Carried Off Part 12

Etta did so, trying to conceal her smiles; and Catalina threw a lace shawl over her, Spanish fashion; so that when Captain Henry Morgan entered, followed by a gentle-looking Frenchman, only the most natural sight in the world met their eyes.

'Marry! see you, Sieur Maintenon, here is the dovecot I mentioned; but the dovelets are not so young but that they can coo. Prithee here, my English maid, and tell me anything thou canst of the mainland. Was thy merchant father wont to trade there? If so, he must often have landed at Panama, where rich stuffs are much _a la mode_ and prized.'

Etta was forced to get up; but Catalina, pretending to help her, privately shook as much dirt as she could from her petticoat.

'No, Sir Captain, my father was an honest merchant who traded among the English isles, Jamaica chiefly, and took trips to England, but he never meddled with the Spanish settlements.'

'Was it so? My experience is that merchants are glad to trudge wherever they can get gold coins. But you, Senorita, you have sometimes left this island? Speak plainly, for I like not capricious or saucy maidens,' said the Frenchman in soft Spanish tones to Felipa.

'Never, Senor, except to go a visit to my uncle, the n.o.ble Don Alvarez, Governor of the Castle of St. Lawrence, which some call the Castle of Chagres because of the river of that name; and I wish heartily that I could let him know now of our distress.'

'Marry! pretty dove, do not have the doleful dumps on that score, for such a message will not be difficult to deliver,' laughed Captain Morgan; 'the little Senorita can give it to that valiant warrior her brother, for I purpose despatching four of my ships there this very evening.'

Felipa and Catalina lifted up their heads in horror, and the former burst into tears as she exclaimed, 'You will go to Chagres and attack the great Don Alvarez! That cannot be!'

'Why not? Before the whole cheese is taken one must taste a little bit of it and see if it is good. From Chagres we can easily cross the narrow neck of land, but we want good guides to traverse that marshy region. Know you any such?'

'I will send and warn my uncle,' said Felipa proudly, drying her tears; 'he is better armed than we were here, and he will receive you in a manner you will not like--that I can well foreknow.'

Captain Morgan nodded to his companion.

'So said I, pretty maid. Mark you, Maintenon, I will tell Captain Brodely to keep the ships well together; I hear from that vile caitiff Espada that the mouth of the river is dangerous, and that there are several gunboats stationed there.'

'And if it were not,' put in Felipa incautiously, 'the castle is on the top of the mountain and can never be taken. My uncle Don Alvarez will not be deceived by your tricks as was my father, and your fair promises will be laughed to scorn by him, for he will fight to the death.'

'Thank you, pretty Senorita, for your advice. I will not forget to tell my men what kind of brave gentlemen they will have to meet; an we are worsted we must yield on honourable terms. But, doubtless, your brother will tell us more. I'faith, Maintenon, I must see that the ships are well manned and victualled: it does not do to trust any one but oneself when there is much risk in an enterprise, and, for all we know, a mortal crisis and some mangling of Christian bones.'

So saying, the Captain moved away, and smiled as he noticed old Catalina in her corner busily muttering her usual imprecations against him. When not thwarted Henry Morgan was an agreeable man with much sense of humour; and it was partly this that had enabled him to keep his heterogeneous horde together, though quarrels were frequent enough, and led, as he said, to bangs and knocks sufficient to harden any softer fists.

There was much indignation and many exclamations of despair from the girls and their old nurse when they were once more alone, which were only calmed when Felipa indignantly remarked:

'My uncle Don Alvarez will never be conquered by such people, and dear Carlo will see him and tell him, when he has routed these knaves, to come to our help. If only I could see my brother!'

But it was not thought prudent to descend again after the narrow escape Etta had had, for they could not tell at what hour Carlo might be released.

'May the good G.o.d take care of my dear boy!' sighed poor Catalina, much depressed. She was feeling that her responsibilities were almost too great, and she heartily wished the Marquis would come back and take care of his children. Happily, till now Felipa had not fretted too much, though the poor girl was beginning to show signs of fatigue and anxiety.

She was far more delicate than st.u.r.dy English Etta, whose spirits soon rea.s.serted themselves and made her inclined to forget the dangers that still existed.

In the meanwhile Carlo waited impatiently in his cell for the time when he should hear the steps of a pirate coming to release him; for now, having thought the question out, he had come to the conclusion that he had best take the matter quietly. Not being a prisoner on parole, he was free to escape, and perhaps he should soon find some opportunity of doing so. Once free, he believed that the faithful Andreas could hide him in the woods till such time as peace was restored. He had leisure now to make many reflections as to the future; but at last he heard footsteps in the pa.s.sage outside. His heart beat fast, though he tried to appear cool. He could not guess the time of day, but he felt sure it was not far off sunset, when at last his door was hastily opened and a man told him roughly to get up and follow him. Carlo did so. He was a little stiff, and almost blinded by the light; but it seemed like a new life to be breathing once more the fresh air, and to feel the warm glow of the sunshine through his chilled veins. At the end of the pa.s.sage he found several other men awaiting him; but they did not pinion him as before--an insult Carlo would have found it difficult to forgive.

'Quick, young Senor, this way; we have no time to waste. We want no idle vermin among our crew.'

It was fortunate for Carlo that Etta had prepared him for this new bondage, or he might have refused to follow the buccaneers out of Santa Teresa. As it was, however, he would not obey quite silently or without protest.

'Where are you conducting me?' he asked, 'I demand to be taken to my father.'

'Very likely, sirrah; but those are not our orders. Marry! it's best to ask no questions when one is Captain Morgan's prisoner, else some inquisitive knaves have learnt what it means "to swing like a skipper."'

Carlo thought this advice wise, and followed it.

Presently he saw that the men were joined by a fellow he knew well, Espada, who had evidently turned traitor. Carlo had seen him last at the Platform, and he was horrified to hear him say he was prepared to guide the men by a narrow path which led down the face of the steep cliff, and which they could not have found una.s.sisted. It was by no means a pleasant descent, but it saved a few miles of walking, and, once at the bottom, they found a canoe awaiting them. With a heavy heart Carlo saw the ma.s.sive walls of Santa Teresa disappearing. After a short row the boat he was in was moored alongside one of the pirate ships stationed just outside the bay, and he was bidden to scramble up a very rude rope ladder on to the deck of the ship, which, he found, was called 'The Falcon.'

'Is Captain Brodely on board?' asked the escort, 'for here is the son of that craven-hearted Governor. By my faith! a valuable cargo, I take it; for he's to serve as guide, and to be hostage for the Marquis's good conduct in the future. Now then, young sir, on with you this way. And best budge quickly; for there's to be no tricks here, remember, or it will be the worse for you.'

Poor Carlo! his Spanish pride inwardly rebelled; but, true to his resolution, he replied nothing to all these taunts. The Captain was too busy to attend to him, so he was presently locked up in a small cabin where the spirits stolen from Santa Teresa were stored; still he could see the dancing waves through the tiny port-hole, and, compared to the dungeon he had just left, this place was indeed like a palace, though the only pieces of furniture were barrels of wine and spirit-kegs, in which the Dutch carried on a brisk trade, and which therefore received the name of Hollands.

When darkness fell over the beautiful sh.o.r.e the noise on board in no way diminished, and such a shouting and holloaing was heard that it was easy to see the pirates were in high spirits, and thought themselves invincible and able to do as they liked.

After a time Carlo fell asleep, and was awakened only by feeling himself gently shaken. He started up, and saw by the help of the moonlight the kind face of Harry Fenn bending over him.

'You here! Thank G.o.d!' exclaimed Carlo. 'At all events these wretches will not murder me without some one knowing of it and reporting the crime!'

Harry laughed at Carlo's somewhat moody ideas.

'Oh, Senor, in truth you are safe enough now we have started, and I am bidden to ask you to come and sup in the Captain's own cabin. He is under strict orders to treat you well when once we are out at sea. And, look you, Senor: these men have not been told that you can understand English, so prithee keep the secret. They all come from the bigger island, and were not at Santa Teresa. Later on we may find it convenient to understand each other in English whispers. At present, remember, I only know very few Spanish words.'

Carlo nodded, and with new hope followed the English boy into the Captain's cabin.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE ESCAPE.

Captain Morgan had done wisely in thinking that it was quite necessary for him to have some base of operations on the mainland before crossing the narrow neck of land which separated him from the coveted prize, the city of Panama. It was for this reason that the expedition under Captain Brodely was sent out, whilst he detained the rest of his ships at safe anchor at St. Catherine, and also kept his men in good temper by letting them do as they pleased and ransack the two fair Spanish islands of this name.

Captain Brodely was a daring seaman, who had seen before now the inside of Spanish prisons, and knew the ground round about Panama pretty accurately; but the Castle of Chagres was on the opposite side of the isthmus, and the river Chagres, which flowed at the foot of the hill on which stood the castle, was difficult to navigate, and great care would therefore be needed to steer the ships into safe anchorage. The Captain had been told that the Marquis's son knew well the castle and its surroundings; but when Harry Fenn entered his cabin accompanied by Carlo, the st.u.r.dy rover looked with scorn on the slight stripling whom Captain Morgan had sent him for guide. As hostage he might be all very well, but for aught else the Englishman preferred trusting his own good sense to the doubtful information abstracted from an unwilling prisoner whose Spanish blood prevented him, in the eyes of Captain Brodely at least, from having any regard for truth.

Carlo found himself, therefore, treated with silent contempt rather than with severity by his new jailor, and as the 'Falcon' bounded over the water he could not help feeling happier than in his dungeon, wondering much how it was that he had appreciated liberty so little until now.

After the first interview he received no special orders, nor was he expected to do anything; so, wishing to be alone, he retired for the night under a bale of goods stolen from one of the fortresses in St.

Catherine. Harry Fenn, however, soon joined him, and the two spent the rest of the night by no means unpleasantly under this shelter, which had the merit of being out of the way of the crew. The next morning land was dimly in sight, and they expected to strike it in the afternoon; so before this time the Captain had several confabulations with his men.

They knew that their ships were certain to be seen, so that it was hopeless to attempt to creep up in the dark unperceived, as their own safety required them to use the daylight.

Chagres, as has been said, was built on a high hill close to the river; it was surrounded by strong palisades b.u.t.tressed with earth, and a ditch thirty feet deep defended its near approach. It had but one entry, and that reached by a drawbridge over the said ditch. Four bastions looked landward and two seaward. On the north side ran the river, and on the south the hill was too steep for any invader to climb. At the foot of the mountain was another fort with eight guns commanding the river, and two other batteries were placed a little lower down. This, then, was the well-fortified place which the pirates were now determined to possess themselves of; and no wonder that Carlo spoke rather scornfully to Harry of the expedition as an impossible and rash dream.

'My uncle, Don Alvarez, is as wise and brave a man as can be found in all the dominions of the King of Spain,' he whispered to his companion, when the two were left alone, unnoticed by the excited sailors.

'I have seen enough of these men, Senorito, to make me disbelieve in nothing. They will leap down headlong into danger, and get up unhurt.

But I see they are not making straight for the mouth of the river; doubtless we shall land a little way off, so as to avoid the fire from the fort.'

'If I could but warn my uncle!' said Carlo earnestly. 'Look you, Master Harry Fenn, I will give you a handsome reward if----'

Harry tossed back his fair hair even as a young colt who is galloping before the wind, as he answered:

'You forget, Senor, that though I may be among thieves, yet I am an honest Englishman, and I take no reward for doing what I can. I am no knave that gripes after a reward.'