were no match for the English, nor the Spanish ships for the _Nonsuch_;
for although the former had secured a pretty good start of the latter,
they had slipped their cables with only just enough canvas set to give
them steerage way and enable them to avoid colliding with other ships,
slowly increasing their spread of canvas as they went, whereas the
_Nonsuch_ hung on to her anchor until practically the whole of her
working canvas was set, wherefore no sooner had the ponderous hempen
cable gone smoking out through her hawse pipe than she came under
command, when her extraordinary speed at once told, and she began to
rapidly overhaul the ships of which she was in chase. But it was
nervous work threading her way out of that crowded anchorage in the
intense darkness, for there were fully fifty sail in the port, apart
from the plate ships, and for some unknown reason--but probably in
accordance with orders received--not one was showing a light,
consequently there were several occasions when a collision was avoided
only by the remarkable working qualities of the ship herself and the
instantaneous response of the mariners to the orders issued from time to
time from the quarter-deck.
To avoid collision with a craft lying passively at anchor was, under the
circumstances, quite sufficiently difficult, but it was infinitely worse
when it came to steering clear of the plate ships beating out of the
harbour; and indeed something more than a mere suspicion soon took
possession of the minds of the English that a deliberate attempt was
being made by the Spaniards to either run them down or disable them, for
whenever, in the course of manoeuvring, they drew near a Spanish ship,
the latter seemed to alter her course and come blundering headlong at
them, when, if a collision had chanced to have occurred, the English
ship must of necessity have been the greatest sufferer, because of her
inferior size. But here again the nimbleness of the _Nonsuch_ and the
activity of her crew sufficed to avert disaster, and ship after ship was
overtaken and passed in deadly, ominous silence, for it was George's
intention to make no demonstration until he had overtaken and weathered
the leading ship, when he was determined to administer such a lesson as
should not be readily forgotten.
And at length the fateful moment arrived, about half an hour after the
_Nonsuch_ had slipped her cable and slid away from her anchorage. She
had overtaken and passed every ship but one, and that one was now
approaching her, the two ships being on opposite tacks. It was
difficult, just then, to determine which ship would weather the other;
but as the distance between the two narrowed it presently became
apparent that neither would weather the other, and that a collision was
inevitable, unless one of the two gave way. George issued certain
orders, and then walked forward, climbed the forecastle, that he might
see the better, and intently fixed his gaze upon the approaching ship.
She was then about a point on the lee bow of the _Nonsuch_, and was
steering such a course that, unless one or the other gave way, the
stranger must certainly strike the English ship somewhere between her
stem and foremast, probably bringing down the latter, most certainly
carrying away the bowsprit, and in any case rendering the _Nonsuch_
unmanageable. On she came, a blot of deeper blackness upon the black
background of the night, and it was clear to George that those on board
her were deliberately manoeuvring to strike the English ship. But Saint
Leger had already made his plans, and when presently the space between
the two craft had narrowed until only a few fathoms separated them, and
still there was no sign of the Spanish ship giving way, the young man
put a whistle to his lips and blew a shrill blast, whereupon the helm of
the _Nonsuch_ was put hard up, and as she bore broad away the whole of
her starboard broadside was poured into the approaching ship, within
biscuit-toss, and the discharge was instantly followed by a dreadful
outcry aboard her, mingled with the sound of rending timbers; and as the
two ships drove close past each other it was seen that her foremast had
been shot away. Then, to the amazement of all on board the English
ship, an order in Spanish was shouted, and the next instant a straggling
but heavy musketry fire was opened upon the former from the decks of the
latter, in the midst of which George hailed the Spaniard with:
"_Hola_! there. How dare you, senor, quit your anchorage without
orders, and attempt to leave the harbour? Return at once, or I swear to
you that I will sink you forthwith. If you are not round and heading
for the anchorage by the time that I am again alongside you, I will give
you another broadside. And--arrest the man, whoever he is, who issued
the order to you to open fire upon us, for somebody will have to be
punished for that outrage."
Whether or not the Spaniards were able to assimilate the whole of his
instructions, George could not tell, for the two ships were fast driving
apart; but when at length the _Nonsuch_ was hove about and once more
approached the Spaniard's weather quarter, with guns run out, a figure
leaped up on the plate ship's taffrail, frantically waving a lighted
lantern, and as he did so, he hailed:
"Do not fire upon us again, senor, for the love of God! We are busily
engaged in clearing away the wreck of our foremast, and as soon as that
is done and the ship is once more under command, I give you my word,
upon the honour of a Spaniard, that we will return to the anchorage."
"The honour of a Spaniard!" retorted George, contemptuously. "How much
is that worth, after the specimen of it which you have given me this
night? However, you cannot possibly escape, so I will spare you for the
present. Have you arrested the man who ordered your musketeers to fire
upon us?"
"No, senor," was the answer. "Do you wish him to be put under arrest?"
"That was part of my order when I just now hailed you," retorted George.
"But," he continued, "possibly you did not hear me; wherefore I repeat
the order now."
"It shall be done," replied the stranger. "And, senor," he continued,
"although the evidence against us be strong, I beg you not to think that
all Spaniards are liars and faithless. There are some--of whom I am
one--who know how to keep faith as well as an Englishman; and I will
keep faith with you."
"See that you do so, senor," retorted George, as the ships again drew
apart. "It will be better for you and those with you."
It was at this moment that the weather suddenly cleared, the clouds
drove away to leeward, and the stars shone forth with that mellow lustre
and brilliancy which renders a starlit night in the tropics so
inexpressibly beautiful; in an instant the intense darkness which had
hitherto enveloped the scene was rolled away like a curtain, and objects
which a moment before had been invisible were now seen with
comparatively perfect distinctness, the several ships which comprised
the plate fleet--the whole of which were by this time under way--and
even the wharves and houses of the town gleaming faintly and ghostly
against the darker background of the country beyond and the blue-black
of the star-spangled heavens. And now, too, lights suddenly began to
appear in the two batteries which guarded the town. A few seconds
later, as the _Nonsuch_ was steering to intercept and order back to her
anchorage the second of the escaping plate ships, first one and then the
other of those same batteries opened fire, and that their ordnance was
levelled against the English ship immediately afterward became apparent
from the fact that several heavy shot came hurtling immediately
overhead, one or two of which passed through the _Nonsuch's_ canvas, but
fortunately without inflicting any more serious damage.
"Spanish treachery again!" growled George to Basset, who was now
standing on the poop beside him. "It would appear that the scoundrels
know not what keeping faith means. I felt fully convinced that by
securing possession of a dozen of the most important citizens as
hostages, we should effectually protect ourselves from all possibility
of attack; but it is clear that there is somebody ashore there who cares
not what happens to the hostages, if he can only find a chance to strike
at us a treacherous blow. Now, then, to deal with this rascal,"
indicating the approaching plate ship. "Severe measures are best in
such cases as this, and if we deal with this fellow sharply, perhaps the
others will take the hint, and return to the anchorage without waiting
to be shot at. Starboard your helm, Mr Dyer"--to the pilot; "we will
pass under this fellow's stern, shaving him as closely as may be and
pouring a raking broadside into him as we pass; and if that does not
make him bear up, we will follow him and give him another. Now, gunners
of the starboard battery, stand by your ordnance, and discharge when we
are square athwart this big ship's stern."
The two craft were by this time within hailing distance of each other,
but perfect silence was maintained on board both until the _Nonsuch_, by
hauling her wind to pass under the plate ship's stern, exposed
practically the whole of her deck to those aboard the bigger ship, when
an order suddenly rang out, and the whole of the Spaniard's bulwark
instantly flashed into a hundred points of flame as a party of
musketeers aboard her discharged their weapons at close range. At such
an exceedingly short distance it was inevitable that a certain number of
casualties should occur, and George, with rage in his heart, saw several
figures collapse and fall upon the deck of his own ship, Dyer's among
them, while a bullet rang sharply upon his own steel headpiece, causing
him to stagger slightly.
"The villains!" he muttered savagely; "they shall pay dearly for this.
Hold your fire, men; do not discharge your ordnance until we are square
athwart his stern. Then let him have it and rake him fore and aft!"
Some five seconds later, the starboard broadside of the _Nonsuch's_
ordnance, great and small, crashed out, one piece after another in rapid
succession; and mingled with the roar of the guns there arose a dreadful
chorus of shrieks and yells from the Spaniard's crowded decks. At the
same instant the shore batteries renewed their fire, and so eager,
apparently, were the artillerymen to destroy the English ship that they
seemed to care little though their own countrymen shared her
destruction, for at least half the shot fell on board the ship that had
just sustained such a punishing broadside from the English, which still
further added to the confusion on board her. And when, a moment later,
the _Nonsuch_ hove in stays, with the evident intention of repeating the
dose with her larboard broadside, the mere threat proved quite enough,
for the big craft hurriedly put up her helm and bore away again for the
anchorage, with her scuppers streaming blood. The lesson seemed to have
sufficed for the rest also; for, one after the other, as they saw the
_Nonsuch_ heading toward them, they, too, bore up and headed back toward
the anchorage, while the artillerymen manning the batteries plumped shot
into them indiscriminately, apparently unable to distinguish between
friend and foe, so that, as they ran in again, those who had hitherto
escaped the broadsides of the Englishmen received a pretty severe
castigation from their friends ashore. At length, however, the whole
fleet got back to the anchorage, well peppered on the one hand by their
own batteries, and, on the other, receiving an occasional reminder from
the _Nonsuch_, until they were all once more at anchor, when the
Englishmen, as they passed to their own sheltered berth, stood close
inshore and poured a couple of broadsides into the nearest battery, so
well directed and with such deadly effect that it was effectually
silenced, while, as for the other, she soon passed beyond the range of
its guns and dropped her anchor as near to the spot which she had
previously occupied as could be determined by the elusive light of the
stars.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
HOW THEY EMPTIED THE STRONG ROOMS OF THE TWELVE PLATE SHIPS.
The first thing done aboard the _Nonsuch_, as soon as she and the other
ships had come to an anchor, was to ascertain the amount of loss and
damage attendant upon this fresh display of Spanish treachery, and this
proved, upon examination, to be very much less than might reasonably
have been expected. The most serious were the casualties resulting from
musketry fire, but even these were by no means considerable, the loss
amounting only to three killed and seven wounded--two of the latter,
however, being reported by Chichester as serious cases. The ship
herself had escaped damage in a manner that was little short of
miraculous, a few shots through her canvas and two in her hull covering
the full extent of her injuries; but this was probably due to ignorance
on the part of the artillerymen in the batteries, who, unused to
distinguishing one ship from another, had failed to identify the
_Nonsuch_ in the uncertain starlight, and had expended most of their
ammunition upon their friends, with disastrous results to the latter, as
subsequently appeared.
Meanwhile, the hostages, startled out of a light and troubled sleep upon
the first alarm that the plate ships were attempting to escape, had sat
huddled together in the great state cabin throughout the succeeding hour
and a half, quaking at every command which reached their ears from the
deck above, quaking still more when the firing began, roundly denouncing
and execrating the criminal folly of those, whoever they might be, who
were responsible for this fresh breach of faith, and anxiously debating
the question as to whether the young English Captain would hang the
whole of them in reprisal, or whether he would spare a certain number,
and if so, how many, and who. The alcalde had not returned to the ship
after leaving her in company with the Captain and his armed guard on the
previous day, having parted with George outside the Government building
when the Englishmen set out to visit the Inquisition, which circumstance
had been duly communicated to the hostages by Saint Leger upon his
return; and some of his fellow townsmen now manifested a disposition to
lay the blame for the affair upon his shoulders; the majority, however,
were of the contrary opinion, and it was this opinion upon which they
grounded the hope which ultimately arose that some of them at least
might be spared. For, they argued, if he were not guilty, he would take
immediate steps to discover who was, and having found the guilty party,
would cause his prompt arrest, after which they might hope for his
return to the ship to surrender the guilty one. But everything was most
horribly uncertain; and the more they debated the matter the worse
complexion did it assume; so that by the time that the ship was back at
the anchorage and the anchor let go, they were all in a most pitiable
state of distress and fright. And this state was in nowise relieved
when, as day was on the point of breaking, George entered the cabin, and
they noted the stern, set expression of his features.
He gazed slowly round at the quaking company for some moments in
silence, and then said:
"Well, senores, you were yesterday convinced of the ability of your
countrymen to keep faith with an honourable enemy, or I suppose you
would not have consented to guarantee their fidelity with your lives.
What think you of them now?"
"Ah, noble senor," exclaimed one of them--a certain Don Martin de
Sylva--"be merciful, I pray you, and do not hastily wreak upon us, who
are innocent, the vengeance so justly provoked by the act of another.
This is not the treachery of a whole community, senor, believe me, but
is the deed of some mad zealot--and, by all the Saints! I believe I can
name him, too," he suddenly broke out, wheeling eagerly round upon his
fellow hostages and excitedly addressing them. "What say you, senores;
does not the whole complexion of this unforgivable outrage point your
suspicions almost irresistibly toward one particular man? Are we to
believe that our worthy alcalde is capable of imperilling the lives of
his fellow townsmen, as ours have been imperilled this night, by an act
of such base, wanton betrayal as all this amounts to? I say no, most
emphatically; for, apart from every other consideration, what would he
gain by it? No; this is the deed of a man anxious to curry favour at
any cost with the Viceroy--who, we know, hates the English, and justly
fears them, too, after his atrocious act of last year; and what man so
anxious to win favour in that direction as--I say it with deliberation,
senores--Don Manuel Rebiera, the acting Commandant of the military
forces? That, in my humble opinion, noble Capitan, is the man whom we
have to thank for this latest outrage; and I think--nay, I _hope_--
that--Heavens! I wonder whether the alcalde will have the courage--or,
rather, the _power_--to arrest him, Don Manuel having the soldiery at
his back."
"I had an interview with Don Manuel Rebiera, yesterday," remarked
George; "and I feel bound to admit that I observed a certain something
in his manner which to some extent justifies your suspicion of him. But
whoever may be the person responsible for last night's--or, rather, this
morning's--proceedings, I most fervently hope, for your sakes, senores,
that he will be speedily found and delivered into my hands; for I tell
you that somebody will have to pay very dearly indeed for them. I shall
do nothing rashly or hastily, senores--you may reassure yourselves upon
that point--but an act of basest, foulest treachery has been
perpetrated, and retribution must follow. If you can in any way,
whether by suggestion or otherwise, assist me to lay my hands upon the
culprit, or culprits, I strongly advise you to do so, for your own
sakes; for, failing the actual guilty parties, _you_, senores, are the
persons who will have to pay the penalty." And, so saying, George
passed on and into his own cabin, leaving the hostages almost as
profoundly perturbed as before.
Meanwhile, Basset, acting under Saint Leger's instructions, had caused a
boat to be lowered and manned by a strong crew, fully armed, and in her
had proceeded to board the plate ships, one after the other, with the
view of ascertaining who had been in command during the futile effort to
take them to sea, also to arrest those persons, whoever they might be,
and bring them aboard the _Nonsuch_. This task occupied fully two
hours; so that it was drawing well on toward breakfast time when at
length the boat returned, bringing with her seven men--the remainder
having somehow contrived to effect their escape to the shore--who
admitted having been in temporary command of the ships during the night.
These men George questioned immediately upon their arrival; when the
suspicion given expression to by one of the hostages an hour or two
earlier, was fully confirmed; the prisoners asserting that their written
orders--which they produced in confirmation of their story--had been
given them on the previous afternoon by Don Manuel Rebiera, the acting
Military Commandant of the town and the representative of the Spanish
Government; those orders being to get the ships under way at a certain
hour, with the twofold object of escaping to sea, if possible, and of
enticing the English ship to follow them into the open, where she would
be exposed to the fire of the batteries, when it was hoped that she
would be destroyed, and the remnant of her crew captured. Upon
receiving this information George at once sat down and wrote a letter to
the alcalde, informing him of what had transpired, and demanding the
immediate arrest and surrender of the acting Commandant, the penalty for
non-compliance with the command before noon, being the bombardment and
sack of the town. This letter he entrusted to one of the hostages--
chosen by lot--who forthwith left the ship in a shore boat which had
been called alongside, promising that he would leave no stone unturned
to secure submission to the English Captain's demands. Then all hands
went to breakfast.
Meanwhile, with the strengthening of daylight it was discovered that the
_Nonsuch_, upon returning to the roadstead after her pursuit of the
plate ships, had brought up so close to the spot where she had slipped
her buoyed anchor, that the cable could be recovered by the simple
process of running out a warp to it; and this was therefore the first
job undertaken when breakfast was over, the second anchor being at the
same time weighed and secured; after which there was nothing to be done
but to wait until noon--or the arrival of a reply from the alcalde.
It was, however, not necessary to wait for noon; for about half-past ten
o'clock a boat was seen approaching the _Nonsuch_ from the shore; and
when she presently drew near enough to permit recognition of the faces
of those in her it was seen that the alcalde was her solitary passenger;
and very shortly afterwards she ranged up alongside the English ship,
and Don Juan Alvarez climbed the side ladder in an evident state of
profound trepidation. He brought momentous news, to the effect that it
had indeed been Don Manuel Rebiera who had taken upon himself to arrange
the whole affair of the preceding night; and that when at daylight he
had discovered how completely his scheme for the destruction of the
English ship had failed--and had also realised, it is to be presumed,
all that his failure involved, the terrible retribution that the English
would be certain to exact, and the whole responsibility for which must
rest upon his shoulders--the unhappy man had retired to his private
office in the Government building, and, after writing and signing a
document acknowledging himself to be the sole culprit, had shot himself
through the head. To this piece of news the alcalde added the further
information that the soldiers, some eight hundred in number, infuriated
at the suicide of their chief, and the terrible affair of the previous
day at the Inquisition, for both of which occurrences they held the
English equally responsible, were practically in a state of mutiny, and
were parading the streets, fully armed, loudly announcing their
intention to kill any Englishman who dared to leave the shelter of his
ship and venture ashore. Further, it appeared that the citizens, about
equally alarmed at the violence of feeling displayed by the soldiers,
and the fear that the town would be bombarded in reprisal for the
outrage perpetrated by Don Manuel, had taken refuge in the cathedral and
the various churches, where, under the leadership of the priests, they
were offering up especial prayers for protection and deliverance.
"Very well, senor alcalde," said George, when that official had
completed his report; "you have made the state of affairs ashore
sufficiently clear for all practical purposes. Now, touching the matter
of the indemnity which I have demanded, what has been done with regard
to that?"