When they did know it they may have looked on him as a pirate, with
whom, as with heretics, there was no need to keep faith. Anyway, the rat
was in the trap, and De Bacan did not mean to let him out. The _Jesus_
lay furthest in; the _Minion_ lay beyond her towards the entrance,
moored apparently to a ring on the quay, but free to move; and the
_Judith_, further out again, moored in the same way. Nothing is said of
the two small vessels remaining.
De Bacan made his preparations silently, covered by the town. He had men
in abundance ready to act where he should direct. On the third day, the
20th of September, at noon, the _Minion's_ crew had gone to dinner, when
they saw a large hulk of 900 tons slowly towing up alongside of them.
Not liking such a neighbour, they had their cable ready to slip and
began to set their canvas. On a sudden shots and cries were heard from
the town. Parties of English who were on land were set upon; many were
killed; the rest were seen flinging themselves into the water and
swimming off to the ships. At the same instant the guns of the galleons
and of the shore batteries opened fire on the _Jesus_ and her consorts,
and in the smoke and confusion 300 Spaniards swarmed out of the hulk and
sprang on the _Minion's_ decks.
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