July, the 16th day.
Two things have happened recently to break the sad monotony of my life
within these walls.
Doña Orosia and Melinza have had a disagreement, which has resulted in
his removal hence--at his own demand. Although I know nothing of the
cause of their quarrel, Doña Orosia's last words to me, the other day,
make it possible to understand the man's reluctance to remain here in
her care,--and yet they say it was her nursing that saved his life! I
would that I could understand it all!
Since his departure I have had the freedom of the courtyard and garden;
and yesterday, by good chance, I had speech with one of the newly
arrived English prisoners.
It had been a day of terrible heat, and just at nightfall I wandered out
into the garden all alone. There is a high wall to it, which so joins
the dwelling that together they form a hollow square. This wall is of
soft gray stone; it is of a good thickness, and about a man's height.
Along the top of it sharp spikes are set; and near one corner is a
wrought-iron gate of great strength, which is kept securely locked.
It is not often that I venture near this gate, for it looks out upon the
street, and I care not to be seen by any Indian or half-breed Spaniard
who might go loitering by; but as I stood in the vine-covered arbour in
the centre of the garden I heard a man's voice from the direction of the
gate, humming a stave of a maritime air that I had heard sung oft and
again by the sailors on the sloop, in which some unknown fair one is
ardently invited to--
"--be the Captain's lady!"
and I knew it must be a friend. So I made haste thither and peered out
into the street.
Sure enough it was old Captain Baulk, and with him a gentleman whose
face, even in the twilight, was well known to me,--he being none other
than Mr. John Collins of Barbadoes (the same who had given us news of my
poor father's end, and one of our fellow passengers on the _Three
Brothers_).
They both greeted me most kindly and inquired earnestly how I did and if
I was well treated. It seems that for days they had been trying to get
speech with me, but could find none to deliver a message; so for two
nights past they had hung about the gate, hoping that by chance I might
come out to them.
Mr. Collins related to me how the sloop had been sent back to Santa
Catalina with letters to the friar and the Governor of San Augustin,
demanding our release on the ground that as peace was now subsisting
between the crowns of England and of Spain, and no act of hostility had
been committed by us, our capture was unwarrantable. But Padre Ignacio,
with his plausible tongue, had beguiled them ashore into his power.
"The man is a very devil for fair words and smooth deceits," declared
Mr. Collins. "In spite of all the warnings we had received, some of us
landed without first demanding hostages of the Indians; and when we
would have departed two of us were forcibly detained on pretence of our
lacking proper credentials to prove our honesty. In sooth he charged us
with piratical intentions, though we had not so much as cracked a pistol
or inveigled one barbarian aboard. The sloop lingered for three days,
but finally made off, leaving us in the hands of the padre. He
despatched us here in canoes, under a guard of some twenty half-naked
savages, with shaven crowns, who are no more converted Christians than
the fiends in hell!"
I asked, then, for news of my uncle, Dr. Scrivener, and Mr. Collins
assured me that he was most anxious for my safety, and would have come
back with them to demand us of the friar, but he had received a hurt in
the neck during the attack at Santa Catalina and was in no state to
travel, although the wound was healing well--for which God be thanked!
So far, all the prisoners, except Mr. Rivers, have the freedom of the
town; but Captain Baulk declared he would as lief be confined within the
fort.
"There be scarce two honest men--saving ourselves--in all San Augustin,"
he said. "The lodging-house where we sleep is crowded with dirty,
thieving half-breeds, who would as willingly slit a man's throat as a
pig's. Though they hold us as guests against our will, we must e'en pay
our own score; and some fine night--you mark me!--we shall find
ourselves lacking our purses."
"Then the Governor will be at the cost of our entertainment," said Mr.
Collins.
"'Twill be prison fare, sir," grunted the old sailor, "and we'll be
lucky if he doesn't find it cheaper to heave us overboard and be done
with it!"
"Tut! man,--hold your croaking tongue in the poor young lady's
presence," whispered Mr. Collins; but I heard what he said, and bade
him tell us our true case and what real hope there was of our
liberation.
"There is every certainty," he said. "When word reaches their Lordships
in England, they will not fail to make complaint to the Spanish
Council,--and they have no just cause for refusing to set us free. But I
trust we shall not have to wait for that. If we had a Governor of
spirit, instead of a timorous old man like Sayle, he would have already
sent the frigate down here to demand us of the Spaniards. There are not
lacking men to carry out the enterprise: Captain Brayne could scarce be
restrained from swooping down on the whole garrison--as Rob Searle did,
not long ago, when he rescued Dr. Woodward out of their clutches."
"Captain Brayne!--the frigate! Do you mean that the _Carolina_ has
arrived?"
"Two months ahead of our sloop," declared Mr. Collins; "but Governor
Sayle has despatched her to Virginia for provisions, of which we were
beginning to run short. The _Port Royal_ has not been heard of, so 'tis
feared she went down in the storm."
He went on to tell me of the new settlement which had been already laid
out at a place called Kiawah,--a very fair and fruitful country, which
Heaven grant I may one day see!
In my turn I related all that had befallen me since we reached this
place. They heard me out very gravely, and promised to contrive some
means of communicating with me in case of need.
Then, as it grew very late, we parted, promising to meet the following
night; and I crept softly back to the house and my little room, greatly
comforted that I now had a worthy gentleman like Mr. Collins with whom I
could advise; for with his knowledge of the Spanish tongue and his sound
judgment I hope he may influence the Governor in our favour.
* * * * *
The sun is setting now, I think, although I cannot see it from my
window; for all the sky without is faintly pink, and every ripple on the
bay turns a blushing cheek toward the west. I must lay by my pen and
watch for an opportunity to keep tryst at the gateway with my two good
friends....
Nine of the clock.
God help me! I waited in the garden till I heard a whistle, and stole
down to the gate as before.
A man put out his hand and caught at mine through the bars. It was that
vile Tomas--the wretch who would have murdered my dear love! I screamed
and fled, but he called after me in Spanish. The words were strange to
me--but the tones of his voice and the coarse laughter needed no
interpreter!
As I flew across the garden, too frightened to attempt concealment, Doña
Orosia stepped out into the courtyard and demanded an explanation. I
knew not what to say, for I could not divulge the motive that had sent
me out; but I told her that a man had called me from the gate, and when
I went near to see who it might be I recognized the servant of Melinza.
She seemed to doubt me at first, till I described him closely; then she
was greatly angered and forbade me the garden altogether.
"If I find you here alone again," she hissed, seizing my shoulder with
no gentle grasp, "if I find you here again, I will turn the key upon you
and keep you prisoner in your chamber."
So now I dare not venture beyond the court and the balconies; and there
will be no chance of speaking with Mr. Collins unless he dares to come
under my window, and there is little hope of his doing that unseen, for
'tis in full view from the ramparts of the fort, where a sentry paces
day and night.