As no wounded men had been brought below, we trusted that the _Dolphin_
was having the best of it. At last I begged Kitty to let me go on deck
and ascertain how matters were going on.
"No, no, Charley," she answered. "They may again begin firing;" but I
saw that she was very anxious herself to learn the state of affairs.
"I will be back again in a minute," I said, and was just escaping from
her, when once more the thundering sound of big guns, with the rattle of
musketry, broke the silence, and she caught me and held me fast.
The firing went on with redoubled vigour, and cries and shouts reached
our ears. The alarm of Mrs Podgers increased.
"O dear, O dear!" she cried out, wringing her hands. "If Podgers was to
be hit, what would become of me?"
Once more there was a cessation of the firing.
"Do let me run up, Kitty," I said. "Some of those we care for may be
wounded, and the rest too busy to bring them below."
I knew my argument would prevail. "Let him go," said Mrs Podgers. "I
do so want to know how the captain is."
I broke from her and climbed up the ladder. I was as active as a
monkey, and quickly reached the deck. The fighting lanterns which hung
against the bulwarks shed their light across it, and showed me several
human forms stretched out motionless. The crew, stripped to their
waists, were at the guns, while the officers stood about here and there
among them. I caught sight of the captain's stout figure, but I looked
in vain for Mr Falconer. I ran forward in hopes of finding him. I had
got nearly to the forecastle when the matches were applied to the guns,
and as they were discharged a shower of shot came hissing across the
deck.
I made my way amidst the shower of shot and bullets and falling blocks,
and the horrible din of battle, to the forecastle, where, to my great
joy, I saw Mr Falconer directing the foremost guns. Dick at the same
moment caught sight of me.
"Charley," he exclaimed, "what business have you here? Go back, boy,
and tell the ladies we are all right, and will make the pirate sheer off
before long, if we don't take her."
I hurried below with the satisfactory intelligence. Miss Kitty kissed
me when I told her I had seen Mr Falconer, and I was somewhat afraid
that Mrs Podgers would bestow the same reward upon me when I said that
the captain was unhurt.
"I wish he would make haste and sink the ship which has frightened us so
much," she observed. "It is a shame that those sort of people should be
allowed to live."
Mrs Podgers did not consider that the Spaniards would probably have
said the same of us.
We heard our ship fire several broadsides in rapid succession; then all
was silent.
Supposing that the fight was over, I persuaded Miss Kitty again to allow
me to run on deck. Reaching it, I caught sight, a short distance off,
of the tall masts and sails of the enemy's ship.
At that moment loud cheers burst from the throats of our crew.
Gradually the dark sails of our antagonist appeared to be sinking, and
wild shrieks and cries came across the waters towards us. Lower and
lower the sails sank, and in another minute the spot occupied by the
pirate was vacant--she had disappeared beneath the waves. No boat was
sent to help the drowning wretches. Mr Falconer proposed going to
their assistance.
"No, no!" exclaimed the captain; "they would have robbed us or sent us
to the bottom; they don't deserve our pity."
"But they are fellow-creatures, and we should try and save their lives,"
exclaimed the mate.
"You are too tender-hearted, Falconer; you should not have joined a
privateer," was the answer; and the _Dolphin_ glided rapidly away from
the spot where her foe had gone down.
The surgeon was meantime busy with the wounded men, while five who had
been killed were with little ceremony hove overboard. Mrs Podgers and
Kitty returned to the cabin. The latter, as before, endeavoured to
alleviate the sufferings of the wounded men, and often visited them,
attended by Mr Falconer and me, notwithstanding the scoldings she daily
got from Mrs Podgers for so doing.
After this, we again stood in for the coast, capturing several Spanish
merchant vessels.
Mr Pyke declared that he wanted to find an enemy more worthy of his and
his troops' prowess than he had hitherto encountered.
"We will give you a chance," said the captain. "I have discovered from
some of the prisoners that there is a town on the shores of a bay not
far off, which is unprotected by forts. We may easily make ourselves
masters of the place, and shall probably find in it a good store of
wealth. But we must be quick about the business, or some troops
stationed at no great distance may be down upon us and interfere with
our proceedings."
"You may depend upon me for doing my part," answered the lieutenant,
drawing himself up.
We made the land early in the day, but hove-to till night, when it was
hoped the inhabitants might be taken by surprise. The weather was fine,
and the entrance to the harbour broad and safe. We waited till past
midnight, and then stood in and came to an anchor. Four boats were
ordered to be got ready; Lieutenant Pyke and his marines went in one of
them, the others were commanded by the sea officers, with a party of
blue-jackets.
I had heard the men talking of what they were going to do, and I thought
that I should very much like to see the fun. I knew, however, that
neither Dick nor Miss Kitty would approve of my going, and that Mr
Falconer was also unlikely to take me, should I ask him to do so. The
last boat which left the ship was commanded by the boatswain, a rough
but good-natured man, with whom I had become somewhat of a favourite. I
watched my opportunity, and slipped in directly after him, and the men,
thinking that he intended I should go, allowed me to stow myself away in
the bow before he saw me, the darkness favouring my design. The boats
shoved off, and away we pulled, with muffled oars, towards the shore.
We landed just outside the town, among wild rocks. No lights were
moving about the place, only here and there a few glimmering from the
windows. Lieutenant Pyke drew up his marines; the other officers
arranged their men in a compact body, I following the rear.
Daylight broke. When all was ready, the first mate ordered us to
advance, and, stepping lightly over the ground, we made a rush into the
town. There were no gates to stop us and no sentinels on the watch. A
sort of town-hall and a church were first entered, and everything they
contained, images, silver candlesticks, crucifixes, incense-pans,
chalices, and several bags of money, with some silver-mounted guns and
pistols, were taken possession of before the inhabitants were awake. We
then attacked a large house in which lights were still burning, and
where it was supposed the commandant of the place resided. The door
yielded to the blows of the marines' muskets, and rushing into a
good-sized hall, we saw seated at the end of a long table a thin, tall
hidalgo, and on either side of him a fat priest, with two or three other
personages. The table was covered with rich plate and numerous flagons
and wine-flasks. The party gazed at us with open mouths and staring
eyes, but were far too tipsy to utter anything beyond a few expressions
of surprise and dismay.
The commandant, rising, tried to draw his sword, but could not find the
hilt, and tumbled back into his big armchair; while the fat friars,
whose first impulse had been to make their escape, rolled over on the
ground, upsetting the hidalgo's chair in their struggles, when all three
began kicking and striking out, believing each other to be foes. The
rest of the party at once yielded themselves as prisoners. Our men,
bursting into loud fits of laughter, let the trio fight on for some
time, till our commander, fearing, should we delay longer, that the
inhabitants would make their escape, or perhaps assemble and attack us,
ordered them to be lifted up and carried off, with their arms bound
behind them. It was no easy matter to do this, for the friars were so
heavy that it required three stout men to each to set them on their
legs.
While a party was left to guard them, the rest proceeded to break into
the other houses.
The inhabitants, now aroused from their slumbers by the hubbub, put
their heads, with their nightcaps on, out of the windows in all
directions, but quickly withdrew them, uttering loud shrieks and
exclamations of dismay and surprise. After a little time Dick caught
sight of me.
"Charley," he cried out, "what has brought you here?"
"I wanted to see the fun, Dick. I hope you are not angry."
"But I am, though, Charley," he answered; "and though, to my mind, it's
dirty work attacking sleeping people, who have never done us any harm,
we may have some fighting yet, and you may get knocked on the head.
Stick by me, however, and I'll look after you, though you don't deserve
it."