THE PIRATES ARE COMING.
St. Catherine is composed of two islands, but so small was the space
between them that the Marquis had had a secure bridge built across the
tiny strait, and the two islands were always reckoned as one. The
children were quite ignorant of the reason of their sudden trip to the
greater island, and indeed they only thought of enjoying the fun of
going to a new residence; for close to St. Jerome was the Governor's
house, near a battery called the Platform, and in sight of the Bay of
Aquada Grande. A river ran from the Platform to the sea, and the
Marquis had wished to assure himself of the forts being in good order,
as the captain of a friendly ship touching lately at St. Catherine had
sent a message to him that there were rumours of some attempt on Panama
being set on foot by the pirates, and that the Governor of Panama begged
Don Estevan del Campo to keep a sharp look-out at St. Catherine, for
that island had once been in the hands of the English pirates, and it
was known that since the great buccaneer Mansfelt had died and the
island had been re-taken by the Spaniards great hopes were entertained
by several bands of English pirates that this little island might once
more belong to them. It was for this reason that the Spaniards had
constructed many forts on the island, especially on the lesser St.
Catherine, which was not quite so well provided with natural defences as
was the larger island.
It was the receipt of this news that had so greatly disturbed the
much-worn-out Marquis, and his nerves were indeed hardly equal to the
difficult duties entrusted to him. Pirates had increased terribly of
late years. Jamaica, though it had a Governor supposed to be engaged in
suppressing them, was yet quite a nest of these bold outlaws, who,
taking advantage of the English jealousy of Spain, cared not what
outrage they committed on Spanish towns and Spanish islands; though, in
truth, other nations fared but little better at their hands.
The Marquis had examined the fortresses in the lesser island, and was
much troubled at the few men that were at his disposal for manning them,
and for the defence of the island generally; and now, having come to St.
Jerome, he determined to send a boat down the river this very evening in
order to ask for help and advice from the Governor of Costa Rica, Don
John Perez de Guzman, who had five years before so ably retaken the
island. But all this amount of thought and anxiety had quite unnerved
the poor Marquis, who scolded every one about him, found fault with the
garrison, and severely punished some negro slaves for their idleness in
the plantations of the Platform; but, as the negroes were always idle,
they considered their punishment very unfair.
The next evening Carlo went into the pretty sitting-room of the girls,
which looked upon the river and out towards the beautiful bay; but when
Felipa, who was very musical, and could sing in French, Spanish, and
English, took up her lute, begging him to join in, he shook his head and
surprised her by his answer.
'Felipa, don't ask me to sing; I am sure something is the matter with
our father. He has got into a passion with Espada, and has put him in
irons. It is very unwise, for Espada is a revengeful man, and he has
great influence with the other men in the fort, some of whom were once
outlaws from Puerto Velo. I wish I were a man and that my father would
consult me. His Catholic Majesty ought to give my father a pension and
let us all go back to Spain, for I am sure this place does not agree
with him.'
Etta listened sadly to Carlo's words; when he was troubled about his
father she was very sorry, for the boy was one whom nobody could help
loving and admiring.
'Dear Carlo, if the King of Spain knew you he would, I am sure, make you
Governor of beautiful St. Catherine, and then the poor negroes would not
be oppressed, nor the gentle Indians hunted with dogs as you say they
are sometimes. My father used to tell me of the dreadful cruelties used
towards those poor people in past days. In England such things would
not be allowed.' And, so saying, Etta raised her head proudly, feeling
that an Englishman was better than a Spaniard.
Felipa passed her hands over the lute, saying, as the sweet tones were
wafted through the room:
'Do not talk of such things, Etta. I am sure our Indians are not
unhappy. Andreas loves us clearly; and we make the negroes, not the
Indians, work on the marshes. Now I shall sing to drive away your ugly
fancies.'
And she sang softly an evening hymn in Spanish, and Carlo and Etta
joined in too, so that the sound of the young voices floated over the
clear waters of the river, whilst the scent of sweet spice plants was
wafted in. Surely Felipa was right: it was not suitable to talk of
human miseries when all around nature was so exquisite. Old Catalina
soon came in with the evening supper, saying the Marquis had gone out
and would sup alone; and very early the girls retired to bed; Carlo told
them not to dream of troubles, because he should be next door to them in
case they were frightened. He felt that his sister was under his charge
now that their father the Marquis was so little able to see after her.
Old Catalina counted her beads and muttered her prayers long after the
two girls were sleeping soundly; and as she stooped over Etta's bed and
noticed how fair the girl was, she murmured: 'It is a pity this pretty
child is a Protestant; but I hope when she is older she will be one with
us; for otherwise the Marquis will thrust her out and not let her come
home with us to Spain, and my darling Felipa will break her heart, for
she loves her English playfellow dearly.'
But the night was not to pass as quietly and peacefully as it had begun.
Catalina lay on a mattress in her young mistress's room; but, being a
heavy sleeper, she did not hear a hasty knock at the door, and the
repeated call of 'Catalina! Felipa! quick! open the door! Why do you
all sleep so soundly!'
Etta was the first to awake, and, throwing a coloured shawl about her,
she ran to the door and opened it.
'What is up, Carlo?' she said rather sleepily.
'Wake Catalina and Felipa, and make haste and dress yourselves. My
father says we must fly from here at once: the pirates are outside the
bay. They will land early to-morrow, perhaps opposite this very fort. I
beseech you, make all haste you can.' In a few minutes the frightened
girl had shaken Catalina, and was trying to explain to Felipa what the
danger was which threatened them.
'Oh, Felipa, the pirates are coming! Quick! quick! make haste and
dress, for the Marquis says we must go back to Santa Teresa at once.'
Catalina began wringing her hands as poor Felipa turned deadly pale.
'We shall all be killed! May the saints protect us! Ah, my poor lamb!
who could have believed those wicked wretches would have dared to show
themselves here again, and in your father's lifetime. Alas! alas! make
haste, sweetheart, and let us fly!'
Felipa was so frightened that she could hardly dress herself; and poor
Etta, who knew more about the dreaded sea-robbers than did Felipa, tried
to be brave in order not to increase the Spanish girl's terror. Etta
was brave, and in many ways fearless in all ordinary affairs; but the
cry 'The pirates are coming!' was one of the most dreaded in the West
Indies--a cry which had often taken the spirit out of the heart of a
bold sea-captain, who knew the desperate courage and reckless
indifference to life exhibited by the men who infested these seas.
When Catalina and the girls were dressed they stepped forth, to find the
Marquis and Carlo waiting for them. The former was walking up and down
the hall of the house discussing the terrible news with some Spanish
officers.
'Your Excellency knows that this fort cannot long resist a fierce
assault,' said one of them. 'Were it not better to evacuate the
Platform and concentrate our forces on the lesser island batteries? The
fortresses there are strongly built, and with our men we could put them
in a better state of resistance.'
'They will not land to-night,' said the wretched Marquis, looking the
picture of an undecided man. 'If you think, Don Francisco, that flight
would be the best plan, give orders to your men. Ah, here are the
children. Are the horses ready? We have no time to waste; and yet what
say you? Perhaps these wretches will think better of it, and leave Port
St. Catherine in peace. Were it not better after all to stay here?'
'Let us stay, father,' put in Carlo. 'If you will let me fight, I am
sure I shall be able to defend this place. Do not let this handful of
rascals believe we fear them.'
'Give your opinion, Carlo, when you are asked, and not before. Are the
horses ready? Now, Felipa, wrap your scarf well round you; we have a
long way to go. Yes, I think it is better to go than to stay.'
'We shall be safe at Santa Teresa, father, are you sure?' sobbed Felipa;
whilst Etta, looking at Carlo's fearless expression of face, determined
to say nothing, for he had once said girls were always afraid.
It was a very anxious and silent cavalcade that made its way back
towards the small island that night, and contrasted strangely with that
which had come hither but quite lately, laughing and chatting to their
hearts' content.
Carlo, however, managed to ride near Etta occasionally when the ground
was clearer so as to allow their horses to walk abreast. Felipa kept
close to her father, as if near him she would be quite safe from the
dreaded foes. Every now and then she looked back into the darkness
towards the little village at the foot of the Platform; where, however,
all was at present still and quiet.
'Is it really true?' whispered Etta to Carlo, as if she could be heard
from this distance; 'have they been seen?'
'I think so. Jose the one-eyed, who, they say, was once a pirate
himself, noticed the ships creeping round towards the bay just before
sundown, and he came all the way from San Salvador to give the news,
hearing my father was here. However, of course they may think better of
attacking us. Jose believes he recognises one of Mansfelt's old ships;
but I think terror gives him double sight, For all that, I wish my
father would have stayed and driven off the rascals on their first
landing. It looks as if we feared them, and that will make them
bolder.'
Not much more was said, and the cavalcade rode through the dark forest,
and then emerged on the sea coast, for towards the north of the island
the cliffs became lower, and before reaching the bridge there was a good
stretch of open country.
'God be praised, and all his saints!' said Catalina, 'I can see the
crest of Santa Teresa. We shall now soon be in safety. The rascals
cannot climb our mountain; and if they come we can hurl them down into
the sea. I wouldn't mind helping to do that with my own hands.'
The Marquis had already sent on a messenger to collect several officers
at the Castle of Santa Teresa, which, with its thick walls, its great
moat, its impregnable cliff on the sea-side, and its difficult ascent
towards the land, was a secure retreat, where the Governor could hold a
council of war, and decide what course to take as to repulsing the enemy
should he land on the shores of St. Catherine.
'I wish my father would take his own counsel,' thought Carlo for the
hundredth time, 'and then he would at least know his own mind. However,
now there is real danger, he cannot prevent my helping to defend my
sister and my home.' And this feeling made the proud, brave boy forget
that fighting does not always mean victory, and caused him not to be
altogether sorry that he should have a chance of distinguishing himself,
and perhaps--who knew?--the King of Spain would hear of it. Carlo had
read of the deeds of brave knights and of their wonderful exploits, and
was eager to begin also his own career of fame; but reality is often,
alas, very unlike our dreams.
All nature was fully awake when the Governor reached Santa Teresa; and
the girls, once more safely surrounded by habitual sights and sounds,
forgot their fears, and, after a little rest and refreshment, began, as
before, running happily about the gardens within the enclosure. The
guards were, however, at once doubled, and the negro slaves posted in
the wood.
'Here we shall not see the pirates land,' said Felipa, now almost
disappointed, 'nor the punishment our people will give them. I am sure
Carlo would have been able to defeat them with the help of a few men.
Don't you think so, Etta?'
'I do not know; but, Felipa, let us say our prayers, and then we shall
be sure they will not hurt us. Do you know that, in the excitement of
the journey, I forgot mine this morning; and I promised my mother never
to leave them out.'
'So did I,' exclaimed Felipa, 'but I shall tell Padre Augustine and he
will forgive me.' Etta had no such comfort, for she had been early
imbued by her parents with a great disbelief in the religion of the
Spanish settlers; but from living with Felipa, and being kindly treated
by her captors, she had begun to take Felipa's opinions as a matter of
course; though now and then the girls had little differences as to the
various merits of their Churches. Had Etta not been of a very
determined character, most likely she would have forgotten her own
faith; but early troubles had made her old in ideas, and passionate love
for her dead parents kept all their wishes in her mind. She would
sooner have died than have become a Roman Catholic, and at present the
Marquis had not taken the trouble to inquire into the matter. Had
Felipa not wanted a companion, Etta's fate might have been a sad one; as
it was, she enjoyed all the privileges of the Governor's little
daughter. But often the English girl would steal away to read over some
of her precious letters, or to kiss the few relics she possessed of the
gentle mother who had died at St. Catherine. In these days many sad
stories might have been told of the sufferings of the wives of the
merchants or Governors who had to live away from their country, or who
for some reason crossed the seas to come to the West Indies. The prisons
of Algeria and the haunts of the West Indian pirates could have
revealed, and did reveal, many a sad story of captivity and
ill-treatment.
But the day was not to pass without news of the enemy; for in the
afternoon Carlo, who had been round the fort with his father, ran in to
tell the girls that a messenger had just arrived from the other island.
'The saints protect us! And what does he say? Have they made dried meat
of them already?' said Catalina, referring to the meaning of the word
buccaneer.
'The enemy has landed below the Platform; they are about a thousand
strong, and their leader is no other than the terrible Captain Morgan
the Englishman,' said Carlo, much excited.
'A thousand strong!' exclaimed Felipa. 'Then we shall need all our men.
But they cannot reach us here. What does our father say?'
Carlo shrugged his shoulders.
'He will give no positive orders, but the rascals are really marching
through the woods towards us. I wonder at their rashness, for here we
are so well prepared to receive them that they will find it too warm for
them. We are to have a council of war this evening. Now, if I were
Governor I would starve them out.'
'Will father let you attend the council?' asked Felipa, looking upon her
brother as already a knight of renown.
'Nay, but he must. I can use a sword as well as any one. Etta, you
shall tie my scarf, and I will wear your colours on my scabbard.'
Etta shook her head sadly.
'The pirates are from my country. Your father will be angry with me,
Carlo; and yet my father was none of them. He was a brave and honest
merchant.'
'No one shall blame thee, dear Etta,' said the boy, 'or if they do, I
will offer single combat.' And Carlo went through his military
exercises with great show and laughter, till Catalina and some slaves
arrived, and desired the young people to come and help with the defence
of the castle by taking away all the valuables and hiding them in the
dungeons below or in a well under the flags of the inner courtyard.
Carlo was very angry at this order of his father's: it seemed to
presuppose the taking of Santa Teresa.
'As if the pirates would ever enter this stronghold!' he said
impatiently. 'If I may be allowed to speak, I will offer to lead out a
party from Santa Teresa, and the robbers will see something worth seeing
then. I must go and find my father and persuade him.'
In spite of his objection, however, Carlo, as well as every one else,
had to work with a will within the walls of Santa Teresa; whilst the
Marquis, hardly able to hide his fears, paced restlessly up and down
without the castle, often sending negro scouts on all sides to ascertain
the real truth; but he got such contradictory answers that he half
feared the negroes were too much afraid to venture near enough to the
advancing enemy to ascertain how matters stood.