As the harbour was very shallow, the _Tiger_ had to haul out into the
outer roads, inside the island of Tedal, off the mouth of the river
Gueron, before she could take her guns, powder, or stores on board. A
number of boats came out with them, so that she soon had her lading and
provisions on board, and was now ready for sea. She mounted twenty
guns, and had a crew of a hundred men, sturdy, active, dark-skinned
fellows, armed with sharp scimitars, with which they practised daily.
They had also fire-arms, spears, and boarding-pikes; indeed were in
every way well prepared for fighting. A strong westerly gale kept the
_Tiger_ in the roads for some days, but at length, the wind shifting to
the eastward, the anchor was hove up, and she stood out into the
Atlantic. Hamet now intimated to Stephen and Roger that his wish was to
get to the northward, so that he might attack vessels in latitudes where
Sallee rovers were seldom to be found, and thus take them by surprise,
and so be more likely to effect their capture without resistance. They
were by this time able to understand much that he said. He told them
that he wished each to keep a separate reckoning, so that he might
compare the two; that they must take good care that they agreed.
"That would be a puzzler for me," observed Stephen. "As you, Roger, are
a much better navigator, you would probably be correct, whereas I am
very likely to make mistakes. I think that I had better tell him at
once that I am not much of a navigator, and that he would be wise to
rely on you."
"That may be the safest plan, though I will try to pass my calculations
on to you without letting him discover that I do so," said Roger.
The very next day, when they were out of sight of land, Stephen, who was
ordered to stand at the forepart of the ship to take an observation,
made some mistake, and placed their position a degree or more out. Of
course, her Captain, who understood the use of the charts perfectly,
afterwards told Roger to put it down, which he, having carefully taken
his observation, did properly.
"How is this?" exclaimed the Captain. "Which of the two am I to
believe?"
"You may trust me," said Roger, firmly. "My friend, though older, has
less experience; but if you will allow me, I will teach him, and he in a
short time will be as useful to you as I am."
Thus the difficulty was got over, for happily the Captain did not
suspect that any trick was being played him. Fortunately at first the
weather was fine, and as the Moors were sober men, and not addicted to
quarrel among each other, the _Tiger_ glided over the calm sea, and
everything went smoothly.
"Really, from the appearance of things, I should not have supposed that
we were aboard a piratical craft," observed Stephen, "for truly they are
a very gentlemanly set of cut-throats, and I doubt if Prince Rupert's
men behaved half as well."
"It may be not, but they did not knock all their prisoners on the head,
or make them walk the plank, as these fellows are said to do; we as yet
have only seen them in their good behaviour," observed Roger.
Hamet insisted on their carrying the _Tiger_ northward till they were
about in the latitude of the rock of Lisbon. Not a ship had been
sighted which they could venture to attack. They had passed in the
distance squadrons of three or more large ships, but Hamet deemed it
prudent to stand away from them, though he discussed the possibility of
cutting off the sternmost during the night-time, but old Sam dissuaded
him from making the attempt. The sun had just risen on the top-mast
canvas of a ship of some size coming down before a fresh breeze from the
northward, the wind about north-east. Hamet possessed a telescope, and
pointing the stranger out to Roger, bade him go aloft with the
telescope, and on his return report to him what he thought she was.
Roger, slinging the telescope over his shoulders, climbed up the
rigging, and took a steady look at the stranger. She appeared to him to
be a large ship--a man-of-war--carrying probably forty guns or more,
with which the _Tiger_ would be utterly unable to cope. On coming down
he told Hamet his opinion.
"If she is a merchantman, the larger her size the better prize she will
prove," he observed.
"But should she be a man-of-war, you may find that instead of taking her
you are taken yourself," said Roger.
The Captain, who seldom did anything without consulting his officers,
had a talk with them on the subject. Some were inclined to run
alongside the stranger and try to capture her, but others thought such a
proceeding would be dangerous. The two vessels approached nearer and
nearer.
"These are bold fellows to think of attacking a ship of that size,"
observed Roger. "I am nearly certain that she is an English man-of-war,
and if so, the _Tiger_ will be taken, and if we are not killed, we may
hope to gain our liberty."
"One good thing is, we need not fight," said Stephen. "The most prudent
thing we can do is to stow ourselves away as soon as we are within
gunshot."
"The agreement from the first was that we might remain in our cabin,"
remarked Roger.
"Oh no; but I propose that we get into the lowest depths of the ship,
where there is less chance of a shot coming," said Stephen.
"Suppose she is sent to the bottom," said Roger, "we shall be drowned
with the rest. We shall see the water rising, and if so, we must hurry
up on deck."
While Roger and Stephen were holding this conversation, they observed a
good deal of excitement among the officers. Presently two or three came
aft to the Captain, and, by their gestures, it was very evident that
they were insisting that the ship should be put about, and that they
should try and make their escape. The Captain yielded; the helm was put
up, the yards squared, and away the _Tiger_ ran before the wind, every
additional stitch of canvas which she could carry being set. The
stranger was not near enough to fire, or it might have fared ill with
the pirate.
"Our chance of liberty is diminishing by this time," observed Roger.
"The _Tiger_ before the wind has a remarkably fast pair of heels."
The stranger, however, seeing what the pirate was about, also made all
sail, and came bowling away after her, guessing probably her character.
"She will not catch us, gentlemen," said Sam, who came up to them.
"Cannot say that I am sorry we are running away. I put the officers up
to insisting on it, by telling them that we should be sent to the
bottom, or captured and strung up to the yard-arm, and they fortunately
believed me."
At first it was doubtful which ship was sailing the fastest; and Roger
thought, in spite of what Sam said, that the stranger was coming up with
them, but after a time it became evident that the _Tiger_ was getting
ahead. The Captain told Roger to be careful to mark down their course,
as they were standing away from the land to the westward. All day long
the chase continued; there was still some chance of their falling in
with another large ship, and if so, they might have to fight after all.
It was some hours past noon; they had already sunk the courses of the
stranger below the horizon, but there she was, in her former position,
still following, though a dark bank of clouds was now seen rising to the
westward, indicating a change of wind, and probably a heavy gale. The
clouds rose fast, and came scouring across the blue sky, while the
hitherto calm ocean was covered with foam-crested seas, which rose
higher and higher. Hamet ordered sail at once to be taken in--not a
moment too soon, for down came the gale, and the stout ship heeled over
to it. The _Tiger_, however, still kept to the southward. At last the
gale increased to such an extent that the Captain ordered her to be
hove-to. Roger looked out for the stranger, but she was nowhere to be
seen. That danger was escaped, but the question was how the
slightly-built rover would endure the tempest. They might have run for
a port on the Barbary coast, but that was a long way off, and no other
would afford them shelter; for as their hands had turned against every
nation, so every nation was a foe. Night came on, and as there was no
good in their remaining on deck, Roger and Stephen went to their cabin.
Poor Jumbo soon made his way there.
"Oh dear, me tink we go to de bottom," he said. "Wish we had stayed on
shore; all my doing too, for if I no say you knew how to manage de ship,
Hamet not bring you."
"You acted for the best, Jumbo, and I do not blame you. We must hope to
escape this danger and make our escape another time. Remember that we
do intend to make our escape, if we can, on board the first vessel the
pirate gets alongside. It will be somewhat hazardous, but it is our
only chance. You must try and escape also, and I hope that Sam will,
though it would be more difficult for him, as he has to fight with the
rest of the crew."
Jumbo shook his head; he evidently thought Roger's plan impracticable.
All night long the tempest howled, the ship was tossed to and fro, the
blocks and rigging rattled, the sea dashed over her, the voices of the
seamen were heard amid the uproar shouting to one another, while
occasionally the clanking sound of pumps was added to the noise.
Morning broke dark and gloomy. During the day the wind decreased, and
Hamet told Roger to continue his course to the southward. He seemed to
fancy that in those northerly regions he was likely to meet with more
gales than were pleasant. The following day the weather had moderated
greatly, and by degrees the sea went down, and the ship glided on as
smoothly as before. A bright look-out was of course kept for strangers;
and the _Tiger_ was about the latitude of the Straits of Gibraltar when
a sail was seen to the eastward, which had apparently come out of the
Mediterranean. Chase was at once made, for she appeared to be a
merchant vessel, and, though of good size, not much larger than the
rover. As they got nearer, she showed English colours. Roger and
Stephen watched her anxiously, and they called Jumbo.
"Remember what I told you," said Roger. "Follow our movements whatever
happens; you are not expected to fight, so probably will not be missed."
"What do you think of her?" asked Roger, who went in search of the old
seaman.
"That she is a stout English craft, likely not to give in without tough
fighting; but she probably carries not more than thirty men, if so many,
and we muster a hundred, so that she has very little chance if we run
her alongside."
"But you don't mean to say that you fight your countrymen, Sam?" said
Roger.
"Cannot help myself," he answered. "I would rather not; but should have
my head whipped off in a moment if I was to show the white feather, or
try to hide away."
"Well, I tell you this much, Sam," said Roger. "I don't believe that
craft will be taken, although she may have but thirty men on board; but
they are thirty honest Englishmen against these hundred cut-throat
Moors; and if you can manage to get on board and let them know that you
are an Englishman wishing to escape, you will act wisely."
"Cannot do it, Mr Willoughby," said Sam with a sigh. "I should like to
be free. The chances are the Englishmen cut me down before I can open
my mouth, and the Moors will whip off my head if they see me making the
attempt."
"Still you would have done the right thing, and I hope you will risk
it," said Roger. He could not venture to say more, as the Moors always
cast frowning glances at the Englishmen when they saw them talking
together.
Roger went back to Stephen, who was standing aft, watching the stranger.
Suddenly he exclaimed, "She is wonderfully like the _Benbow_ frigate.
Though so long a time has passed since we saw her, I remember her well.
I hope she may be, for Captain Benbow is not a man to yield to a pirate.
See, she has no intention of avoiding the fight."
As he spoke, the English ship brailed up her courses and hove-to,
preparing for the combat. This seemed somewhat to cool the courage of
the Moors, who looked at each other, for they were accustomed to see the
merchant vessels they attacked run from them and do their utmost to
escape. The English ship remained stationary. The Sallee rover stood
on, and as she got nearer, shortened sail to be more under command.
Presently the former filled, not to escape, but to be ready for
manoeuvring, and almost the next instant opened fire from ten long guns,
run out from her sides, and the Moors began blazing away in return; but
their shot fell short, whereas those of the English ship came rattling
on board them.
"I say, Roger, there is no use remaining on deck to be a target for our
friends," said Stephen. "Let us slip below before we receive damage; we
shall judge when the time arrives for us to act, by the noise they will
make should the rovers run their opponents on board. I see Jumbo
watching us."
Roger unwillingly slipped down and followed Stephen, for he was anxious
to see what was taking place. Their cabin was not altogether safe, for
a shot might come through the rover's side and reach them; but, at the
same time, they could from thence easily spring upon deck. They waited
anxiously. Again and again the rover fired, while they heard the shot
of the English ship come crashing on board, tearing up the planks,
piercing the bulwarks, striking the masts and spars, occasionally
knocking over one of the crew on the deck, while shrieks and cries arose
as the Moors fell wounded to the deck. None were brought below, as
there were no surgeons to attend to them, and they were left to lie as
they fell. Hamet was anxious to put an end to this sort of work as soon
as possible, and shouted orders to his men to prepare for boarding. The
English ship had gained the weather-gauge, so he could not escape. Now,
suddenly putting down his helm, he ran her aboard. A loud crash was
heard as the two vessels struck together; grappling-irons were thrown
aboard, the Moors swarmed into their rigging to drop down on the deck of
the vessel they expected to capture.
"Now is our time," cried Roger. "Come along, Stephen! Come along,
Jumbo! We must look out not to be stopped by the Moors, and make
ourselves known to our friends before they cut us down."
They made for the after part of the ship; it was the only spot whence
they could hope to escape. The vessels were surging against each other;
now their bows almost meeting one instant, their quarters struck
together.
"Now is our time," cried Roger, who had been waiting for the
opportunity, and together they all three sprang from the quarter-rail of
the _Tiger_ on to that of the English ship, and throwing themselves over
it, were the next moment on her deck, where Jumbo narrowly escaped being
crushed before those parts of the vessel.
"Look out, lads; we are being boarded aft," they heard a voice shout,
and three or four seamen, with gleaming cutlasses, came springing
towards them.
"No, no, we are friends; we are Englishmen," shouted Roger and Stephen
in chorus. "Save us! save us! We are escaping from the Moors." They
could scarcely get the words out in time to prevent the sailors from
making mince-meat of them.
"I do believe they are Englishmen," cried one of the men.
"All right," cried one of the seamen. "Lie quiet, or, if you like, you
will find some spare cutlasses in the companion-hatch; go and get them
and help us."
"There is another Englishman on board who wants to escape," cried Roger,
remembering poor Sam. "Try and save him if you can."
"Ay, ay," answered the sailor, who the next instant sprang back to hack
and slash away at the Moors, who were endeavouring to gain a footing on
board. As yet, fiercely as they were fighting, the Moors had gained no
advantage. Some indeed had reached the deck, but it was only to pay the
penalty of temerity with their lives, for not one had succeeded in
gaining a footing. Roger, looking up, recognised the Captain of the
English ship; there was no doubt about it, he was Captain Benbow. With
a huge hanger in his hand he was slashing away furiously at the enemy,
driving back some, cutting down others. Roger and Stephen made their
way to the companion-hatch, where they procured a couple of hangers and
joined the brave Captain. They were seen by the rovers, several of
whom, uttering expressions of rage, attempted to get at them, and paid
the penalty of their daring with their lives, being cut down by the
British seamen the moment they reached the deck. The rovers fought with
desperation, believing that they could quickly overcome the small crew
opposed to them. Fresh gangs, summoned by their Captain, were
attempting to leap on board, when suddenly the grapnels gave way. While
some were still clinging to the sides of the _Benbow_ frigate, the
vessels parted, and the _Tiger_ forged ahead. Ere many seconds were
over not a boarder remained alive; some were hurled into the sea, others
fell inside the bulwarks on to the deck.
"Now, ply them with the great guns," cried Captain Benbow.
His crew, reloading them and running them out, in spite of the bodies
which cumbered the deck, sent such showers of shot on board the rover
that she did not again attempt to close, Hamet evidently considering her
so tough a customer that he might pay too dear a price for victory, even
should he gain at last. He was seen to haul his wind and to stand away
on a bow-line, though he continued firing at the English vessel as long
as he could bring his guns to bear. The shot, though they did no damage
on deck, cut up the rigging and prevented the frigate from following,
though Captain Benbow ordered his crew to knot and splice the ropes as
rapidly as possible, in the hopes that she might be able to do so. The
rover was soon out of range, and as she continued standing away the
British crew gave her a lusty cheer as a farewell. On and on she stood,
making all the sail she could carry. It was soon evident that the
_Benbow_ frigate had no chance of overtaking her, though the crew worked
away with right good-will at the rigging. Strange as it may appear, not
one of the British crew had been killed, although about a third of their
number had received wounds more or less severe.
"Now, lads, let us count the bodies of these villainous Moors their
friends have left behind," said the Captain. Thirteen were found
stretched on the deck, presenting a ghastly appearance, and the crew
were about to heave them overboard.
"No, no, lads," cried Captain Benbow; "we must carry some trophy on
shore to show our friends at Cadiz what we have done, or they may chance
not to believe our report. Bring up a cask of salt."
There were several on board that it was intended to fill with Spanish
pork. The Moors' heads, as they were chopped off, were put into the
cask with layers of salt between them, when, the whole being packed, and
more salt added at the top, the head of the cask was then fastened down.
The crew then set to work with buckets of water to wash down the
blood-stained deck. Roger and Stephen had in the meantime, with Jumbo,
been standing aft, waiting to make themselves known to the Captain, but
he had hitherto been too much engaged to notice them. They now, seeing
that he was for a moment disengaged while considering what was next to
be done, advanced to him.
"You probably do not recollect us, Captain Benbow, though we are old
acquaintances of yours," said Stephen.
"I am the lad you promised to take to sea when you visited Eversden
manor-house on the Dorsetshire coast," said Roger.
"Bless my heart alive, I remember the circumstance perfectly, though you
have grown out of my recollection, young gentlemen; but how in the name
of wonder did you happen to be aboard the rover, and how did you manage
to gain the deck of this ship?" exclaimed the Captain, putting out his
hand and shaking theirs warmly. "Very glad to see you, however it
happened, and I can congratulate you on making your escape, for it must
have been no easy matter."
Stephen and Roger between them briefly explained what had occurred.
They were again welcomed by the Captain. They also mentioned Sam
Stokes, and his intention of attempting to escape.
"Poor fellow, I know that he must have lost his life if he tried to do
so," said the Captain, but he inquired among his crew whether they had
recognised an English face among the rover's crew.
On this two or three came aft and declared that they had observed an old
man spring on to their forecastle, that he had warded off several blows
aimed at him without attempting to strike in return, and had suddenly
disappeared, they supposing that he had gone overboard, although, as
they had been compelled to defend the forepart of the vessel from a
party of rovers who were attempting to follow him, they had not time to
take any special notice.
"Then perchance he is the very man we were inquiring about, and may have
succeeded in getting below. Let search be made for him," cried the
Captain.
Several of the crew on this leaped below, and one lighting a lantern,
they began to search the fore peak. Before long the light from the
lantern fell on an English-looking face in one of the bunks.
"Halloo! how did you come here?" exclaimed the seaman with the lantern.
"Don't cut my head off and I will tell you all about it," said the man
in the bunk.
"You need have no fear; come out of that and we will hear what you have
got to say for yourself," said the seaman; and drawing off the blanket,
he exposed to view a seeming Moor, who was quickly dragged out.
"Why, you are the very man we are looking for," exclaimed the sailor.
"Come up, our Captain wants to have a word with you."
And Sam Stokes, willingly obeying, accompanied the men up on deck, where
Stephen and Roger and Jumbo welcomed him.
"Glad to see you have escaped, my man," said Captain Benbow, "for if you
had been caught you would have had a great chance of losing your head."
"Please you, sir, I do not feel it quite comfortable on my shoulders
while I am dressed in this outlandish fashion among Christian men," said
Sam; and he whispered to Roger, who was standing near him, "Do not say
that I turned Moor, Mr Willoughby, an you love me. I will soon get
whitewashed, I hope."
The Captain, taking the hint, ordered a suit of sailor's clothes to be
got up, which Sam without delay put on, and then doing up his Moorish
dress in a bundle, hove it overboard, exclaiming, "I hope that I may not
wear such duds as those again; and now, Captain, just to show that I am
turned into a Christian once more, I shall feel greatly obliged if you
will give me a glass of honest liquor. To say the truth, I have not
dared to touch a drop since I turned Moor."
"With all my heart," said the Captain, and he ordered a glass of strong
waters to be handed to Sam, who quaffed it off at once, giving a deep
sigh as he reached the bottom.
"Come, that does a fellow good; I feel once more like Sam Stokes instead
of the rascally Mustapha Mouser I was turned into."
As soon as the ship had been put to rights a course was shaped for
Cadiz, to which port Captain Benbow told his young friends he was bound
when attacked by the Sallee rover.
"Now that you have come on board, Master Willoughby, I shall be glad to
fulfil my promise and keep you if you desire to remain," he said to
Roger. "I was heartily sorry to have to leave you behind, as I knew how
much you would be disappointed, but I was many months absent from
England, and when I got back there was no time to send down to
Dorsetshire and have you up, should you have been still willing to come;
however, a promise is not broken as long as there is time to fulfil it,
and so you are welcome to remain on board the _Benbow_ frigate."
Roger warmly expressed his thanks, and said that he would rather serve
with Captain Benbow than go on board any other ship. He made the same
offer to Stephen, who, however, having no wish to follow the sea as a
profession, declined accepting it, though he begged that he might return
home. Sam was at once duly entered as belonging to the ship. Jumbo,
when he first came on board, had fixed his big round eyes on the Captain
with an inquiring glance, but had been apparently too much awed to speak
to him, and now he came aft, and making a profound bow, said, "Me tink
you remember Jumbo, Captain Benbow; serve on board dis ship to sweep
cabin when little boy."
"Cannot say that I recollect your face; to my eyes, one nigger is much
like another; but I have no doubt about the truth of your story, and am
pleased to have you aboard again, and will enter you on the ship's books
as one of my crew if you wish it."
"Oh yes, massa," said Jumbo, with a broad grin. "Bery glad serve
Captain Benbow; hope to sail wid you while you keep de sea."
"Not much chance of my keeping anywhere else," said the Captain.
So the matter was settled, and Jumbo, to his great delight, found
himself one of the crew of the _Benbow_ frigate. In about three days
land was sighted, and that evening the ship entered the magnificent bay
of Cadiz.
Next morning after breakfast the Captain ordered his boat to go on
shore, and invited Roger and Stephen to accompany him.
"Jumbo, you will go with us," he said. "You will have to carry a sack
on your shoulders, but you need not ask what is in it."
"Neber mind, Captain, me ready to do whateber you tell me," answered
Jumbo.
Roger and Stephen had taken their seats in the boat with the Captain,
when Jumbo appeared with a big canvas sack, which was handed down after
him. The men who were looking over the side grinned as they watched it
placed in the bows of the boat.
"Give way, my lads," cried the Captain, and they pulled for the shore.
They soon reached the quay, when, the Captain and his young friends
stepping out, he ordered Jumbo to take up the sack and follow him. They
had not gone far when they met two officers of the revenue, who stopped
and inquired what was contained in the sack the negro carried.
"Salt provisions for my own use," answered Captain Benbow. "You know
me. I am a frequent trader to this port, and I have never attempted to
smuggle."
Still the officers insisted on seeing the contents of the sack.
"No, no," said the Captain, "I have made up my mind not to show them. I
tell you, I never ran any goods since I came to sea, and have no
intention of doing so now."
"We cannot help ourselves, Senor. What you say may be very true, but it
is against our orders to allow you to pass. However, as the magistrates
are sitting not far off, if you like to declare before them the contents
of your sack, the negro may carry them wherever you order him."
"The very thing I wish," said the Captain. "I will go before the
magistrates, and if they desire to see my salt provisions, they shall be
welcome to do so."
Accordingly, Captain Benbow leading, with his two young friends, Jumbo
following with the sack, and the two officers bringing up the rear,
proceeded to the custom-house, where a party of grave and reverend
Senors were sitting. The officers at once stated what had occurred,
when the president, who knew Captain Benbow, greeted him politely,
expressed his regret that he should have to inconvenience him for such a
trifle, but observed that he must adhere to the laws; that as soon as he
had shown what the sack contained he should be at liberty to proceed
wherever he might choose.
"Well, Senor, since you insist on seeing my salt provisions, I will show
them to you," said the Captain. "Jumbo, open that sack and throw the
contents out on the table."
Jumbo did as he was ordered, the whites of his eyes glancing, and his
mouth at a broad grin, for he was certainly not ignorant of what he had
been carrying, and, untying the string, out rolled thirteen gory heads.
The magistrates started back, some with amazement, others with horror
expressed in their countenances.
"There they are," cried the Captain, "and at your service."
"How did you become possessed of them?" asked the president.
"This bright sabre served me to cut the fruit from the branches," he
answered, and then gave an account of how he had been attacked by the
Sallee rover, and succeeded in driving her off, after she had lost a
large number of her men, besides those who had fallen on the deck of his
ship, and whose heads he now exhibited.
The magistrates were greatly astonished, and highly delighted at his
gallantry, for the Moors had much interfered with their trade of late,
and had cut off a number of their ships. For although Admiral Blake,
during Cromwell's firm rule, had punished them severely and kept them in
order, they had, since Charles the Second came to the throne, resumed
their predatory habits with greater vigour than ever, while the
Governments of southern Europe had been too much engaged with their own
internal affairs to send any of their squadrons to keep them in order.
The president highly complimented Captain Benbow on his gallantry, and
invited him to a public banquet, to take place the next day in the
Town-Hall. What became of the heads history does not narrate. They
were probably returned to their sack after due note had been taken of
them, and carried out to sea, and sunk with a shot or two in deep water;
for it would certainly have been believed that they would not rest
quietly on Christian soil, the Spaniards overlooking the fact that the
ancestors of these Moors had once possessed the country as lords and
masters.
Through Captain Benbow's liberality, Roger and Stephen obtained fitting
costumes to attend him at the banquet, where they had the satisfaction
of seeing his health drunk and due honour done him, while they also had,
through an interpreter, to give some account of their own adventures.
Some time was occupied in unloading the ship and receiving a fresh
cargo. Before this was accomplished, Captain Benbow, to his
astonishment, received an invitation from Charles the Second, King of
Spain, to visit Madrid, and to give him personally an account of his
exploit, of which his Majesty had heard through the officials at Cadiz.
"I know nothing of kings and courts, and if I go, shall feel like a fish
out of water," said the Captain to his young companions. "But, you see,
kings' commands must be obeyed, and perchance I may get a good turn or
some benefit to my trade. I should like to have taken you with me, but
as the king has not invited you, and I require some one to look after
the ship, I must leave you behind."
Roger and Stephen were in hopes that Captain Benbow might have taken
them, as they would have wonderfully liked to have seen Madrid, but they
were proud of having so much confidence placed in them, and they
promised to do their best to attend to the duties of the ship both when
unloading and loading, and their experience at Bristol enabled them to
do the task. They had some difficulty from not knowing Spanish, but
they got over it with the help of gesticulating, and a word thrown in
occasionally by those who knew English. There were several English
merchants, even at that time, settled at Cadiz, some of whom were
shipping by the _Benbow_ frigate. These, finding two young
well-educated Englishmen on board, invited them to their houses, and
were highly interested at hearing of their adventures during their
captivity among the Moors, and their remarkable escape. As they became
known they were made a great deal of, and thus greatly enjoyed their
stay at Cadiz, though they were anxious to return home to relieve the
anxiety of their fathers; but Captain Benbow had told them that the
_Dolphin_ had long since been reported lost, and they probably had been
given up by their friends as dead. They were delighted, therefore, when
one evening, the day's work being over, they saw, advancing along the
pier, a cavalier mounted on a stout mule, with a couple of attendants on
foot. Till he drew near they did not recognise the mud-bespattered,
dust-covered traveller as their Captain, but he soon made himself known
by his hearty cheer as he saw them.
"How fares it, lads, with you; how fares it?" he shouted out. "All
right with the _Benbow_?"
"Ay, ay, sir," answered Roger. "All right with the ship and all right
with us. How did you fare with the king and his courtiers?"
"A mighty deal better than I expected. Though they live in a big palace
and are dressed in fine clothes, there is nothing after all, as I could
see, about them to be afraid of, so I cracked my jokes and smoked my
pipe, made myself at home, and his Majesty promised to write to his
brother King of England, and tell him what a fine brave fellow he
thought me, and it would be shame in him if he did not make me one of
his own captains. The King of Spain asked me if I would become one of
his, but I shook my head, and told him that I was born an Englishman,
and an Englishman I hoped to die; that I had no wish to fight, but that
if I did fight it would be for my country and my country alone. I am
not exactly like Master William Penn, who thinks we can do without
fighting altogether. The king gave me a letter which I am to deliver,
and he said that he would write direct through his ambassador in London,
so that this little affair of mine will make more stir in the world than
I at first expected."
The Captain received a further welcome from the inhabitants of Cadiz,
who considered that in some way or other his feat reflected a great
lustre on themselves.
The exhibition of Moors' heads was in accordance with the barbarous
customs of the times, and the grim humour of the brave Captain greatly
took the fancy of people of all classes. As the _Benbow_ frigate sailed
out of the bay, flags were flying at the mastheads of all the other
vessels in the harbour and from the flagstaffs on shore, and guns were
firing and trumpets braying to do her gallant Captain honour.