THE SECRET PASSAGE.
Etta's courage came back with new energy after her long rest; the
presence of Harry Fenn in the castle seemed to lessen the dangers which
now evidently surrounded the little party; and, at all events, so long
as he was here they would not be left in uncertainty. But it was nearly
sunset before any one came to break their solitude in the sitting-room.
At last there was a sound.
'Hish! Open: it is Harry Fenn. Have no fears.'
Etta ran to the door and let him in. He had a basket in his hands full
of fruit, and also some bread, on which Catalina seized with joy.
'I knew you must be hungry,' said Harry, 'so I took these when no one
was looking. All the slaves are working with unusual activity. In
truth, the Captain has enough to do, and the Marquis has been sent to
San Salvador to make the garrison deliver up all the guns that are
there. It is sad to see him so cast down.'
'But what other news is there? Can we soon go out of this room? It is
so cool under the trees, whilst here we are so hot, and everything is
miserable,' said poor Felipa, who felt the burden of her life greater
than she could bear now her father was away and Carlo in prison, and she
herself was not far removed from being a prisoner.
'I fancy, Senorita, that in a few days Captain Morgan will have decided
something. He found great difficulty to-day in preventing his men
scattering themselves after booty. All the main forts are in his hands,
and he is busy ordering the removal of guns and ammunition to the fleet;
and those who will show him hidden treasure get a title to his favour.
You can see some of the ships from the windows of this castle. As soon
as he can finish this work, I expect he will set sail. He does say he
will not leave a musket in the island; but I fancy some of the negroes
have already hidden away powder and muskets, for the men are inclined to
handle them too roughly.'
'They may take all the guns they like,' said Catalina impatiently, 'if
they will release the Senorito Carlo to me. I wish I could hang up
these villains on our tall groogroos!'
'Unfortunately the man who has the key of the Senorito's dungeon has
gone away to the other island,' said Harry, 'but as I passed by the gate
just now an old man asked me if I would tell the nurse Catalina that the
young Senor was not so fast locked but that she could get at him if she
so wished. I know not what he meant, but I thanked him for his good
offices.'
At this Catalina clapped her hands, saying that Pedro was more cunning
than he seemed to be, and that Carlo need not now starve; but no one
understood her.
'It is close on sunset,' said Harry to Etta, 'and if you are going to
keep your appointment with the Indian, I would like to come with you. I
suppose you are sure he is to be trusted, for some of these Indians are
none too brave, our men say, and fly like crows when they smell powder.'
'Andreas! Yes, indeed, he loves Carlo as his own son. They often have
gone hunting together.'
So the two returned softly to the place of meeting at the window above
the verandah, and, after waiting till the sun had sunk and darkness had
suddenly come on, they heard the sound of soft whistling, and in another
moment Andreas had swung himself over the balcony and stood by their
side.
Etta seized his hand.
'Good Andreas, do you know all our misfortunes? Senor Carlo is still in
the dungeon, the Marquis has gone to deliver up some guns, and if it
were not for this kind friend we should be almost forsaken.'
Andreas made a low salutation, but, all the same, eyed Harry rather
suspiciously.
'Do not be afraid,' continued Etta; 'he is a prisoner as we are, and
will help us. Look, Andreas, could you manage to escape and take this
note of the Senorita Felipa to her uncle at the Castle of Chagres? He
would bring us help if he knew how badly we wanted it.'
Andreas shook his head.
'It is impossible, I fear. I am only at liberty because I can be useful
with the cattle and the horses in the compound.'
'But, good Andreas, you cannot know how important it is that this
Spanish gentleman should know that Captain Morgan has taken St.
Catherine,' said Harry quickly. 'If you cannot go, could you find some
one else? Surely we have had enough horrors here and elsewhere,' he
added, half to himself.
'The blacks cannot be trusted, and none of my tribe would care to go.
However, give it me, Senora; if I cannot go no one shall take the
writing from me.' And with this Etta had to be satisfied; but she added
in English:
'If Andreas says no, it means no; for he is the cleverest and bravest
Indian there is in all the island.'
'When do you think the pirates will go, Andreas?' she asked anxiously.
'The Captain is asking for men who know the roads on the mainland. I
believe they intend to attack Panama; and yet that is a big rich city,
and is not badly defended, so that I can hardly believe that such is
really their intention.'
After this, Andreas said he must not stay longer, as he was obliged to
go back to the compound, but that he would come the next day at sundown
to the same place, if in the meanwhile he were unable to escape from the
vigilance of his new masters in order to go to the mainland, where, some
short distance down the Chagres River, stood the castle of that name,
strongly garrisoned by Spanish soldiers.
As Harry and Etta returned towards the sitting-room the former promised
he would come back early the next morning and bring what food he could
find, only begging that the Senorita and Etta would not dream of showing
themselves below stairs; for indeed the scenes that went on--the
drinking, swearing, and quarrelling--were no fit sight for them--'or,
indeed, for any Christian man,' added Harry. 'They will soon fall to
and begin to cross their cudgels, fancying they are full of wit and
valour; though, indeed, there are many who have only joined them because
misfortunes have come upon them in the old country, and they fancy this
wild life is better than starving. Some, too, were trained to fight in
the late wars, and say that life is naught without a sword and a
war-cry; yet I know that many of them disapprove of the cruel deeds they
see.'
'But you would escape if you could?' asked Etta.
'Yes, indeed; but Captain Morgan knows that, and I feel sure I am often
watched. Good-night, Mistress Etta. I will do my best to free you out
of this distress.'
Etta found on her return that everything looked more cheerful, and
indeed Felipa ran towards her friend and began kissing her as she
laughed and cried alternately.
'What is the matter? what has happened?' said Etta; for Catalina looked
just as happy, and was praising all the saints in the calendar.
'Catalina is so clever and so good! Fancy! she has seen Carlo, and,
look, he has shared our supper!'
'Where is he? have they freed him?'
'No, no--hush!--but it was good Pedro's doing; they made him show them
the way to the dungeons, and he got him locked up in the cell that has
another door into it, and we can get at it from here. You know that
nasty dirty little staircase which we were always afraid of? Well, that
leads to his cell. In former times, Catalina says, they used to go down
from here and try to get the secrets out of the prisoners by making them
false promises. That is why there are two doors in it.'
'And have you seen him? Oh, Catalina, let me go down at once and speak
to dear Carlo! He will know now we are going to send a message to Don
Alvarez, for Andreas will try hard to get away.'
'No, no, Senorita, you must not go now. I crept down like a snake, and
found my poor boy crouched in a corner quite faint for want of food.
How he started up when I pushed back the sliding panel! and, in truth,
he was ready to fight me, fancying I was a pirate come to murder him.
And when he saw it was only old Catalina he nearly cried; though he
laughed, too, afterwards. He knew I could not see the tears, mind you,
in that dark hole. Well, he ate the bread and fruit in a very short
time, and asked no end of questions, poor boy, and sent an especial
message to you to tell you he was not so badly off now he could hear
news of us. It was as good as any feast, he said.'
'But, Catalina, why did you not bring him here? We could hide him, I am
sure we could; and if not, he could escape by the balcony.'
'I suggested it to him, but he was wiser. "My jailors may come at any
moment," he said, "and then, seeing me gone, they would soon search and
discover the door, and no one can tell what they might then do." Ah, he
is a brave youth; it is a pity his father is not like him.'
It was indeed a great comfort to feel that their Carlo was so near to
them, and at all events would not die of starvation, as there was before
much chance of his doing if left to the tender mercies of his captors,
who were now beginning to recover from their carousal, and were being
sent to all parts of the two islands with orders to drive the harmless
inhabitants in to the various fortresses as if they had been cattle, and
to treat all who resisted the appropriation of their goods as if they
were rebels.
It was decided that Carlo could not be visited again till a late hour
the next morning, for fear of any one being discovered in the cell.
Etta, as more agile than Catalina, was then to visit the dungeon; and,
much comforted, the three this evening knelt down to pray together that
God would deliver them from their sad plight and take care of their own
dear Carlo and the Marquis.
Felipa was very fond of her father in spite of being a little afraid of
him; he had always been indulgent to her, and she fretted at seeing
nothing of him. The truth was, that the Governor preferred even looking
after the betrayed fortresses to seeing the sorrow of his children; and
he was much afraid Felipa would reproach him for having allowed Carlo to
be imprisoned.
As the girls would not leave the sitting-room, through which alone they
could get at Carlo, Catalina spread some mattresses on the floor for
them; and this evening they slept soundly in spite of their many
misfortunes.
They were up at sunrise, and were all impatience for the first tidings
which Harry had promised to bring them; but when at last they heard his
voice, and let him in, he was not in a very cheerful mood.
'When is Captain Morgan going away?' asked Etta, whose sweet face and
golden hair made Harry hunger all the more for his home, in order that
he might send or fetch her. 'Make haste and tell us good news. I have
a lovely plan for saving you from these people, Harry Fenn, but I dare
not tell it yet I would dearly love to hear their hue and cry after you.
How they would boggle at finding you gone!'
'You need not make plans for me, Mistress Etta: the Captain has even
just now told me that he wishes me to go aboard one of his ships. He
knows I will not fight, but he would fain make me act spy on the others.
But see, this is all I could find for you, Catalina. Here are some yams
and bananas and bread. I wanted to bring you a cooked fowl, but one of
the men was angry at what he called my huge appetite. They think that
as I will not do all their work I must not eat the good things, and that
I am not worth my provender, as they put it.'
'But when shall you go?' asked Felipa, who looked so much more cheerful
this morning that Harry could not help noticing it.
'No, no: you must not go!' said Etta, seizing his hand. 'Stay with us,
and we will send you back to England. The Senora Felipa will ask her
father, and when the pirates are gone----'
'Thank you for your kind good offices; but your plan is impossible, for
Captain Morgan does not mean to leave Santa Teresa just yet; he is
sending out four ships and a boat to try how he gets on in those parts.'
'Where?'
'That I durst not say, Senora; it was only by accident that I overheard
it; but I know that, in the future, the Captain's mind is set upon
taking the great town of Panama.'
'He will never do that,' said Felipa, tossing her head. 'There is a
strong garrison there, and His Catholic Majesty would never forgive them
if they allowed it to be taken by such needy gallants as your crew.'
'That is what I think too, Senora. However, I dare say our ships will
come back from this lesser expedition somewhat humbled and crestfallen.
At present their pride knows no bounds. But, dear ladies, I am sorry to
say that I am the bringer of evil news, which it goes against me to
tell; but it is best to know the worst. I heard Captain Morgan say that
the Senorito Carlo was to be released this morning and to be taken on
this expedition, because----'
'Oh, how dreadful! Carlo to go with all those wicked men! Nay, I know
he will never consent,' cried Felipa.
'But in truth he will be less likely to get harm than in those damp
dungeons below. I reminded the Captain that the Senor had had no food,
and that men would cry shame on himself if the Senor were to come to
harm.'
'Thank you, Sir Harry, for your kind intentions,' said Felipa in her
somewhat quaint English, 'but indeed I had rather my brother were in the
dungeon than out at sea with such knaves as these buccaneers. Cannot
you obtain this boon from your captain for us; for if my brother goes
what shall we do?'
Harry would not tell her he had no power; so, promising to do his best,
he hurried away, not daring to stay longer.