As Marshall had anticipated, the men were beginning to feel distinctly
alarmed at the prolonged absence of their officers, admitting, indeed,
that they were seriously debating the advisability of leaving the boat
and instituting a search at the moment when Marshall and Dick
reappeared. This admission drew forth a sharp rebuke from the Captain,
who there and then gave them strict orders that under no circumstances
were they ever to dream of doing such a thing. "For instance," said he,
"what a pretty pickle should we all be in if, being discovered and
pursued hotfoot by the enemy, we were to retreat to the boat and find
that you men had left her. It would mean that Mr Chichester and I
would be obliged to shove off without you; and that in turn would mean
that sooner or later you would inevitably fall into the hands of the
enemy. And let me tell you, men, that to fall into the hands of the
Spaniards here means being clapt into the Inquisition. And of those who
get into the Inquisition not one in a hundred ever gets out again.
Therefore, never leave your boat, under any circumstances whatsoever,
except at the express command of your officers."
It was by this time considerably past noon; the food was therefore
produced, and all hands partook of a meal, after which there was nothing
to be done until the evening; the men therefore disposed themselves in
the bottom of the boat and took such snatches of sleep as the mosquitoes
permitted, while Marshall and Dick sat in the stern-sheets and discussed
plans for the morrow.
At length, however, after an interval of waiting that soon grew terribly
wearisome, the sun went down, darkness fell, and they pushed off the
boat and got under way. There was now a young moon of about four days
old, and before she too set she afforded them light enough to make their
way across the lower bay, a distance of about three and a half miles, to
the island of Tierra Bomba, and to find the indentation to which Dick
had directed Marshall's attention earlier in the day. It proved to be a
particularly snug little cove, about half a mile long by perhaps a
quarter of a mile wide, with thickly wooded hills sloping down toward it
on either side at its upper extremity. Two small islets pretty
effectually masked its entrance; and a dry sandbank in the middle of it
occupied more than half its area, leaving a narrow channel all round it,
the water in which was only just deep enough to afford unimpeded passage
to the boat. It was stark calm inside the cove, they were, therefore,
obliged to lower the sails, strike the masts, and use the oars to reach
the head of the creek; but when they arrived there they found a steep
bank so completely overhung with trees and bushes that, when once the
boat had been forced in underneath the branches, she might remain there
for days with little or no fear of discovery.
In this exceedingly snug berth it seemed almost ridiculous to think of
keeping a watch; yet, being in the enemy's territory, they decided to do
so; Marshall undertaking to stand the first watch of two hours, while
Dick agreed to take the second.
When, at ten o'clock, Marshall aroused Dick, in order that the latter
might stand his watch, the Captain whispered:
"I've been thinking about a good many things while I have been sitting
here these two hours agone in the stern-sheets of this boat. And, among
other matters, I have thought that it might be very useful to know
something more than we do about those two batteries that we took notice
of while we were on the point yonder to-day. Now, I'm not a bit sleepy.
I don't believe I could get to sleep if I tried--also the night is
delightfully cool; and, although the moon has gone down, the stars give
quite enough light for my purpose, therefore, I am going to take a
little walk along the shore to that battery on the beach. It can't be
very much more than two miles away; and night is the only time when it
will be possible to examine the forts without running too much risk. If
I do not feel too tired I'll take that fort on the top of the hill on my
way back; so if I do not return until close before daybreak you need not
be unduly alarmed."
"Very well, sir," answered Dick. "We will keep a bright lookout. And
if by any chance things should go amiss, and you should be pursued, if
you will fire two pistol shots, one close after the other, I will come,
with one of the men, to meet you, provided, of course, that we are
within hearing of the shots."
"Yes; you may do that--if you hear the signal shots," agreed Marshall.
"But," he added, "I shall need to be very hard pressed indeed to fire my
pistols. For shots at night-time anywhere near a battery would be
certain to put everybody on the alert, and probably bring a bigger
hornet's nest about my ears than you and all hands could beat off.
Still, if I want help very badly I shall know what to do. And now, I'll
be off. Keep a sharp lookout, and don't allow yourself to be surprised.
Good night!" As Dick murmured an answering "Good night" the Captain
turned and disappeared in the darkness.
All through the night a careful watch was maintained, but nothing in the
slightest degree alarming occurred; and about an hour before daybreak
Captain Marshall returned, having accomplished his mission to his own
complete satisfaction.
"I had no difficulty whatever," he explained to Dick, "nor did I
encounter a single soul; indeed I am strongly of opinion that the
island, or at least the southern half of it, is uninhabited, except for
the garrisons of the fort and battery. I tackled the battery first,
making my way to it by passing round the base of the hill until I
reached the shore-line of the next bay, which I then followed for the
remainder of the distance. And heavy walking I found it, with a murrain
on it; for the sand was loose and deep, except where I came upon
mangroves, and there the mud was even deeper than the sand, while, as
for the mosquitoes, they were as eager for my blood as the Spaniards
themselves would be if they but knew what my business is here. However,
I was not to be turned back by the mosquitoes, even though they assailed
me in legions; and after trudging through the heavy sand for a full hour
or more I found myself beneath the walls of the battery.
"It is planned like a triangle, one face, mounting four guns, commanding
the seaward end of the Boca, while the second face commands its inner
extremity, the third face being turned toward the land and containing
the entrance gate. The point or apex of the triangle juts out into the
water; I was therefore unable to walk completely round it; nevertheless
I examined both sides by walking past the back of it. The faces of the
walls are quite smooth, and about twelve feet high; but the angles are
set with rough quoin stones, up which, there being no lights in the
battery, and no sign of a sentinel, I essayed to climb, accomplishing
the ascent with no greater difficulty or hurt than the wearing of the
soles off my stockings--for I took off my shoes for the sake of
quietness and to gain a better foothold. Having gained the parapet, I
found two sentries sitting there, with their backs against the wall,
fast asleep, with their matchlocks beside them. Gently lifting their
weapons in my hand, I shook out the priming--lest perchance they should
awake and, seeing me, open fire upon me before I could get away--and
then, replacing the weapons as I had found them, passed quietly on to
examine the ordnance. The guns are very formidable, of a pattern such
as I have never before seen, being a good twenty foot in length, and of
a bigness to take a shot the size of a man's head, as I learned by
passing my hands over the topmost shot of a pile which stood beside each
gun. There are eight of these pieces of great ordnance, besides falcons
and swivels which I did not stay to count, the heavy ordnance being all
that caused me any anxiety. And even now they do not greatly trouble
me; for if they keep no better watch there on other nights than they did
on this, it would be easy for a couple of resolute men to enter the
place, even as I did, bind and gag the sentinels, and spike all eight of
the guns, and never a man of them any the wiser until they came to put
fire to their pieces.
"Then, having seen all that I desired, I left the battery as I had
entered it, and made my way up the hill to the castle on the top. Here,
however, I was less fortunate, there being no way of entering the
building, save by walking in through the gate, or climbing the walls
with the help of a scaling ladder. The place is much more formidable
looking than the battery, being in appearance a strong castle, with dry
ditch, drawbridge, and portcullis to the main and, so far as I could
see, the only entrance. In plan it is shaped like the letter L, with
the angle turned harbour-ward; and it must mount about thirty pieces of
ordnance, for I managed to count that number of embrasures on its two
faces. But of sentinels I saw none; so, if they set a watch, I presume
that, like those in the battery, the rascals are in the habit of
sleeping their watch through; which is so much the better for
freebooters like ourselves. For the dry ditch is not difficult to
cross, and I estimate that, once on the other side, a ladder of twenty
foot in length should enable a party of half a dozen to reach the top;
and, once on the parapet, they should be able to spike the whole thirty
of those footy ordnance in ten minutes. And all this means, friend
Dick, that with the whole of the heavy ordnance spiked, in castle and in
battery, there is nothing to prevent the _Adventure_ from sailing into
the harbour, coming to an anchor, storming and blowing up both defences,
and then holding the town to ransom, as well as capturing the galleon!
For, as my soul liveth, I firmly believe that the castle and the battery
constitute the entire defences of Cartagena! And then, hey for old
England again; for, with the ransom of the town and the booty from the
galleon, there ought to be enough to make us all rich for life."
"And if there is not, it ought not to be very difficult for us to play
the same game with two or three other towns," remarked Dick. "For I
suppose it is safe to reckon that all the towns along the Main are
wealthy enough to pay for looting?"
"Ay; no doubt there are good pickings to be had out of every one of
them," answered Marshall. "But `one thing at a time' is a good maxim in
such a business as ours, my lad; and we will see what Cartagena yields
before we begin to think seriously about any of the other towns. And
now, here comes the dawn at last, for which thanks be; for I am as
hungry as if I had spent all night to the top of Dartymoor, and want my
breakfast."
An hour later the meal had been prepared and eaten; after which Marshall
and Dick, having provided themselves with food and water sufficient to
last them until nightfall, if necessary, and having given the crew of
the longboat most precise instructions as to how to act in the event of
certain contingencies arising, cautiously emerged from their place of
concealment, and, carrying the boat compass with them for the purpose of
enabling them to take such bearings as might be required, set out upon
their way to the top of the hill which dominated the north-east corner
of the island. The going was exceedingly difficult, for the slope was
rough and steep, also it was so thickly overgrown with vegetation that
for a good part of the distance they had literally to cut a way for
themselves; therefore, although the distance which they had to traverse
was little more than a mile it was well on toward noon when at length
they reached the summit. But, when there, they were fain to admit that
their labour had been well spent; for as they topped the last rise the
vegetation suddenly became much thinner, so that they found themselves
able to force a way through it without being obliged to have recourse to
their hangers; and presently they emerged upon the bare hilltop, and
beheld, spread out at their feet, a magnificent panorama embracing a
view of the whole upper bay and inner harbour, with the town of
Cartagena a bare four miles distant. And there, in the midst of a whole
fleet of smaller craft, they also beheld a tall and stately ship, a
single glance at which sufficed to assure them that she could be none
other than the plate ship which was the great object of their quest.
"There she be!" exclaimed Marshall, pointing. "All of seven hundred
ton, or more; and deep in the water, too. She must have pretty nearly,
or quite, finished loading. Seems to me that we're only just in time.
Now, Dick, my lad, this is your opportunity to make the chart that you
were talking about. Come along, and let's get about it; I'll help you.
To-night we must make our way into the city, somehow, and find out by
hook or by crook exactly when she is to sail. Now, how do we begin upon
the chart?"
"Well," said Dick, "to be of any use it must be tolerably accurate, and
drawn to scale; and the top of this hill is admirably adapted for our
purpose. Our first business must be to measure off as correctly as
possible the longest line we can get--and, with a little management, I
think we ought to be able to make that line a mile in length, which will
be long enough for our purpose. Then, having measured off our line, and
taken its compass bearing, all that will remain to be done will be to
take, from each end of the line, the compass bearing of as many objects
as we require; and where the several bearings intersect will be the
correct positions of those objects. Then we can complete the chart
accurately enough for our purpose by sketching in the details between
the objects, the positions of which we have determined. See, this is
the sort of thing I mean." And, drawing a scrap of paper from his
pocket, Chichester rapidly sketched a diagram illustrating his meaning.
Marshall took the sketch and considered it attentively. "Yes," he said
at length, "that ought to be near enough for our purpose. But how are
you going to measure your line?"
"Quite easily," answered Dick. "When I learned that I was to accompany
you, the idea of drawing a chart of the harbour at once occurred to me,
and I thought out the plan that I have just explained to you. I also
borrowed from the carpenter a ball of fine cord, which I then proceeded
to knot very carefully at every foot, measured with the carpenter's
rule. Here it is, just one hundred feet long; and with the help of it
we ought to have no difficulty in measuring our line."
Nor had they: for the hilltop was quite level enough for their purpose.
They measured it twice, going and returning, in order to ensure the
greater accuracy, and, laying down their work on paper to scale as they
proceeded, managed before dark to secure an exceedingly useful and
tolerably complete chart of the upper bay and inner harbour, with the
help of which they felt that they ought to be able to find their way to
the town, even on the darkest night. Of course they were not able to
ascertain the depth of water by this means; but the even colour of it
seemed to indicate that there were no hidden dangers to guard against
anywhere except just inside the entrance of the inner harbour, where the
presence of a shoal obstructing the fairway was clearly indicated by a
certain glassiness of surface, which was duly recorded upon the chart.
The preparation of this chart served to familiarise them with the
principal features of the harbour in a really wonderful manner, and to
fix in their memories the relative positions of them one with another.
But that was not all; for while they were at work their eyes were busy
noting various details, one of which was that a small fishing village
existed at the base of the hill upon which they were at work, and not
more than half a mile from the spot where the longboat lay concealed.
This was a discovery of some importance to them, for it at once
suggested the possibility of "borrowing" a canoe from the village, after
dark, and proceeding in her to the city; by which plan they would run
much less risk of detection than if they attempted to reach the city
with the longboat.
They completed their labours and set out to walk down the hill on their
way to the boat while the sun was still nearly an hour above the
horizon, and were safely aboard her again ere darkness fell. Then,
having partaken of a meal, Marshall and Dick stretched themselves along
in the stern-sheets of the boat, in order to snatch an hour or two of
sleep before embarking upon by far the most hazardous part of their
enterprise, namely, their excursion to the city of Cartagena.
Marshall had given instructions that he and Dick were to be called
punctually at eight o'clock; but when that hour arrived and the man who
had the watch proceeded to arouse them, it appeared that the Captain was
already awake, not having been to sleep at all, in fact; and as Dick
seemed to be fast locked in the arms of slumber, Marshall softly
whispered to the man who was about to arouse him, that he was to be
permitted to sleep on, at the same time composing himself to rest and
giving fresh instructions that both were to be called at midnight. From
which it was evident that in the interim he had modified his original
plan.
When at length midnight arrived and the pair were duly awakened Marshall
remarked with a grin which the darkness effectually concealed:
"Well, lad, hast had a good sleep?"
"Excellent," answered Dick. "I feel as fresh as a lark, and can
scarcely realise that I have only been asleep two hours."
"Two hours!" retorted Marshall, with a laugh. "Thou hast had six hours
of good, honest sleep; and 'tis midnight instead of eight o'clock. The
fact is," he continued in more serious tones, "I could not sleep when I
first attempted to do so. My thoughts were busy with the task that lay
before me; and I could not see how it was to be done in the time that I
had allowed myself. The way that I looked at the matter was this: I had
arranged that we were to start from here at eight o'clock. By the time
that we had found our way round to the village where we hoped to get a
canoe, it would be nearly or quite nine; and by the time that we reached
Cartagena it would be ten o'clock, or after; there would be no work
doing, and most of the good folk would be abed; thus I should stand a
very poor chance of gaining any information worth having. The proper
time for me to be ashore, there, is during the day, when everybody is
astir, when there are plenty of people about to talk to and ask
questions of, and when they will be too busy to take particular note of
me, and wonder who I am and where I came from. So I altered my plan,
deferring our departure until now, which will afford me plenty of time
to get into the city before daylight. Then I shall have the whole day
before me, if I find that I require it, in which to look about me and
make a few discreet enquiries; and as soon after dark as it is safe to
return I will come back; reaching the boat, if all be well, in time to
go out and rejoin the _Adventure_ to-morrow night about this time. Now,
I shall want you to go with me as far as the village, to help me, if
need be, to secure a canoe; and when I have done that, and am fairly
under way, you can come back here to the boat, and wait for me; for the
work that I have to do can best be done single-handed. Now, if you have
any questions to ask, ask them; but if not, we may as well be off, for I
want to allow myself plenty of time to make my way into the town."
Dick intimated that he believed he quite understood the scheme which the
Captain had outlined, and that he had only one question to ask, namely,
how long the boat was to remain where she was in the event of Marshall
being detained in Cartagena longer than he anticipated.
"How long?" repeated Marshall. "Let me see. This will make the second
complete night that we have been absent from the ship--although it seems
very much longer. Stay here, if necessary, for four days and nights
longer, as arranged with Bascomb; and if I am not back by midnight of
the fourth night my orders are that you are to rejoin the ship, report
to Winter and Bascomb all that we have done and learned; and say it is
my wish that they shall act as may seem to them best, and without any
reference at all to what may have become of me; for if I do not return
to you by the time that I have named it will be because I cannot, having
fallen into the hands of the Spaniards. And now, if you are ready, let
us be going."
Silently, and with the observance of every precaution to prevent
betrayal of the longboat's hiding-place to any chance wanderer in the
neighbourhood, the pair forced a way through their leafy bower and up
the steep bank until they emerged upon clear ground, when, bearing away
to the eastward round the foot of the hill which they had that day
ascended, they groped their way cautiously over the unfamiliar ground
until, in the course of about half an hour, they caught the dim shimmer
of starlight upon water, and, between them and it, a group of dark,
shapeless blotches which, upon their nearer approach, they identified as
the hovels constituting the fishing village which they had seen during
the day from the top of the hill.
Circling round these, they presently reached the water's edge, where, as
they had fully anticipated, they found a dozen or more canoes of various
sizes hauled up on the beach, most of them with their nets piled up in
their sterns. They looked about for the smallest canoe they could find,
and having overhauled her as carefully as the light would allow, and
satisfied themselves as to her seaworthiness, removed the nets from her
to the craft nearest at hand and, lifting her by her two ends, carried
her down to the water, and set her afloat. Then, with a quick
hand-clasp and a low-murmured "Goodbye, lad, and take care of yourself
and the men," Marshall stepped softly into the crank little craft,
seated himself in the stern, and with a vigorous thrust of the paddle
sent himself off into deep water, where a few minutes later he was
swallowed up by the darkness. Dick stood by the water's edge, watching
the small black blur which represented man and canoe as it receded from
the shore until it vanished; and then turned slowly away to retrace his
steps to the longboat, happily unconscious that he had looked his last
upon his gallant leader.
Returning safely and without difficulty to the longboat, Dick Chichester
whispered to the man who was keeping watch that thus far all was well;
and then bestowed himself in the stern-sheets to snatch another hour or
two of sleep. Then, after a somewhat late breakfast, he emerged
cautiously from his leafy refuge and climbed to the top of the hill
again, ensconcing himself well within the shadow of a thick bush, from
beneath which he commanded an uninterrupted view of the entire upper bay
and harbour. Not that he expected to see much, or, indeed, anything in
particular; but he thought it well to keep a watchful eye upon things in
general and, if anything particular should happen ashore, take care to
be where he might perchance be able to detect some indication of it.
But he saw nothing at all to indicate that anything unusual had taken
place, or was taking place, in Cartagena, the only occurrence of a
noticeable character that came under his observation that day being a
violent quarrel among certain of the inhabitants of the fishing village
below, which quarrel, he shrewdly conjectured, might possibly have
something to do with a missing canoe.
He remained on the hill the whole of that day, allowing himself only
just daylight enough to find his way back to the longboat, and then,
having partaken of a meal, disposed himself to secure a good long
uninterrupted night's rest, warning the men, however, to be alert during
their watch, so that if the Captain should return during the night and
need assistance, they might be prepared to render it quickly.
But Captain Marshall did not return during that night; therefore after
an early breakfast the next morning Dick again ascended the hill to keep
watch upon the town and harbour, thinking that mayhap he might thus
catch an early glimpse of Marshall returning; and if haply he should
chance to be pursued, learn the fact in time to go to his assistance.
But this day, too, passed uneventfully away, the galleon, with the great
golden flag of Spain flaunting at her stern, showing no visible sign of
an early departure.
Dick felt so firmly convinced that the Captain would return some time
during the ensuing night that he sat up, waiting for him, and taking
watch after watch as it came round. But the morning dawned with still
no sign of Marshall; and then the young officer began to feel seriously
apprehensive; for he could not imagine that his leader should spend two
whole days in Cartagena without learning all that he desired to know
upon a matter which must be so widely discussed as the departure of an
exceptionally rich treasure ship for Old Spain. Yet of course there was
the chance that Marshall might be voluntarily prolonging his stay for
the purpose of obtaining some especially valuable item of information;
meanwhile, the four days having not yet expired, his duty was to remain
where he was, and keep a sharp lookout. So again Dick wended his way to
the top of the hill, and ensconced himself in his now familiar
hiding-place beneath the bush.
And on this day his vigilance was rewarded by signs of activity on board
the galleon, to wit, a slow and very deliberate bending of her sails; so
slow and deliberate, indeed, that at the end of the day only about half
her canvas had been secured to the yards. This of course indicated that
the date of her sailing was drawing nigh; and he comforted himself with
the reflection that possibly this date had not yet been definitely
fixed--the Spaniards were notoriously dilatory in this respect, thinking
nothing of a fortnight's, or even a month's delay--and it might perhaps
be that Marshall was patiently awaiting the fixing of this date before
rejoining them, knowing that the boat would be awaiting him whenever he
might find it convenient to return to her.
Thinking and reasoning thus, Dick at length succeeded in so completely
convincing himself that Marshall's delay was entirely voluntary, that
the anxiety which had gradually been growing upon him passed away; so
completely, indeed, that he composed himself to rest with the absolute
conviction that the Captain would return sometime during the night; the
only orders which he deemed it necessary to give the men being, that
they were to maintain a sharp lookout, and awake him immediately upon
their general's arrival.
But the night passed; and day--the fourth day since Marshall had left
them, and the last of their prescribed sojourn where they were--dawned
without sign of the absentee; and when at length Dick Chichester
awakened and this fact was borne in upon him, all his former
apprehensions returned with redoubled force. Something had gone wrong
with the Captain; he was convinced of it; Marshall would never
deliberately tarry so long in a town, every man, woman, and child in
which was an enemy; his identity as an Englishman had been discovered,
and he had been taken, without a doubt. Yet, with a sudden revulsion of
feeling, Dick remembered that one trait of his Captain's character was a
certain daredevil recklessness which made peril, or rather the
overcoming of it, a joy and a delight, and caused him actually to court
danger for the pleasurable excitement which the evasion of it afforded
him. Might it not be, then, that Marshall, knowing the fate that
awaited him in the event of detection, was deliberately lingering in
Cartagena in order that he might enjoy to the fullest possible extent
the gratification of hoodwinking his enemies and moving freely among
them unsuspected?
Swayed thus between hope and fear, the harassed young lieutenant once
more, and for the last time, mounted the hill and resumed his anxious
watch of the town and harbour. But no indication of any happening of an
unusual character, either in the town or in the harbour, was
perceptible; everything seemed to be going forward precisely as usual;
the only occurrence that in the slightest degree interested the watcher
being that the crew of the galleon resumed their occupation of bending
sails, which operation, proceeding with the same deliberation as before,
they contrived to complete about half an hour before sunset; when Dick,
unutterably weary and discouraged with his long and fruitless watch,
arose and made his way down the hill to the place where the longboat lay
hidden.