With shouts and cries of joy the English fleet sailed after the Armada. Meantime the small boats pulled hastily for the nearest English vessel, but so suddenly did the Spanish scatter, and the English change to take advantage of their flight, that the position of the boats became dangerous in the extreme: for what with the high wind, the burning ships, the rolling of the deep, the helter-skelter flight of the Armada and the pursuit of the English their position was, to say the least, precarious. Devereaux changed the course of his boat several times, but as he was borne in spite of himself among the Spanish vessels he cried despairingly to Francis, "It is of no avail, Francis. We must die." "Look!" was the girl's reply. Full well upon them bore a galleon, The Saint Matthew. "Dogs of heretics," cried the commander from the poop of the vessel, "die!" "Ned, dear Ned!" shrieked Francis, throwing herself upon him, striving to shield him from the bullets and arrows that rained about them. The lad gave her one look, and opened his lips to reply when, with a shout of wild joy from the sailors, The Revenge glided in between the frail bark and her towering foe. "Heave ho," cried Francis Drake in stentorian tones. "Lie to, my lads. Did'st think we'd leave such likely lads to perish? Nay; below with ye," as they were pulled on deck. "Ye have done your part. The rest of us will now bear the brunt of action." And the English fleet swept on to deal the final blow to His Most Catholic Majesty, Philip of Spain's, Invincible Armada. CHAPTER XXX PARDON AND HAPPINESS The final blow which sent the Armada flying northward had been given. With not a single ship taken and but one, the small bark of Cock, lost, and not more than sixty men killed, the English fleet sent up a paean of joy, and drew up for conference before following further the fleeing enemy. "Ye two," said the lord admiral to Francis and Devereaux, "seeing that ye lie under Her Most Sovereign Majesty's displeasure, shall bear to her the tidings of our victory. None deserve it more, and, please God, by so doing ye shall win pardon from her. As for me I shall on after the Spaniard as long as provisions and ammunition will permit." And so it came about that Francis and Devereaux proceeded to the camp at Tilbury, where the queen was at this time. She was dining in the tent of Lord Leicester, the lieutenant general of the land forces, herself being the generalissimo, when they arrived. There were present, beside the queen and the earl, Sir Francis Walsingham, who had come down from London for conference with the queen; Hatton, the vice chamberlain, the young Earl of Essex who, despite his inexperience, had been made the captain-general of the cavalry, and Lord Shrope, who had hastened to return to England upon hearing of his country's peril. Francis flashed a glance of joyful recognition at him, but was deterred from other greeting by the presence of the queen.