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Despite her majestic lines and the ornate carvings and colorful art designs painted on the sides of her high stern and forecastle； the galleon was a tough customer。 Extremely rugged and seaworthy； she was the workhorse of the oceangoing vessels of her time。 And if need be； she could slug it out with the best privateers a marauding sea nation could throw at her to defend the precious treasure in her cargo holds。
To the casual eye； the treasure galleon looked to be a threatening warship bristling with armament； but surveyed from the inside she could not conceal her true purpose as a merchant ship。 Her gun decks held ports for nearly fifty four…pound cannon。 But lulled by the Spanish belief that the South Seas were their private pond； and the knowledge that none of their ships had ever been attacked or captured by a foreign raider； the Concepcion was lightly armed with only two guns to reduce her tonnage so she could carry heavier cargo。
Now feeling that his ship was in no danger； Captain de Anton casually sat on a small stool and resumed peering through his spyglass at the rapidly approaching ship。 It never occurred to him to alert his crew for battle just to be on the safe side。
He had no certain foreknowledge； not even a vague premonition that the ship he had turned to meet was the Golden Hind； captained by England's indefatigable seadog； Francis Drake； who stood on his quarterdeck and calmly stared back at de Anton through a telescope； with the cold eye of a shark following a trail of blood。
〃Damned considerate of him to e about and meet us；〃 muttered Drake； a beady…eyed gamecock of a man with dark red curly hair plemented by a light sandy beard that tapered to a sharp point under a long swooping moustache。
〃The very least he could do after we've chased his wake for the past two weeks；〃 replied Thomas Cuttill； sailing master of the Golden Hind。
〃Aye； but she's a prize worth chasing。〃
Already laden with gold and silver bullion； a small chest of precious stones； and valuable linens and silks after capturing a score of Spanish ships since being the first English vessel to sail into the Pacific； the Golden Hind； formerly named the Pelican； pounded through the waves like a beagle after a fox。 She was a stout and sturdy vessel with an overall length of about 31 meters （102 feet） and a displacement tonnage of 140。 She was a good sailor and answered the helm well。 Her hull and masts were far from new； but； after a lengthy refit at Plymouth； she had been made ready for a voyage that was to take her 55；000 kilometers （over 34；000 miles） around the world in thirty…five months； in one of the greatest sea epics of all time。
〃Do you wish to cut across her bow and rake the Spanish jackals？〃 Cuttill inquired。
Drake dropped his long telescope； shook his head； and smiled broadly。 〃The better part of courtesy would be to trim sail and greet them like proper gentlemen。〃
Cuttill stared unprehending at his audacious mander。 〃But suppose they've put about to give battle？〃
〃Not damned likely her captain has a notion as to who we are。〃
〃She's twice our size；〃 Cuttill persisted。
〃According to the sailors we captured at Callao de Lima； the Concepcion carries only two guns。 The Hind boasts eighteen。〃
〃Spaniards！〃 Cuttill spit。 〃They lie worse than the Irish。〃
Drake pointed at the unsuspecting ship approaching bow on。 〃Spanish ship captains run rather than fight；〃 he reminded his feisty subordinate。
〃Then why not stand off and blast her into submission？〃
〃Not wise to fire our guns and run the risk of sinking her with all her loot。〃 Drake clapped a hand on Cuttill's shoulder。 〃Not to fear； Thomas。 If I scheme a crafty plan； we'll save our powder and rely on stout Englishmen who are spoiling for a good fight。〃
Cuttill nodded in understanding。 〃You mean to grapple and board her then？〃
Drake nodded。 〃We'll be on her decks before her crew can prime a musket。 They don't know it yet； but they're sailing into a trap of their own making。〃
Slightly after three in the afternoon； the Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion came about on a parallel course to the northwest again and ranged toward the Golden Hind's port quarter。 Torres climbed the ladder to his ship's forecastle and shouted across the water。
〃What ship are you？〃
Numa de Silva； a Portuguese pilot Drake had appropriated after capturing de Silva's ship off Brazil； replied in Spanish； 〃San Pedro de Paula out of Valparaiso。〃 The name of a vessel Drake had seized three weeks earlier。
Except for a few crew members who were dressed as Spanish sailors； Drake had hidden the mass of his men below decks and armed them with protective coats of mail and an arsenal of pikes； pistols； muskets； and cutlasses。 Grappling hooks attached to stout ropes were stowed along the bulwarks on the top deck。 Crossbowmen were secretly stationed in the fighting tops above the mainyards of the masts。 Drake forbade firearms in the fighting tops where musket fire could easily ignite the sails into sheets of flame。 The mainsails were hauled up and furled to give the bowmen an unobscured line of vision。 Only then did he relax and patiently wait for the moment to attack。 The fact that his Englishmen numbered eighty…eight against the Spanish crew of nearly two hundred bothered him not at all。 It was not the first time nor the last he would ignore superior odds。 His renowned fight against the Spanish Armada in the English Channel was yet to e。
From his view； de Anton saw no unusual activity on the decks of the seemingly friendly and businesslike ship。 The crew looked to be going about their duties without undue curiosity toward the Concepcion。 The captain； he observed； leaned casually against the railing of the quarterdeck and saluted de Anton。 The newer seemed deceptively innocent as it unobtrusively angled closer to the big treasure galleon。
When the gap between the two ships had narrowed to 30 meters （97 feet）； Drake gave an almost imperceptible nod； and his ship's finest sharpshooter； who lay concealed on the gun deck； fired his musket and struck the Concepcion's steersman in the chest。 In unison the crossbowmen in the fighting tops began picking off the Spaniards manning the sails。 Then； with the galleon losing control of its steerageway； Drake ordered his helmsman to run the Hind alongside the bigger vessel's high sloping hull。
As the ships crushed together and their beams and planking groaned in protest； Drake roared out； 〃Win her for good Queen Bess and England； my boys！〃
Grappling hooks soared across the railings； clattered and caught on the Concepcion's bulwarks and rigging； binding the two vessels together in a death grip。 Drake's crew poured onto the galleon's deck； screaming like banshees。 His bandsmen added to the terror by beating on drums and blaring away on trumpets。 Musket balls and arrows showered the dumbfounded Spanish crew as they stood frozen in shock。
It was over minutes after it began。 A third of the galleon's crew fell dead or wounded without firing a shot in their defense。 Stunned by confusion and fear they dropped to their knees in submission as Drake's crew of boarders brushed them aside and charged below decks。
Drake rushed up to Captain de Anton； pistol in one hand； cutlass in the other。 〃Yield in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth of England！〃 he bellowed above the din。
Dazed and incredulous； de Anton surrendered his ship。 〃I yield；〃 he shouted back。 〃Take mercy on my crew。〃
〃I do not deal in atrocities；〃 Drake informed him。
As the English took control of the galleon； the dead were thrown overboard and the surviving crew and their wounded were confined in a hold。 Captain de Anton and his officers were escorted across a plank laid between the two ships onto the deck of the Golden Hind。 Then； with the characteristic courtesy that Drake always displayed toward his captives； he gave Captain de Anton a personally guided tour of the Golden Hind。 Afterward he treated all the galleon's officers to a gala dinner； plete with musicians playing stringed instruments； solid silver tableware； and the finest of recently liberated Spanish wines。
Even while they were dining； Drake's crewmen turned the ships to the west and sailed beyond Spanish sea lanes。 The following morning they heaved to； trimming the sails so that the ship's speed fell off but they maintained enough headway to keep the bows up to the seas。 The next four days were spent transferring the fantastic treasure trove from the cargo holds of the Concepcion to the Golden Hind。 The vast plunder included thirteen chests of royal silver plate and coins； eighty pounds of gold； twenty…six tons of silver bullion； hundreds of boxes containing pearls and jewels； mostly emeralds； and a great quantity of food stores such as fruits and sugar。 The catch was to be the richest prize taken by a privateer for several decades。
There was also a hold full of precious and exotic Inca artifacts that were being transported to Madrid for the personal pleasure of His Catholic Majesty； Philip II； the King of Spain。 Drake studied the artifacts with great astonishment。 He had never seen anything like them。 Reams of intricately embroidered Andean textiles filled one section of the hold from deck to ceiling。 Hundreds of crates contained intricately sculpted stone and ceramic figures mingled with highly crafted masterpieces of carved jade； superb mosaics of turquoise and shell； all plundered from sacred religious temples of the Andean civilizations overrun by Francisco Pizarro and succeeding armies of gold…hungry conquistadors。 It was a glimpse of magnificent artistry that Drake never dreamed existed。 Oddly； the item that interested him most was not a masterwork of three…dimensional art inlaid with precious stones but rather a simple box carved from jade with the mask of a man for a lid。 The masked lid sealed so perfectly the interior was nearly airtight。 Inside was a multicolored tangle of long cords of different thicknesses with over a hundred knots。
Drake took the box back to his cabin and spent the better part of a day studying the intricate display of cords tied to lesser cords in vibrantly dyed colors with the knots tied at strategic intervals。 A gifted navigator and an amateur artist； Drake realized that it was either a mathematical instrument or a method of recording dates as a calendar。 Intrigued by the enigma； he tried unsuccessfully to determine the meaning behind the colored strands and the different disposition of the knots。 The solution was as obscure to him as to a native trying to interpret latitude and longitude on a navigational chart。
Drake finally gave up and wrapped the jade box in linen。 Then he called for Cuttill。
〃The Spaniard rides higher in the water with most of her riches relieved；〃 Cuttill announced jovially as he entered the captain's cabin。
〃You have not touched the artworks？〃 Drake asked。
〃As you ordered； they remain in the galleon's hold。〃
Drake rose from his worktable and walked over to the large window and stared at the Concepcion。 The galleon's sides were still wet several feet above her present waterline。 〃The art treasures were meant for King Philip；〃 he said。 〃Better they should go to England and be presented to Queen Bess。〃
〃The Hind is already dangerously overladen；〃 Cuttill protested。 〃By the time another five tons are loaded aboard； the sea will be lapping at our lower gunports； and she won't answer the helm。 She'll founder sure as heaven if we take her back through the tempest of Magellan Strait。〃
〃I don't intend to return through the strait；〃 said Drake。 〃My plan is to head north in search of a northwest passage to England。 If that is not successful； I'll follow in Magellan's wake across the Pacific and around Africa。〃
〃The Hind will never see England； not with her cargo holds busting their seams。〃
〃We'll jettison the bulk of the silver on Cano Island off Ecuador； where we can salvage it on a later voyage。 The art goods will remain on the Conception。〃
〃But what of your plan to give them to the queen？〃
〃That still stands；〃 Drake assured him。 〃You； Thomas； will take ten men from the Hind and sail the galleon to Plymouth。〃
Cuttill spread his