Fortunately four days afterwards a sail hove in sight and
gave chase, and before it was dark was near enough to fire a gun
and make us heave to, and a quarter of an hour later a boat came
alongside, and I again heard English spoken for the first time
since I had left you at Cadiz.
"It was an English buccaneer, who, being short of water and fresh
vegetables, had chased us, though seeing we were but a petty trader
and not likely to have aught else worth taking on board. They
wondered much when I discovered myself to them and told them who
I was and how I had come there; and when, on their rowing me on
board their ship, I told the captain my story he told me that he
thought I was the greatest liar he had ever met. To be a galley slave
among the Spaniards, a galley slave among the Moors, a consorter
with Indians for two years, and again a prisoner with the Spaniards
for as much more than fell to the lot of any one man, and he, like
the Spanish governor, believed that I was some rascal who had been
marooned, only he thought that it was from an English ship. However,
he said that as I was a stout fellow he would give me another
chance; and when, a fortnight later, we fell in with a great Spanish
galleon and captured her with a great store of prize money after
a hard fight for six hours, the last of which was passed on the
deck of the Spaniard cutting and slashing -- for, being laden with
silver, she had a company of troops on board in addition to her crew
-- the captain said, that though an astonishing liar there was no
better fellow on board a ship, and, putting it to the crew, they
agreed I had well earned my share of the prize money.
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