"I am Pedro Menendez, General of the fleet of the King of Spain, Don
Philip the Second, who have come to this country to hang and behead all
Lutherans whom I shall find by land or sea, according to instructions
from my King, so precise that I have power to pardon none whomsoever;
and these commands I shall fulfil, as you shall know. At daybreak I
shall board your ships, and if I find there any Catholic, he shall be
well treated; but every heretic shall die."

The French with one voice raised a cry of wrath and defiance.

"If you are a brave man, don't wait till day. Come on now, and see what
you will get!"

And they assailed the Adelantado with a shower of scoffs and insults.

Menendez broke into a rage, and gave the order to board. The men slipped
the cables, and the sullen black hulk of the San Pelayo drifted down
upon the Trinity. The French by no means made good their defiance.
Indeed, they were incapable of resistance, Ribaut with his soldiers
being ashore at Fort Caroline. They cut their cables, left their
anchors, made sail, and fled. The Spaniards fired, the French replied.
The other Spanish ships had imitated the movement of the San Pelayo;
"but," writes the chaplain, Mendoza, "these devils run mad are such
adroit sailors, and manoeuvred so well, that we did not catch one of
them." Pursuers and pursued ran out to sea, firing useless volleys at
each other.

In the morning Menendez gave over the chase, turned, and, with the San
Pelayo alone, ran back for the St. John's. But here a welcome was