By dawn, although tired, they were all ready for a further go at the
enemy, but as daylight came on they found there was no enemy to go
for; he had cleared away in the night to less dangerous quarters. But
only for a time, in order to get more ships, and a few days later he
reappeared with something like eighty vessels.
This and a contrary wind proved too much for Blake's small Fleet, and
though he made an obstinate fight of it, he was at last compelled to
take refuge in the Thames, pursued by the Dutchmen.
Then it was that Van Tromp hoisted a broom at his masthead, as a sign
that he had swept the British from off the seas. But he was a little
bit "previous," as they say in America. The people in Britain rose to
the occasion, and, instead of being down-hearted, they at once started
to build a stronger Fleet, and trained men and boys--like sea
scouts--to man it.
So soon as the ships were fitted out Blake put to sea with a Fleet of
sixty, and went to look for the Dutchmen, and he soon found them.
Van Tromp, with seventy men-of-war, was coming up the Channel,
guarding a large fleet of richly-laden merchant ships making for
Holland.
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