It was John Drake's rough voice that aroused me, as the soft morning
light glimmered into the cabin where I had been sleeping.
'Rise quickly,' said he; 'the fish is in sight, and Frank says you
must bear a hand, as it is a big one.'
So great was that extraordinary man's hold already on me that it
never once seemed strange that I should receive orders from him thus.
I rose quickly, and buckled on my sword and pistols, well knowing
what was coming.
I was not at all surprised to see Harry standing, bow in hand, by
Frank, and all the rest armed with bows and pikes.
'Good-morrow, Mr. Festing,' cried Drake. 'Heaven has sent the
Antwerpers fortune to-day. Ere another hour or so they will be
spared all further trouble for their cargo. See where she lies.'
It was a lovely misty morning, such as one can only see in the
Channel on a sunny autumn day. Nothing was in sight but the shadowy
form of a good-sized caravel on our larboard bow, heavily laden, and
toiling at a snail's pace across our course.
As we drew nearer I could make out that she was at least twice,
perhaps three times, our size, though I could see but few men on
board her. Still my heart began to beat heavily.
'Steady now, lads,' cried Drake, as some of his brothers began to
show signs of excitement; 'steady, or we shall get never a bite. Get
up on the forecastle, Jack, and mend a bit of net; and do you, Mr.
Waldyve, carol us out a French ditty for a bait. And, look you, not
a glint and glimmer of weapon.'
Thus, with nothing to show we were not an ordinary French
fishing-boat, we bore towards the caravel so as to pass close under
her stern to windward. They, seeing our purpose, and fearing some
ill-dealing, no doubt, since those waters were even then winning an
evil name, hailed us.
Still we held on without answer, till they hailed again, asking what
countrymen we were.
'Now for an English greeting!' cried Drake. 'It would be less than
courtesy not to let them know our country since they ask so fairly.'
The words were hardly out of his mouth when our bows twanged and a
little cloud of arrows swept over the caravel. With loud derisive
cries our crew fitted fresh shafts. Thick and fast they flew, till
the crew of the caravel dared not show themselves on deck. Every man
hurried below to shelter himself, except him who was at the helm.
Bravely he held on in spite of our shafts, till, with a shudder, I
saw an arrow strike him under the arm. With a low cry he fell on his
face across the tiller.
The caravel hove up into the wind, and I saw the steersman turned
helplessly head over ears as the helm swung round--a sickening sight
to see.
'Save you for a pretty tumbler!' cried Joe Drake, and all the rest
but Frank and Harry laughed loud.
'Steady, lads, steady,' said he; 'look to your pikes, and gentlemen
to their swords, or we shall some of us laugh the wrong side.'
As we fell aboard of her I drew my rapier. I can say without pride I
was by this time no mean fencer, though a bungler beside Harry; yet
so strange did my blade seem, now that for the first time I drew it
in earnest, that I felt as though I had never handled one before.
Still, there was no time to think. Frank Drake sprang aboard, Harry
after him, I after Harry. No sooner did our feet touch the deck than
out of the after-cabin burst a half-dressed cavalier, rapier in hand.
Some nine or ten men were at his back, armed with swords and daggers.
With a loud cry they ran upon us, the gentleman straight at me. He
seemed mad with fury, for he made no shift to fence, more than to
rush on with uplifted blade as though straightway to _arrebatar_ with
a wiping sweep, after the method of Carranza. I did but offer him my
point _di intrare_, and he spitted himself or ever he came within his
proportion. It was but murder. God forgive me for it when His will
is! It made me sick to see my rapier half-hidden in his breast, as
his sword-arm dropped, and for a moment he stood gnashing his teeth
before he fell backward.
I shut my eyes as the blade drew hard from the wound, and reeled
against the bulwarks, feeling dizzy with horror and my sickness.
When I opened my eyes again it was well-nigh all over. For, save for
two of his servants, no one resisted after the gentleman fell. The
rest were poor Dutch mariners who cared little who had the cargo they
carried, so long as they kept their skins whole.
The serving-men were quickly overpowered, and the rest of the crew
driven within the forecastle. Then Harry came up and slapped me on
the back.
'Well done, Jasper,' he said. ''Slight, it was a pretty thrust, a
most scholarly _imbroccata_. Would that Sir Fulke had been here to
see what his errant disciple can do! Perhaps he would rail less at
your Italian bodkin-play, and would say, I doubt not, that they can
teach something beside Latins at Trinity. But what is it, man? You
look as if the blade were through you instead of him.'
'Hush, Harry!' I said. 'For God's sake, look to him, for I dare not.'
'Poor lad!' answered my dear brother, who could always feel for me
far more than for himself, 'you are too sick for this bloody work. I
will do as you bid, though there is little hope for him.'
But there was no need, for as I turned to look upon my work again, I
saw Frank Drake leaning over the bleeding Spaniard, and, as tenderly
as a woman, trying to staunch the wound.
It filled me with new wonder and love for this man to see how his
fierce courage melted to gentleness as soon as the danger was over.
I marvelled, too, to see how apt he was at surgery even then, though
he had not yet attained to that great skill which afterwards he made
it his duty to acquire.
It seemed to make war wondrous gentle to see him, and I was better
able to give my help. We soon disposed the wounded man more easily,
and went to minister to the helmsman, but, alas! he was stone dead.
Meanwhile the others had bound the crew, and Frank Drake set about
questioning them. I don't know whether it made any difference to
him, but he was most instant to find out if the cargo were Spanish
owned.
While we were thus engaged there was a sudden cry of a sail in sight.
Looking up, I could see a tall ship looming through the silver mist,
and bearing down straight for us.
'Stand by to cast off, lads,' cried Frank, cool and decided, 'till we
see what she is.'
We were all on board the _Gazehound_ in a minute, and sat
breathlessly waiting to see what our unwelcome neighbour might be.
Slowly she came down upon, us before the gentle breeze, looking so
beautiful in the morning sun that I could hardly believe that she
might contain a pirate's death for us all. The strain would have
been more than I could have borne had it not been that my senses
seemed dulled with horror of my deed.
Afterwards I thought it strange that no one had urged Drake to let go
the prize and run for it; but then all seemed to think that the
course he had made up his mind to was the only one possible.
Nearer and nearer she drew, till the mist, which was very thick close
down on the water and had till now hidden her hull, cleared a little,
and we could see, I at least with sinking heart, the sunlight sparkle
on the ordnance which protruded from her lofty forecastle, like the
teeth of some savage hound.
'Culverins!' whispered Harry to me. 'They have point-blank range of
five hundred paces, and we are within that of her already. There is
no running now, whatever befalls. Heaven send she is a Queen's ship,
and no Spaniard.'
'What matters which,' said I, 'if we are pirates? You know well what
grievous complaints they say the Spanish ambassador has made, and
what orders the Queen has given the navy.'
'Well, wait a little. See the trumpets on the poop; they are going
to hail us.'
On she came, a glorious sight, with the sun glowing on her bulging
sails and the perfect lines of her hull, that swept so gracefully
from towering poop to lofty forecastle.
Suddenly, as she drew level with us, her trumpets blared forth a loud
flourish that rolled merrily away over the misty sea. The
boatswain's pipe chirped out, and we could see the sailors stand by
to go about.
Again the trumpets brayed a fuller call, and then a mass of red and
gold aloft unfolded itself with royal languor, till there flashed in
the sunlight, plain to see, the beautiful banner of our island Queen.
A lusty cheer from all our crew greeted the welcome flag. As it died
away we could hear the captain of the Queen's ship hailing us to know
who we were, and what we did.
'The _Gazehound_ of Chatham--Master Drake,' shouted Frank, springing
on the poop,--and then, after a pause, 'aiding a Spanish caravel in
distress.'
We could hear a roar of laughter on board the ship at his words, and
the captain's voice came rolling back:
'Well met, Master Drake, and a fair voyage.'
We gave her another cheer as we saw her keep on her course. She
answered us with her hautboys and other music, which we listened to
till it grew faint in the offing, and we were left alone to do our
will upon our prize and prisoners.
As we watched her sail away so gallantly, with her gay streamers and
gilded poop glittering like some tropic bird in the sun, I asked
Drake what she was.
'I know her well enough,' said he, 'but we ask not the names of
Queen's ships that find us at this work. Yet I will tell you. It is
the _Minion_, and Captain David Carlet is in command of her. He is
bound for Guinea with the _John Baptist_ and _Merline_, both of
London, so I know. They are going to try if they cannot draw a
little for the Queen out of the Portugal's wells, like Mr. John
Hawkins. Good luck go with them; but now we must to work.'
After what I had seen of Drake's dealing with the cavalier I had so
grievously hurt, I had no fear that the crew of the caravel would
suffer at his hands any great cruelty, such as I had heard less noble
spirits had inflicted in the fury of their revenge against the
Inquisition.
I went aboard the prize with the rest when Drake gave the order to
rummage the cargo. We found that it consisted chiefly of silks and
woollen goods. A few more inquiries soon showed us that they were
Spanish owned, and, further, that the cavalier was a gentleman
returning from secret service in the Netherlands to Spain.
We quickly then completed our work. It was only to set some of the
cargo on board the _Gazehound_ in order to lighten the caravel enough
to allow of her being run into Otterham Channel, one of those lonely
tortuous inlets amongst the Saltings in the mouth of the Medway which
we had all known so well since boyhood.
As soon as it was done Drake bade his brother and me carry the
_Gazehound_ back to Rochester, while he and Harry, with half our
crew, and some of the Netherlanders who were freed for the work, made
sail in the caravel to the spot whither he intended to take her.
So we parted company, and I with my charge came safely on the next
morning's tide to our moorings.
The Spanish bales we stowed on board Mr. Drake's hulk. He was not at
home, purposely, as I could not help thinking, to ease his
conscience, if indeed our piracy went in any way against it.
Only poor Mrs. Drake was there, trying vainly to get her youngest boy
away from the taffrail, outside of which he was recklessly climbing
at the risk of a sudden grave in the rushing tide. She looked more
wan and weary than ever when she saw what our cargo was, and soon
seized an occasion to draw me into the cabin for a little comfort.
'Mr. Festing,' she said piteously, 'for God's sake, sir, stop them
from this bloody work. They will die in a halter, every one of them.
God pardon me for not bearing His punishment without complaint, but
what sinful woman was ever chastised with twelve such rods? See,
there is blood on your own doublet! Shun this sin, Mr. Festing, for
sin it is. How will God ever give us back our dear James if we break
His law daily thus? Surely he has been taken in judgment for his and
his brothers' wickedness. Frank is as bad as the rest, and leads
them on to it. But vengeance is the Lord's, Master Jasper, and not
for preachers' sons, for all that men cry out about spoiling the
Egyptians.'
I tried hard to comfort the poor woman, feeling deeply for her. I
could pity her the more heartily in her misery at the little care or
kindness her sons showed for her, seeing I knew what it was to crave
unsatisfied for a mother's love.
She had often come to me thus for comfort; yet I never found it a
harder task than now, not only because of my own sense of sin, but
also from my difficulty in understanding what she felt. At one
moment she spoke of her boys as an infliction of Heaven; at another
she seemed in terror that she should lose them; nor could I be sure
whether her hatred of piracy came from a tenderness for them or the
laws.
I could only tell her how I had been drawn into it unawares, and
would do all I could to turn them from further crime.
'God bless you for your words, Master Jasper,' she said. 'What
should I do if I lost my boys? I see them o' nights dangling in
halters, and sometimes again lying in blood with Spanish blades at
their hearts. Then I wake and pray God for comfort, till I sleep
again; yet I only rise on the morrow to hear more talk of fights, and
Spaniards, and wild work.'
'Surely,' said I, 'God has set them apart for some notable work in
His service, seeing how they prosper in what they do.'
'Maybe, maybe,' the poor woman answered. 'Yet more times I think it
is the devil and not God who is their master; think of it, Master
Jasper, twelve of them, and not one a godly preacher like their
father. What will God say to me for that? It was my hope and
comfort when little Willie came, bless his sweet heart, that he would
be my own boy, and God's, till he fell in with the old sword-hilt,
and loved it just like all the rest of them; and played all day with
it like the others, and grew as heady and masterful as the worst of
them.'
'Well, Mrs. Drake,' said I, 'I am as earnest as you to turn them to a
better path. You and I must try, under God; yet, in truth, I know
not which way to start.'
'Will you not go to the Earl of Bedford?' she said eagerly. 'Did he
hear what his godson did, I know he would stretch out his hand, and
the Lord would prosper him. Truly, I thought when godly young Master
Russell, as he was then, held my pretty curly-pated Frank at his
baptism, that he would prove the firstfruits of a vineyard that
should be savoury in the nostrils of the Lord. But He punished my
pride, and lo! my vine bore nothing but thistles. Still, go to him,
Master Jasper, and he will save them.'
'But my lord is far away in Berwick,' said I, 'where I cannot reach
him.'
'Then write to him letters,' she answered, 'or go inform Sir Fulke
how they deal with his boy. He is a Justice, and will tell the
Queen, and stop this ungodly breaking of the laws.'
I think this plan had come into my mind before; yet I had driven it
away as one that sorted ill with my honour, and fearing to get the
Drakes and Harry into some trouble. Now it looked less evil to me;
for I think this poor weary mother had somewhat unmanned me. Without
promising I said I would do all in my power, which seemed greatly to
comfort her.
So I took my leave, and coming by boat to Rochester, where I found
Lashmer, rode gloomily towards Longdene, much pondering what way my
duty lay.
By the time I reached the place where the roads to Longdene and
Ashtead parted, I had made up my mind, as I knew from the first I
should. The Puritan party at Cambridge was already growing
marvellously grim-minded. There had been many who muttered secretly
against the masques and comedies with which the university had
entertained the Queen, and in many other things Mr. Cartwright and
his friends, of whom I was one of the most loyal and devoted, began
to show a growing faith in all that made life hard and mournful, no
less than an ever-waxing mistrust of whatever was easy and pleasant.
Tried by this terrible test, my true duty, as I thought, was easy to
see. I had an inborn English horror of tale-bearing. Here, then,
was an occasion to wound the carnal scruple. I had a love for Harry
that was the one bright light in my life, I had an admiration and
belief in him that fed my hunger for guidance to a noble life. Here,
then, was a time in which I might humble my earthly idol in the dust.
Poor lad, poor lad! I can look back now from the quiet spot whither
God has led me, and see my youth as something apart from me. I can
pity it now, ay, and grieve for it too, seeing that I know how many
at this very hour are torturing themselves, even as did that youth,
that was I, long ago.
When will one arise with tongue and pen of flame to show them what
they do, that men may cease to mar what God in His wisdom and
goodness has made so fair? Why will ye be so doting, good people?
What blindness has seized you, so that you cannot understand the gift
of life that He has given you? It is hard, I know, to fathom all its
depths, and fully understand the voice with which it speaks to you;
yet treat it not, therefore, like some poor, mad thing that must be
laid by the heels and scourged and starved, till it grow so foul and
ill-favoured that even the angels, who weep for the folly of mankind,
shall turn from it with loathing.
But I may not rail at you, for I was no wiser as I rode that night up
to Ashtead. I had started late from Rochester, and it had been dark
an hour or more before I saw the crowded turrets and gables of my
guardian's house faintly outlined against the starlit sky.
When I drew rein at the foot of the gentle slope upon which the
manor-house stood, I could hear the sound of many horses entering the
gate above. It seemed strange to me that so large a company should
be coming there at so late an hour, but I soon saw the cause.
As I entered the gate some serving-men were setting torches in the
sconces round the court, and my bewildered eyes saw their lurid light
fall on a whole train of packhorses which almost filled the place.
Frank Drake together with some of his brothers and Harry were moving
busily and silently amongst them. They had plainly just come in, and
were setting about unloading the packs as though they had no spare
time on their hands. Sir Fulke was standing on the steps of the hall
looking at the busy scene below him.
'Who's there?' cried he, suddenly catching sight of Lashmer and me
dimly in the gateway. 'Where the devil is John Porter? Harry, quick
to the gate; there are strangers!'
Frank Drake and Harry whipped out their swords in a trice and sprang
towards me.
'Stand!' they cried together. 'Who are you?'
'A friend!' cried I, riding out into the light and springing from my
horse.
'Mass!' said Drake, 'but I thought you were some of those rake-hells
from Hoo that had got wind of our luck and wanted to cut a slice for
themselves. Is my _Gazehound_ safe?'
'Yes,' said I, 'safe at her moorings, and the cargo in the hold of
the hulk. And how fares it with the Don?'
'As well as man may,' answered Drake, 'with a hole such as you
whipped through him. He lives; but no more.'
'Thank God for your care of him, Mr. Drake,' said I. 'But tell me
now, what means all this hubbub?'
'Why,' answered Harry, 'only that our work took longer than yours,
and had to be set about more secretly. Come and help unload the
silk.'
'What!' cried I, aghast; 'the stolen cargo here?'
'_Blanda verba, blanda verba_, my scholar,' said Harry. 'Our prize
of war, you would say. Of course it is; and where could it be safer
than in the cellars of the gentleman adventurer who fitted out the
craft that captured it?'
'Surely you jest,' said I.
'Nay, I jest not,' answered Harry; 'it is plain open-air truth, and
yet withal so good a jest as to want no bettering at my hands.'
'I can see no jest in it at all,' said I.
'I know it well enough, lad,' cried Harry, putting his arm through
mine in his old loving way. 'Many do not see it at first, but they
come to it soon. You learn the lesson quick enough on the Scotch
marches; but I could see you were so be-Cambridged that, if I told
you all, you would never join the sport. You shall pardon me; for,
in truth, I could not rest till I had uncolleged you a little.'
'You know well, dear lad,' said I, for I could never resist him, for
all my stern resolves, 'there is nothing I cannot forgive you. Yet,
I pray you, bear with me a little now, for I think my sickness comes
over me again, and I would go within and rest.'
'Right willingly,' said he. 'Sir Fulke will see you lodged; for I
must make another journey to Otterham Quay ere the sun is up, to
bring on what is left of the caravel's cargo.'
So I left him and went within to sleep a fevered, troubled sleep, in
which I saw the wounded cavalier grinning upon my sword again, till
he sprang at last from off it, and, seizing Harry and the Drakes,
swung them up on gibbets in a long ghastly row, while Mrs. Drake
cried to me, who could not move, to save them.