blows aimed at me. With a yell the enemy gave way before us; a score of Englishmen had followed Drake, and were now hacking at them. To add to their confusion our men had driven off the boarders on the other side, and now streamed down to the rescue with loud cries of "Drake!" A moment of fierce hand-to-hand struggle, as we fought to and fro upon the bloody deck; many slipped and fell in the pools of blood, and they fought among themselves and hacked at the legs of the men as they trampled over them. Some who went down were trodden to death; others struggled to their feet and fought on. The Spaniards wavered, hesitated, and then with a rush we swept on and over them, as the great waves over the sinking ship. A few little groups remained, struggling stubbornly until they were cut down. Drake stood wiping his red sword, and looking at the bloodstained floor, all piled with gory bodies. Finally his eye fell upon me. "Art hurt, Sir Thomas?" he asked, noticing my bloody face. "No," I answered, "'tis but a scratch," and I wiped my face with my sleeve.