A few years later Walter was sent to Oxford, but he longed for the sea and the Devon sailors and their stories. At this time there was a war going on in France, and Walter, weary of the quiet college life, ran away and joined the army in France, though he was only seventeen. Here he remained for five years, during which time he learned much about the art of war, and acquired strength to undergo all kinds of hardships. Though of a kindly disposition, he was as brave as a lion.

When Raleigh returned to England, opportunity arose for him to have his long cherished wish fulfilled. The Spaniards had invaded Ireland and were building there a fort. Soldiers were needed to quell rebellion of the Irish and to expel the invaders. Raleigh enlisted and was made a captain. Most of the men in his company were from Devonshire.

When Raleigh arrived in Ireland, he saw on the sand hills of the Irish coast the golden flag of Spain floating haughtily over a fort which contained eight hundred Spaniards. Outside the sheltered bay the great waves of the Atlantic were dashing against the rocks, but louder than the roar of the waves sounded the cannon of the fort. They were firing at a little battery that the English had planted among the sand hills.

"Down with that rag!" shouted Raleigh, as he looked up and saw the proud banner of Spain floating over the fort.

The gunners fired again, and the soldiers bent their

long bows at the hated banner of Spain. The flagstaff was struck, and down went the golden banner, while a lusty cheer went up from every English throat. The shouts of the soldiers were answered by the hurrahs of the sailors; for in the bay outside was anchored an English fleet. Besieged by both sea and land, the Spaniards knew that they must capture the English battery at once, or lose all.

Accordingly, late at night, when all was black, two hundred Spanish soldiers stole silently out of the fort to surprise the English. When they reached the battery they found the men of Devon ready to receive them. The fight was short and furious. The Spaniards who were not slain or made prisoners fled for their lives. On the following morning a white flag was hoisted over the fort, and the Spaniards' occupation of Ireland was at an end.

Raleigh's work in Ireland, however, was not ended. The peasants were still in rebellion, and there was enough to be done to occupy several years. So Raleigh remained for three years to fight for his country and his queen.

In the south of the island there was a strong castle, belonging to an Irish rebel lord. This castle became the place of refuge for Irish fugitives. Accordingly Raleigh decided to capture it. He set out with only six men. They had a long distance to travel along lonely roads, and were exposed to frequent attacks.

On the way they had to cross a ford. The men were fatigued from their long hours of travel, and were

struggling along in a haphazard way, more than half asleep. Just as Raleigh was crossing the ford, a clamor of wild yells came from all sides, and rebels seemed to spring up everywhere. Raleigh was completely surrounded. A desperate fight ensued. Raleigh, striking right and left, at last forced his passage through the enemy; but, looking back, he saw one of his comrades in great danger. His horse had thrown him into the river, and he was struggling desperately to get out; but the rebels were about to destroy him. Quick as lightning Raleigh rode back to rescue his comrade, who was a Devon man. Immediately the rebels turned on Raleigh. His horse was shot under him, and his enemies called upon him to yield. But with a pistol in one hand and a cudgel in the other he beat them back, one against twenty, and rescued the soldier. Then he fought his way back through the mob of angry rebels, and escaped unharmed.

The story of this daring deed and this heroic loyalty to his friend spread even to the palace of the queen, who heard with pride how one of her soldiers, against fearful odds, had fought gallantly for England far away on the desolate bogs of Ireland.

Raleigh performed many other brave and noble deeds, and the queen heard of them and rewarded him with broad lands in Ireland. But he was not satisfied. He wanted to see the court and the queen herself, and so, after many adventures, returned to England and went to London to seek his fortune.

RALEIGH AND QUEEN ELIZABETH

WALTER RALEIGH and his friends, Blount and Tracy, were floating on the princely bosom of the broad Thames, upon which the sun now shone forth with all its splendor.

"There are two things scarce matched in the universe," said Walter to Blount, --"the sun in heaven and the Thames on earth."

"The one will light us to Greenwich well enough,' said Blount," and the other would take us there a little faster, if it were ebb tide.”

"And this is all thou thinkest-all thou carest-all thou deemst to be the use of the king of elements and the king of rivers--to guide three such poor caitiffs as thyself and me and Tracy upon an idle journey of courtly ceremony!"

"It is no errand of my seeking," replied Blount, “and I could excuse both the sun and the Thames the trouble of carrying me where I have no great mind to go, and where I expect but dog's wages for my trouble. And by my honor," he added, looking out from the head of the boat, "it seems to me as if our message were a sort of labor in vain; for see, the queen's barge lies at the stairs, as if her Majesty were about to take to the water.'

It was even SO. The royal barge, manned by the queen's watermen, richly attired in the regal liveries, and having the banner of England displayed, did indeed lie at the great stairs which ascended from the river, and

along with it two or three other boats for transporting such part of her retinue as were not in immediate attendance upon the royal person.

The yeomen of the guard, the tallest and handsomest men whom England could produce, guarded with their halberds the passage from the palace gate to the riverside, and all seemed in readiness for the queen's coming forth, although the day was yet so early.

"By my faith, this bodes us no good," said Blount; "it must be some perilous cause puts her grace in motion at this time. We had best put back again, and tell the earl what we have seen."

"Tell the earl what we have seen!" said Walter; "why, what have we seen but a boat, and men with scarlet jerkins, and halberds in their hands? Let us do his errand, and tell him what the queen says in reply."

So saying, he caused the boat to be pulled toward a landing place at some distance from the principal one, which it would not, at that moment, have been thought respectful to approach, and jumped on shore, followed, though with reluctance, by his cautious and timid companions. As they approached the gate of the palace, one of the porters told them that they could not at present enter, as her Majesty was in the act of coming forth. The gentlemen used the name of the Earl of Sussex, but it proved no charm to the officer, who alleged in reply that it was as much as his post was worth to disobey the commands which he had received.