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.
"Thou hast borne thyself right gallantly in the fray," he said. "I almost feared to look, when I saw thee alone in the midst of the foe. But what has become of Oliver? I saw him but a moment ago."
I looked around; he was nowhere in sight.
"I hope no harm has befallen him," I replied anxiously. "But I lost sight of him in the fray, and I know not where he could be."
"Oliver!" shouted Drake, raising his voice, "where art thou?"
"Here," answered a muffled voice, which sounded as though it came from the bowels of the earth.
"Where?" I shouted. "I can see naught of thee."
"Up near the mast," he replied. "I am under a pile of bodies, which, from the feeling of my back, must be at least a mile high."
Treading among the dead, with which the deck was covered, we at last reached the place from which the voice proceeded. There, from under one side of a huge pile of the slain, protruded the legs of the lad. 'Twould have been laughable, had it not been for the gravity of the surroundings. The lad's head was on the other side from us, his body pinned down under the dead, who had fallen crosswise over him, and had doubtless protected his life in the fight by concealing him from view.
"Thou seemest comfortable and easy where thou liest--no doubt resting from the fatigue of the day. We had perhaps best leave thee where thou art; 'twill keep thee out of mischief."
"Comfortable!" he shouted. "My back is almost broken with the weight upon it. I feel like Atlas bearing the world upon my shoulders. Pull them off, I tell thee!"