The Colorado statesman., 1917-01-27

the North sea and the Orkneys-aH
the places that figure today IN the
submarine and other naUat newS of
the two huge watching sea powerS,
figure thriIIingly IN the last and
greatest scene of Charles Kingsley'S
famous sea story, "WeStward Ho"
When Don Guzman Maria Magdale-
ma Sotomayor de Soto won and carried
away from Devon, Rose Salterne, whom
all the young blades called the Rose of
Torridge, Amyas Leigh of Bideford
swore great oath. He swore that he
would kill the Spanish grandee. though
he hunted him around the earth's globe
and though thousand times n thou
sand salt tides should pass before he
found him.
He sailed his tall ship Rose to the
Spanish Main and failed to meet his
foe. But he left the ships bones there
with those of his brother, and he re-
turned home knowing that RoseN%as
dead in Venezuela. 1t made his hatred
all the more black, seeing that there
was little left to him except that
hatred.
He prayed often thereafter-an aw-
full prayer. 1t was that Don Guzman
might not die before they met.
A wild joy was his when one day
Sir Richard Grenville stormed into his
house and brought news that a great
Armada of Spain was sailing toward
the coast of England to break the
island kingdom forever.
He sailed out of Bideford into the
Bristol channel and around Lands
End up the English channel to Plym-
outh, where were gathered ships of
Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Fro
bisher, Raleigh and dozen more of
Queen Elizabeth's Spain-hating gentle
men-adventurers. None hated Spain
more than did the crew of Amyas
Leigh's ship, the Vengeance.
They waited till the Armada was
spied sweeping up Channel past the
Lizard in formation half-moon-wise
and full seven miles from wing to
wing
Then they put out.
They banged and ran away and
banged and fled again, their little ships
hanging to the Spaniard's high sea-
castles as Swapping whippets might
hang to a herd of Andalusian bulls.
They shufIled the huge fleet past
Plymouth and down the coasG to Ports
mouth. From the Needles poured Eng
lish ship after ship to join the fight
that shook the white chalk cliffs. Past
Brighton cliffs Beachy head, Hastings
and DunEeness it roared with clouds
of sulphur smoke and vast painted silk
banners shining high above.
The Vengeance was in the press of
1t. Amyas Leigh was at the helm and
by his side fierce old Salvation Yeo,
who had been with John OXenham at
Panama and had only one wish in all
the world-to pay back the Spaniards
for hanging that beloved captain.
Through smoke and bangings and
battles, now of single ships, now of
confused squadrons, these two steered
the Vengeance ever again toward one
Spanish ship, great galleon whose
banners flaunted the bright coat-of-
arms of De Soto. And Don Guzman
was not remiss. Shining in silvery
mail, his brave figure stood on the
poop, bcckoning to Amyas Leigh with
a hungry sword.
The sea-tight drove down on Calais,
and toward yellow Dunkirk sands, and
of sudden northward and out into
the North sea. Then the English fleet
knew that the great Armada was run
ming. Past Yarmouth and the mouth
of the Humber and Marlborough head
10 n
tish coast came in sight. My Lord
Thomas Howard hung to them and
drove tlem beyond the tempting shell
ter of the Firth of Forth.
Once past there, it was all over. The
avalanche that was to overwhelm
England had melted helplessly and
pitiably away.
One by one the English ships
dropped off, to piilage prizes or carry
them into port. At last only one ship
remained in chase. 1t was the Ven
gSance, and the ship she chased was
the galleon Santa Catherine-shot-
torn, gale-battered, her gold tarnished
and her bright silken banners ragged,
but unbeaten still and commanded still
by the undaunted Don Guzman.
They raced around Scotland and the
Orkneys. Then the Vengeance forced
him south again, down between the
Hebrides and Scotland and past the
Isle of Skye, whose wild inhabitants
howled with glee. Into the Irish sea
they raced, and southwark past Holy
head into Cardigan bay. Four times
they fought, and still Don Guzman
eyaded q prapDle. So on the sixteenth
day of the chase the two came around
st. David's head and into the opening
of Amyas Leigh's own Bristol channel.
They turned eastward - toward
home, the home whence the Spaniard