The crowded Spaniards sailed on, the whole week long, before the
pursuing English in the "eagle formation," with the big ships forming
the body and the lighter ones the wings: good enough for ancient
battles like Lepanto, but of no use against a modern fleet like
Drake's. Most of them could hardly have been more nearly useless if
they had been just so many elephants fighting killer whales at sea. Do
what they could, they could not catch the nimble Sea-Dogs who were
biting them to death. But they still fought on. Their crowded
soldiers were simply targets for the English cannon-balls. Sometimes
the Spanish vessels were seen to drip a horrid red, as if the very
decks were bleeding. But when, at the end of the week, Sidonia asked
Oquendo, "What are we to do now?", Oquendo, a dauntless warrior, at
once replied: "Order up more powder!"
The Spaniards at last reached Calais and anchored in the Roads. But,
when the tidal stream was running toward them full, Drake sent nine
fire-ships in among them. There was no time to get their anchors up;
so they cut their cables, swung round with the tide in horrible
confusion, dashing into one another in the dark, and headed for the
shallows of the Flemish coast.
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