Page:A Mainsail Haul - Masefield - 1913.djvu/126

114 Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war. "Mr. Smith was tired also," and Mr. Smith was neatly lazoed, and dragged before the Spanish Governor before he was well awake. "He being examined how many Men we were, said 1000 at the City, and 500 at the Canoas, which made well for us at the Canoas, who straggling about every day might easily have been destroyed." Mr. Smith dipped his pen in earthquake and eclipse till the Spanish Governor "sent in a Flag of Truce," in the hope of coming to a composition, and getting rid of such an army. The buccaneers received the Flag with all due ceremony, and demanded some ₤70,000 as a ransom for the town, with a further douceur of "as much Provision as would victual 1000 Men four Months, and Mr. Smith to be ransomed." However, a ransom of such proportions was not readily forthcoming. The pirates waited patiently for a few days, pillaging "all they could rob," and then set fire to the place:

And when the town burned all in flame With tara tantara away we all came.

The Spaniards "sent in Mr. Smith," the next morning, "and had a gentlewoman in exchange."