WE ARE LIKE TO BE CRUSHED UNDER A HUGE ROCK.
We were, I say, not long in ignorance of their intent. First of all
there came some loose earth dropping in the water, and after that some
little stones rattled down the side of the cliff, and then a bigger rock
leaped down beside our boat, splashing the water in our faces. Upon my
clapping my eye to one of the holes in the sail made by an arrow, I
spied the rabble of savages above pushing at a huge rock and prising it
with sticks and the poles of their spears. This rock was of a prodigious
size, weighing, as I judged, many tons, and was lodged on a shelf of the
cliff right over our heads. Every time they heaved together at this,
some corner broke off and bounded down into the sea; and the main body,
losing each time something of its support, yielded more and more, so
that it swayed to and fro most terrible to behold.
Seeing this, my courage left me altogether; for what availed my arm and
manhood against such an engine as this? My tell-tale face and quaking
limbs struck terror into Lady Biddy's heart, so that she had no power to
raise her voice above a whisper.
"What is it--what is it, Benet?" she asks, laying her hand on my arm.
And all I could answer was, "Lord help us!" as I dropped on my knees.
At this instant there sounded above a sharp snap, and this was followed
by a terrific noise of rocks grating together, a huge shout from the
savages, then a deafening clap like the first discharge of a peal of
thunder, and with that there fell on us a terrible darkness, as if a
cloud had suddenly hidden up the sun.
Then I counted our last moment had come, and with one last thought of my
dear lady, I sprang to my feet and threw up my arms above her head,
which was the mad folly of despair and no more, for my arms, had they
been of iron or brass, must have bent and broken like reeds under the
shock of such a vast mass.
As my hands touched the canvas it was torn down by a stone as big as a
firkin, which, pitching into the sea, did raise a wave that half-filled
the boat. Yet was I amazed that we yet lived, and perplexed to know what
had become of the great rock, till, casting my eye up, I perceived it
had stuck between the two walls of our fissure like a wedge, and so hung
suspended over us. But it was fearful to observe, through the cloud of
dust that filled the cove, how this monstrous block did now and then
break from its hold, with a noise like a great gun firing, as some
portion of its edge splintered off, flying in fragments to the right and
left, the great mass threatening with each rupture to give way and bury
us beneath it at the bottom of the sea. Indeed, it was in my heart to
wish it would descend at one sweep rather than come down little by
little to our destruction, for the suspense and terror of watching our
coming doom were most horrible and fearful.
Those above, seeing that it wanted but a little to dislodge it from its
position, now began to hurl big stones upon it, as we could plainly tell
by the sound which echoed from it, as the noise of a galloping horse
upon a bridge strikes the ear of one below. And at each blow this rock
crumbled and shattered at its edge, showering down rubble all around us.
Lady Biddy clung trembling to my arm, and though it was frightful to a
degree to stand there, helpless, watching the approach of death, yet
could we not turn our eyes from it, nor think of aught else. Otherwise,
had I made a bold stroke to escape by shoving out of the cleft into the
open and running the gauntlet, maugre the arrows of the savages waiting
for us without; but, indeed, we were paralyzed with fear, and I not less
than Lady Biddy.
Of a sudden we heard the report of a musket, and instantly the babel of
savage shouting and whooping was stilled as if by enchantment; nor were
any more stones hurled down on the rock above us.
For a little space we stood feeble and trembling, as if spent with
violent exertion; but the silence continuing, and the rock above ceasing
to labor, I plucked up heart, and bethought me to get out of that cove,
no matter what befell us afterwards. So in a twinkling I loosed the
boat, and, shoving out of the cleft, I turned about and drew through the
narrow opening and out of the shadow of that accursed rock. And being
now in the open we saw nothing of the Indians, but only their canoes
lying up on the beach about a quarter of a mile to the east; neither
were any of those heathens to be seen on the top of the cliff whence the
great rock had been hurled down. This would have struck us with wonder
and excited our curiosity at any other time, but just then we had no
room in our breasts to harbor any feeling but that of profound and
devout gratitude for our marvelous preservation. Looking at me very
tenderly, Lady Biddy clasped her hands in her lap and bowed her head,
while I, resting my arms on the oars, drew a deep breath which my lungs
did seem sorely to need, for, as it seemed to me, I had not drawn breath
freely for many hours.
While we sat thus, the boat gently tossing on the waves, I heard a voice
hailing us, and turning about I spied a couple of men, decently clothed
and armed with muskets like good Christians, standing amidst the rocks
to the west of the cove. Seeing they were perceived, they held up their
hands and beckoned us to draw nigh.
"It is they who have saved us from the savages," cries Lady Biddy with
joy; "they are friends."
"That remains to be seen," says I, still resting on my oars and
regarding them. "To my mind they look very like Spaniards."
"And if they are, may we not trust them, Benet?" says she, with some
concern.
"I am of two minds about it," says I; "and for my own part I should feel
just as content to pull out of reach of their muskets as to get within
reach of their swords."
"Nay, you have a sword also, Benet, and are a match for two such little
fellows as they."
"There are but two as we can see, that's certain," says I; "but we know
not how many may lurk within call. Englishmen they are not, I will vow."
"Nor pirates," says Lady Biddy, as much as to tell me that all
Englishmen are not angels.
"No," says I; "but they may be no better than pirates. In a word, I do
fear they may turn out to be friends of Rodrigues from that town he
spoke of."
"As you will, Benet," says she; "but," she adds, with a sigh, "they look
very civil, pretty little fellows."
I hesitated still; for though I was dearly tempted to yield to Lady
Biddy's evident desire, yet I knew that I was answerable for her life
and welfare.
The men hailed us again, and one turned his musket upside down, while
the other pulls out his white handkerchief and waves it in sign of
peace.
"I do think they are Italian," says Lady Biddy, with hope lighting up
her eyes again.
That decided me, and so, forgetting her welfare, I pulled towards the
rocks to prevent those sweet eyes filling with tears, which was a weak
part to be played by a strong man, and nothing to my credit.
Coming to the rocks, yet standing off a little from the shore, we began
a parley; but, Lord! we might have held our peace, for I could speak but
English with a smattering of Dutch. They tried one or two tongues that
were without meaning to our ears, and Lady Biddy got on no better with
speaking French and Italian. However, this jargon did so tickle us that
we could not help but laugh, which put us in good humor one with
another; so, to cut a long story short, taking their gestures to mean
that they would die rather than injure a hair of our heads, and that
they sought only to lead us to where we might get good treatment and run
no risk of being further molested by savages, we resolved to put
ourselves in their hands; so, running the boat ashore in a convenient
part, we landed, and after I had buckled on my sword we signed to our
friends to lead the way.
Near to that spot was a path cut in the cliff, and coming to the top we
found ourselves in a fine level country, stretching away to the hills
behind which rose the mountains. This champaign was cultivated with a
kind of corn and divers other crops of strange plants, which comforted
us with the hope of getting Christian entertainment. A fairly good path
lay between the fields and the edge of the cliff, and this we followed
in an easterly direction, passing that part where the barbarians had
thrust down the rock upon us, as also a little village of huts hard by
where the canoes were stranded. Pointing down at these huts our guides
gave us to understand in dumb show that the savages were slaves, and
would surely be punished for their attempt upon our lives; indeed, on
our way we saw above a score of armed men amidst the corn following the
furrows, to see if any of those wretches lay hid there, and heard many a
yell as they were dragged to light and carried off to be whipped.
These cries did pierce Lady Biddy's tender and forgiving heart, and she
urged many good reasons for their excuse: as that we must not expect
mercy from those whom we treat without pity; that they must look upon
all white people as their enemies and oppressors, since, but for us,
they would still be free and happy in their native woods; that as it is
our instinct to destroy the reptile or brute that would do us harm, so
was it natural to them for their own preservation to take the lives of
such as might one day become their tyrants, and sunder the wife from her
husband, the child from its parent, for their own mercenary ends, etc.,
which gentle arguments did greatly soften that evil spirit of vengeance
that stirred within me.