'A very notable piece of service, sir,' said Sergeant Culverin to me
the same afternoon, as we sat resting our weary limbs after a very
excellent meal, which we made from hens, fruit, and the other good
things on the island.
'So it seems to me, Sergeant,' said I, 'though you know I have no
experience of such matters; but how goes the general now?'
'As well as we could wish,' answered the Sergeant. ''Tis a hurt
wants no Galen or Paracelsus to its mending. Take that of me, sir; I
have seen these things, and know. It is but a clean, pretty
flesh-wound, and no harm done save the letting of so much blood,
which I never saw lost in so large a measure and death kept off. A
very tall man our general, sir, a very tall man.'
'I am heartily glad to hear you say so, Sergeant,' I said, being ever
willing to humour him for the great service he had done me. 'You
have been acquainted with great captains in the Emperor's service,
and know one when you see him.'
'Indeed, sir, I do,' returned Culverin, very pleased: 'and I may tell
you, at a word, he is one,--a very Gonsalvo, sir. Yet I marvel how
he came by such skill in dispositions, being wholly unlearned in the
very rudiments of war. Why, sir, I spake to him at Port Pheasant
concerning our fort of timber, and, believe me, he knew not the
difference betwixt counterfort and cavaliero, or counterscarp and
argine. And as for horsemanship, he has no more practice or
contemplation of it than his cook's boy; and yet a notable soldier!'
'It is as you say, Sergeant,' I answered; 'and we must the more
honour him that, being his own master, he is able by such excellent
practice to show how soldierly have been his precepts; and I grieve
sorely that his skill and valour has met with no reward to-day.'
'No reward?' said Culverin. 'Has your worship seen the sail that
lies before the general's bower, where is the common-stick?'
'No, Sergeant; what do you mean?'
''Tis naught; and yet there are some indifferent foolish toys
gathered there that will repay some of the blood that was spilt.'
'Why, how is this, Sergeant? Did not the general charge that no man
should load himself save with what came from the Treasure-House.'
'True, sir, so he did; but, as I was saying, saving his most
excellent dispositions, he is unlearned in things warlike. If a man
make war, look you, he must make it according to the honoured,
ancient, universal customs and discipline of war, whereof the honest
pillaging of a captured town is one; wherefore I made bold of my
bitter experience to supply our general's sweet ignorance, and lead
some of the lads, when occasion was, to certain indifferent
well-furnished houses. If some thereafter made free with certain
trifling bars of silver from the governor's house it was by no
furthering of mine. All I did was out of niceness for our general's
honour. What think you those Spanish _cabaleros_ would have thought
of him if, when they had returned, they had found their houses
unplundered? I warrant you, sir, they would have been sore grieved
in their soldiership to think that a man who could deliver an assault
so boldly against all their force and discipline was ignorant of the
most common and ancient usage of the wars.'
Here one came to summon me to the general's presence, so I heard no
more, though I found afterwards it was even as the Sergeant said, and
that, far from coming out of the town empty handed as I thought,
almost every man had carried off something, which all being gathered
in the common store according to custom, made a show which was no
little content to us.
Indeed, I think we were all very merry that afternoon, not only as
seeing how easily we had captured the town, which bred in us no less
courage for further attempts than hope of their success, but also
because we had brought off our general safely, in comparison with
which gain we held our loss of the gold is nothing, the more so as
his hurt proved of no great account; nor was any other of our company
more than slightly wounded, save our trumpeter, who had been slain on
the spot.
Thus we were in a gentle mood to receive the envoy from Nombre de
Dios, which was the occasion of the general's summons to me. I found
Frank with a cheerful countenance, seated in a kind of hammock, which
the mariners had made for him from a piece of sail-cloth. His
officers and gentlemen stood about him, to receive the envoy with as
much state as we might, whereby, having brushed the dust from our
clothes and made what shift we could, we displayed a tolerable front.
Mr. Oxenham and Harry were sent to conduct the Spaniard to the
presence, and we saw them return with the most point-device little
gentleman I ever beheld. He was by his dress a captain of foot, and
by his delicate and well-guarded complexion but late come out of
Spain. His little black moustache was disciplined to the nicety of a
hair, and his whole dress no less brilliant than his countenance, nor
more fantastic than his bearing.
He approached, making legs very sweetly to us all, and a profound
congee to our general, which we returned as decently as we might.
After an offering of commendations, so stuffed with unheard-of
conceits as I can never remember again, he told us the occasion of
his coming.
'Of my mere goodwill, and as it were for my own unworthy honour, most
admirable _cabaleros_,' said he, with an infinity of conceited
gestures, 'I have conveyed myself festinately hither to your most
honourable presence, moved thereto by the wholesome desire, with
which my eyes were an hungered, to behold, view, regard, and
contemplate the most redoubtable captain and his heroical gentlemen
who have attempted so great and incredible a matter with so few,
paltry, and inconsiderable valiant numbers; being more especially
moved thereto when it was discovered by the most excellent shooting
of your honourable arrows that you were Englishmen, and no Frenchmen
as we apprehended, seeing that now we knew our foe would hold
themselves after the ancient gentle discipline of the wars, and be
content with an honourable courteous pillage of our treasure, instead
of seeking vulgar and bloody cruelty upon our persons; and being most
especially moved thereto because his excellency, our honourable
governor, being assured that you were gentlemen Englishmen and no
pirate French, gladly consented to my coming; and lastly, being most
singularly especially moved thereto, because his excellency, having
been informed by certain townsmen that they knew your honourable
captain, having at divers times been most courteously pillaged and
kindly used by him these two years past, charged me to inquire as
follows:
'_Imprimis_. Whether your honourable captain be the valiant Captain
Drake or not?
'_Item_. Whether your arrows, which have wounded many of our men, be
poisoned or not?
'_Item_. How the said wounds may be cured?
'_Item_. What victuals or other necessaries you desire for the
speeding of your voyage hence, which his excellency desires to
furnish you withal, as far as he dare, having regard to his
commission.'
This and a very flood more of such-like desperate intemperance of
phrasing he graciously voided upon us, the writing whereof, were I
able to set it down, would devour more paper than I could ever find
digestion for. When he was at a halt at last Frank sat up in his
chair and, after a little pause, answered him thus courteously but
very curt, because of his weakness, no less than his distaste for
Spaniards.
'I thank you for your courtesy,' said he, 'and I pray you, after you
have partaken of a poor supper at our hands, to return to his
excellency with my most honourable commendations, and inform him
thus: I am the same Drake he means. It is never my manner to poison
my arrows. The said wounds may be cured with ordinary surgery. And
as for victuals, we have already more than enough out of the
abundance which he has already so hospitably provided us withal in
this Island of _Bastimentos_; while for necessaries, I want for none,
save the special commodity which his country yields. Whereof not yet
having enough to content myself and my company, I must unwillingly
beseech his excellency to be at the pain of holding open his eyes for
a space; since before I depart, if God lend me life and leave, I mean
to reap some of your harvest, which you get out of the ground and
send into Spain to trouble all the earth!'
The little gallant seemed a good deal taken aback at this
unlooked-for answer, but, recovering himself, promised to convey it
to the governor treasured in the inmost sanctuary of his bosom.
'And, if I may without offence move such a question,' he ended by
saying, 'what should be the honourable cause of your worthy departing
(seeing what are your sweet desires) from a town where is above 360
tons of silver ready for the Plate Fleet, and much more gold in value
in iron chests in the King's Treasure-House?'
'Because,' said Harry, whom Frank motioned to speak, 'our captain was
wounded, and we value his life beyond all the gold in the Indies.'
'Then, most valiant _cabaleros_,' answered our pouncet-box, 'give me
leave to say that, as I am a gentleman, the pre-eminent excellence of
your reason in departing is hardly overbalanced by your unmeasured
courage in attempting.'
With that we fell to supper, during which we did all honour to our
guest; all of us, but Frank, being much taken with his fantastic
courtesy and pretty humours. Harry and Mr. Oxenham were particularly
moved to him, and he to them, so that all supper-time they vied with
each other in the extravagance of their compliments, till I thought
the little gallant could swallow no more.
When he took his leave at last our captain entreated him very
courteously, and bestowed certain gifts as most likely to content
him. So we conducted him to his boat to make our farewells.
'I protest, _cabaleros_,' said he, a little flushed with a good share
of the contents of our prize, 'I protest I have never been so
honoured of any in my life.'
'And give me leave to say,' answered Harry, 'I have never seen an
embassy so admirably discharged.'
'I kiss your hands,' said the Don, 'and, as I am a gentleman, shall
joy no more, till I have the felicity of crossing rapiers with you
upon your next attempt.'
'Till then, by my soul's honour,' returned Harry, 'I, too, die; nor
could I conceive greater honour than to colour my blade with such
courtly blood as your excellency's.'
'Nay, sir, I protest, as I am a gentleman, the honour would be mine.
I could desire no higher distinction than to feel your point between
these unworthy ribs.'
'I pray heaven,' said Mr. Oxenham, 'your joy come not so soon as to
prevent my poor flesh first kissing your very bright particular
blade.'
'I kiss both your hands, sir,' said the Don, 'and trust we may be all
sweetly sorted to our most gentlemanly desires.'
With such like compliment, and an infinite making of legs, we at
length took leave of him, greatly entertained with his humours, and
delighted with the renown which our captain had won by this and his
former exploits.
That evening our captain held a council to determine what further we
should attempt, and thereto was called Diego, the negro whom we had
brought from Nombre de Dios, that he might be questioned as to the
present condition of the town.
'Soldiers and gold all the same what little Don tells,' he said,
grinning all over his good-humoured face. 'Nombre very full of
soldiers, and Treasure-House very strong, all because of my people,
the Cimaroons. I know better way to get gold from Dons than to burn
fingers after it in Nombre.'
'Say you so, Diego?' said Frank, in his kindly way, which always won
the heart of these people. 'A very worthy tall fellow you seem. Let
us hear about it, and I doubt not you shall hear of something good
too.'
'Yes, I know,' answered the black fellow, showing his white teeth
from ear to ear. 'I know Captain Drake; so do Cimaroons. Spaniards
beat Cimaroons; Captain Drake beats Spaniards. Mighty tall man
Captain Drake amongst Cimaroons.'
'Well, well, good Diego,' says Frank, very pleased, 'but what of the
gold?'
'Why, this way,' says the negro, looking very cunning;
'Treasure-House very strong, best get gold before it done got to
treasure-house.'
'Yes, but how?' says Frank,
'Why, easy as a fall,' says Diego, grinning with all his might. 'I
go to Cimaroons, and say to chief, "Captain Drake wants
gold."--"Mass! then bring his nobleness here," says the chief; so you
go up through the woods with the Cimaroons, and they show you--and
they show you,' he went on, hardly able to speak for glee, 'where to
stop the great mule trains that come from Panama to meet the Plate
Fleet.'
With that he opened his wide mouth, laid his head back, and roared
with laughter, rubbing his hands between his knees, and dancing an
ungainly measure to the sound of his own merriment.
This and other intelligences which we had from the negro, on further
questioning him, bred in us great hope of making our voyage, though
our other plans failed. For in all they agreed and confirmed what
Captain Drake had learned on his two former voyages; which was that
on the arrival of the Plate Fleet from Spain great quantities of
gold, silver, and pearls came across the isthmus from Panama to
Nombre de Dios, partly by _recuas_ or mule trains, and partly in
frigates by way of the Rio de Chagres, which ran into the sea nigh to
where we were from a place called Venta Crux, within six leagues of
Panama.
When therefore we had refreshed ourselves at the island two days, our
captain sent a party under his brother John to search this river,
with orders, after he had made full discovery of it, to join Captain
Ranse and the ships at the Isles of Pinos, whither we presently set
sail.
It was our captain's intent now to attempt Carthagena before the
garrison got wind of our being on the coast, but Captain Ranse was
not willing to join us, thinking we stood in too great danger after
we had discovered ourselves at Nombre de Dios. Frank was not sorry
to dismiss him, I know, for at all times he very hardly endured to
have another joined in command with him. Therefore, as soon as John
Drake returned from his discovery, we parted company with Sir Edward
Horsey's crew, and remained to make our voyage, if we could, without
them, notwithstanding all the dangers they feared.
Yet our captain would not altogether give up his desire to visit
Carthagena, whither we sailed with all speed, though much delayed
with light airs, calms, and want of hands; for, now that our company
was divided between the ships and the pinnaces, each craft was
under-manned. So it fell out that a Spanish pinnace preceded us a
few hours, bringing news of our coming, and we found they had made so
large a provision of horse, foot, and ordnance for our entertainment
that, being unwilling to trouble them further, we craved them to
bestow on us a great ship of Seville, of some two hundred and forty
tons burthen, which we found well laden in the harbour, and this they
did, though not so graciously as our moderation warranted.
Having in this way, and more certainly by letters found in two other
prizes which we took, learned that our presence was known all along
the coast, it remained for us to take some course with our
difficulties, which at last we did, and in such wise as gave me fresh
proof, if any were wanting, of that extraordinary resolution in our
captain which seemed to grow every day more constant and heroical.
'There is no shift for it but the Cimaroons,' said Frank to me, as we
lay off the islands of St. Bernardo, some three leagues from
Carthagena. 'We must take to our pinnaces till we find them, and
hide along the coast, so that the Spaniards may think we have
departed, which I am resolved not to do till our voyage be made.'
'But how can we continue longer on the coast?' said I. 'It may take
us weeks to find the Cimaroons, and we have but little store of
victuals.'
'We can make provision with our pinnaces could we find some place to
hide. There are plenty of victuallers to be taken all along the
coast.'
'That would be possible,' I answered, 'if we could properly man our
pinnaces; but this we cannot do, not having hands enough in the ships
as it is.'
'And yet there is no other way,' said Frank, musing; and then,
looking very hard at me, he went on after a pause: 'What a mercy it
would be if one of our ships were taken from us!'
'What do you mean?' asked I, aghast.
'Why,' says he, 'then we should have enough men to man the pinnaces.'
'True,' I answered; 'but how should we get back to England?'
'God would send us means,' says he. 'A smart frigate or so would
fall into our hands when we wanted it. Indeed, it would be a mercy
if one ship were taken! Then we could make a store-house of the
other, and make our voyage with the full-manned pinnaces.'
'Perhaps it would be well,' I answered; 'but such a thing is not to
be looked for.'
'Cortez burnt his ships,' said Frank, as though he were thinking, and
had not heard me. 'Why should not I destroy mine? Yet I think he
cannot have loved his as I love mine, the smartest sailers that ever
left Plymouth harbour.'
'Frank,' cried I, 'this is madness; besides, your company would never
permit it.'
'Not permit it!' says he, with a sort of dull fire under his frown.
'None of my company must talk so, Jasper. And yet I love the lads
for their love of the ships; nor must a captain, who would be
cheerfully followed, strain obedience further than is necessary. A
great captain, as I trust by God's help to be ere I die, differs only
from his fellows in that he is readily obeyed. Any man of ordinary
wit can see what should be done, yet must he often abstain from
commanding it because he knows how hardly he will be obeyed, and as
often, if he do command it, find the labour of procuring obedience
too great for his constancy. But your great captain fears not to
command anything, seeing he is always cheerfully obeyed, and why,
lad? Because by policy he shall cheat those under him into a
cheerful willingness towards all he intends.'
'Well,' said I, 'I will call you before all men a great captain, if
to-morrow you can make your men cheerfully fire either of these
ships.'
'Then, lad,' says he, 'I pray you go fetch hither Tom Moone, the
carpenter of the _Swan_. That is my own ship, and that is the one I
must burn. To-morrow arise betimes and come with me fishing in the
pinnace and you shall see how, by my policy, my brother and his crew
shall willingly fire her.'
I did all he said, and in the early morning we were off to the
fishing, for about the island where we lay was a great store of
fishes. As we passed the _Swan_ we fell aboard of her, and Frank
cried out to his brother to come fishing with him. John Drake jumped
up at once, willingly agreeing to follow us presently. We cast off,
but before we had gone but a few strokes Frank asked us if the _Swan_
did not sit very low in the water, which we saw at once that she did.
'Ahoy, Jack!' sung out our captain then, 'what makes your bark so
deep?'
'Nay, I knew not that she was over deep,' says Jack, and called to
the steward to see what water was in her.
Presently there was a mighty splashing, and up comes the steward, wet
to the waist, crying out that the ship was full of water. All was
bustle in a moment, some of the crew rushing to the pumps and some
splashing about the hold to search for the leak, Tom Moone being the
most forward there.
We fell aboard her again at once to offer our help. John Drake would
have none of it, but only begged to be excused his attendance on his
brother.
'We have hands enough,' said he, 'and will have her free in a trice.
We have not pumped these six weeks, so what strange chance has
befallen to give us six foot of water in the night is more than I can
tell. But I pray you go on with your fishing; we shall want some
good stuffing come dinner-time, after our pumping.'
Besides our captain and myself, there were none with us, I think, who
had any suspicion of what this strange chance was, so that our men
were not a little surprised to find on our return that, though out of
their great love for their dainty bark the _Swan's_ company had
wellnigh worked their lives out at the pumps, yet had they freed but
a few inches of water.
'What, so bad!' cried Frank to his brother, who looked over the side
very weary. 'Nay, then, you shall have our help now, while you eat
your dinner.'
With that, acting his part better than I could have looked for in so
plain and blunt a nature, he sprang on board, and with his own hands
fell to work at one of the pumps with such good will that I thought
to see it burst. All our company, set on by his example, worked no
less hard; yet, though we continued in shifts till three in the
afternoon, we had freed the water little more than a foot, nor could
any man find where the leak was.
Wearied out at last, John Drake, with his master and crew, gathered
round Frank to consult him as to what order was to be taken, for up
till now our general had not said a word, save to encourage men at
the pumps, seeing that his brother was captain of the ship.
'What shall we do, Frank?' said poor John Drake. 'We shall have to
pump the whole North Ocean out of her before she is dry.'
'Indeed, Jack,' says our captain, 'I cannot tell what order to take
to save her.'
'Well, I care not what comes of her,' says Jack desperately. 'I
think the devil has got her for good and all. It is some hellish
Indian witchcraft of these Spaniards. I am at my wits' end with her,
so do what you will.'
The whole company were plainly weary of their ship, no less than was
their captain, and crowded round to hear what Frank would say, very
hopefully; for they had all come to think there was no hole so deep
or miry that he could not draw them out of it.
'If you leave it so to me,' says Frank, 'I tell you there is only one
way. The ship is dead, that is plain. It is my ship, and it is lost
by no fault of master or mariner. If any is to blame it is I. You,
Jack, I would have go aboard the admiral with your master and take
command of her, and I will be content with a pinnace till I can
capture you a smart frigate in place of this rotten tub, and
incontinently we will fire her that the Spaniards may find their
witchcraft has availed them nothing.'
I think this advice astonished the company a good deal, but presently
they were very content with it, saying it was most worthy of their
general, who was always as ready to take blame on himself as to find
resolute remedies for mishaps of others. There were a few who had
sailed in her the two former voyages, and would gladly have made an
effort to save her, being ashamed to lose her; but when her owner so
boldly gave her up and took all blame on himself, they were very glad
to be rid of her.
In a few minutes the pinnaces were all laid aboard of her, so that
every man might take from her whatever he wished, and thereupon poor
John Drake, his eyes full of tears, fired her with his own hand.
Poor Jack! my heart bled for him, but I knew it was the only saving
of our venture.
So it came about as Frank had said. Not only had the whole company
been glad enough to destroy the ship of which they were so proud, not
only had he got his way, hard as it seemed, but by his generosity to
his brother, his hearty sharing of their labour, and his cheerful
resolution through it all, he stood higher with the whole company
than ever he did before.
'Well, Frank,' said I, as we sailed away next day towards the Sound
of Darien with the _Pasha_ and our fully-manned pinnaces, 'you have
your will, but it was a sorry trick to play them.'
'Nought but a bit of policy,' laughed he, 'such as all commanders
must use at times.'
'Save you, lad, from Machiavelli and all his works,' said I, 'for I
think you are fast growing Italianate. But, tell me, how was it
done?'
'Why, with a spike-gimlet,' says he. 'Tom Moone pleaded hard for his
beloved bark, so that my heart almost melted. Then he said he would
get his throat cut; but I told him to be secret, to do it close to
the keel at night, and lay something over the holes that the flow of
the water should make no noise to betray him, and so it was done. It
was a desperate piece of service, I know, but Tom Moone shall have
cause to remember what he did for me at this pass.'
And so indeed he had; for when Frank equipped his fleet for that
renowned voyage in which he encompassed the world, he made this
trusty carpenter captain of the _Canter_ or _Christopher_, as it was
afterwards named.