The Cruise of the Nonsuch Buccaneer Part 15

"Now, senor," he continued, seating himself at a table and drawing writing materials toward him as soon as the secretary had vanished, "what am I to say to Don Silvio? Kindly state your full requirements, and I will see what can be done toward satisfying them."

George pulled out his list of prisoners, and laid it beside Don Sebastian on the table.

"My requirements," he said, "are very simple. All that I ask is the immediate release and delivery to me of the seventeen Englishmen whose names are inscribed on that doc.u.ment."

"The _immediate_ release?" reiterated his Excellency. "But, senor, with all submission, to demand that may well be to demand the impossible. If I may be permitted to express an opinion, I should say that there is scarcely the remotest probability that any of the men here enumerated are still within the jurisdiction of the Governor of Panama. I have not a doubt that every one of them has, long ere this, been apportioned out among the various galleys belonging to the port, and in all likelihood every man is at this moment somewhere at sea. The utmost that Don Silvio will probably be able to do will be to indicate the name of the galley to which each man has been condemned, and perhaps to state, in a few cases, the present approximate locality of the galleys."

"You think so?" returned George, an ominous frown gathering upon his brow. "Then, all I can say, Don Sebastian, is that if the Governor of Panama can do no more than that, it will be disastrously unfortunate for you and your city!"

Don Sebastian became visibly paler as he stirred uneasily in his chair, regarding the young Englishman questioningly and in silence for a few moments. Then he said:

"Senor, pardon me if I say that I scarcely understand you. You surely cannot mean that you will hold this town responsible for your inability to obtain possession of the men you seek?"

"You are mistaken, senor, if you imagine any such thing," retorted George. "I hold _every_ Spaniard on the continent responsible for the safety and well-being of those men. It was by Spanish treachery that they are at this moment living in h.e.l.l upon earth--for I know something of what life as a galley-slave means--and I am going to employ every possible means at my disposal to bring pressure upon you and your fellow-countrymen to right the wrong that has been done. Therefore, I beg that, in communicating with the Governor of Panama, you will make it clear to him that, to save Nombre from sack and destruction, he must exhaust his utmost powers to secure the speedy release of those men."

"But, senor--" began Don Sebastian, remonstratingly.

"Not another word, senor," interrupted George, determinedly. "What I have said, I have said. Tell Don Silvio that I hold the sh.o.r.e battery, and that, therefore, Nombre de Dios is absolutely at my mercy. Tell him also that I am holding you, among others, as a hostage to secure ourselves from interference or attack by soldiery or civilians, and, in short, make it clear to him that if those men are not speedily surrendered to me, the Spaniards will have to pay dearly for them in blood and treasure. Now, please proceed with the preparation of your communication to Don Silvio, for time is flying."

Whereupon, Don Sebastian, clutching his locks with his left hand, took pen in his right, and proceeded, with a great deal of difficulty, to draft a letter setting forth in cold black and white the critical state of affairs then existing in Nombre, and urgently entreating the Governor of Panama to leave no stone unturned to find and surrender the seventeen Englishmen, on account of whom all this fuss and pother was being made, lest worse come of it. The Don was not a particularly fluent correspondent, but he grew almost eloquent when he strove to impress upon his fellow-governor the inexorable determination displayed by the young English captain, and he wound up by quoting two or three Spanish proverbs to the effect that of two evils it was always best to choose the lesser, and that it was folly to cut off one's nose to spite one's face, these being intended to support Don Sebastian's contention that it would be better to surrender the Englishmen and forego one's righteous desire to revenge oneself upon them, rather than that a Spanish town like Nombre de Dios should be subjected to the horrors of sack and pillage. The fair copy of the letter, after the draft had been submitted for George's approval, was still in process of being written when Senor Montalvo, booted and spurred, and otherwise dressed for the road, made his appearance. The letter, however, was finished at last, signed, sealed with the official seal, and handed to the secretary, who, a minute later, mounted upon Josefa, the black mule, went clattering out of the Grand Plaza, _en route_ for Panama.

"Now," said Saint Leger, when the important business of the letter to the Governor of Panama had been satisfactorily disposed of, "with your Excellency's approval we will all retire to the sh.o.r.e battery, where I propose to concentrate my forces until a reply arrives from his Excellency of Panama. I noted, when leaving, that the guns of the battery effectually command the town, therefore, by holding the battery I shall hold the town also; moreover, by withdrawing my men to it, there will be the less likelihood of collisions between my people and your countrymen. I must trouble your Excellency to accompany me, and to put up, for a few days, with somewhat rougher quarters than you are accustomed to; but we will make things as comfortable as we can for you, and you may take with you any three of your servants whom you would wish to accompany you. If you will kindly issue any orders that you may wish to give, we will go at once."

It was in vain that Don Sebastian begged to be excused from accompanying his captors to the battery, in vain that he alternately protested, represented, promised, and almost threatened; George turned a deaf ear to everything that the poor man found to say and half an hour later saw the whole party which had held the Grand Plaza marching in good order through the streets toward the battery, with the Governor and his three servants, the latter bearing heavy loads of his Excellency's baggage, in the centre of the solid phalanx. By that time the townspeople had recovered from their first panic, and had almost settled down again into their normal condition, the shops were nearly all open, excitement was rapidly subsiding, and the citizens were mostly going about their business pretty much as usual; the English, therefore, experienced no inconvenience or interruption during their march, and in due time reached the battery, the gates of which were thrown open to receive them, and closed and bolted again after they had all entered.

The first thing was for the newcomers to get breakfast, for which they were all--with, perhaps, the exception of the Governor--by this time quite ready. Then, at the conclusion of the meal, George accompanied Ba.s.set round the battery upon a tour of inspection, during which the latter pointed out what he had done, and was still doing, to strengthen the defences of the place; and the young captain was greatly gratified to see that a few hours' more work would render the place practically impregnable to a.s.sault, and that all that they then need fear was a protracted siege, which, however, did not enter into the Englishmen's calculations.

The entire party from the _Nonsuch_ were now housed in the battery, for Ba.s.set had no sooner secured possession of the place than, very wisely, he hailed the men who had been left in the boats to take care of them, directing them to beach their craft under the battery walls, moor them securely, remove all gear, and convey it and themselves into the battery forthwith, which they did, this arrangement rendering both them and their boats absolutely secure from interference.

By mid-afternoon Ba.s.set's plans had all been carried out, and the battery placed in a thorough state for effective defence; and now all that remained was to await with patience the return of Senor Montalvo from Panama with the results of his mission. George had estimated that with due diligence on the part of the secretary, it should be possible for him to execute his mission in time to be back in Nombre by the afternoon of the following day; but Don Sebastian was not so sanguine; he knew the Spanish propensity to procrastinate, and he also knew that Don Silvio Calderon, the Governor of Panama, was not the man to permit himself to be hurried, particularly in the interests of other people; also he knew, a great deal better than George, how many difficulties stood in the way of securing the speedy release of prisoners from the galleys, even under the most favourable circ.u.mstances. He therefore did all that he could, by representation, to prepare his captors for a certain amount of delay; consequently when the next day pa.s.sed without bringing any sign of the secretary's return, n.o.body was very greatly surprised or disappointed.

But it was not until four full days had pa.s.sed, and the afternoon of the fifth was well advanced, that Senor Montalvo, hot, dusty, travel- stained, and weary, re-appeared; and when Don Sebastian had twice perused the letter of which the secretary was the bearer, it was perfectly evident, from the expression of dismay upon his Excellency's countenance, and his muttered e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns of "Fool! thrice-sodden fool!--pig!--obstinate mule!" and other uncomplimentary expressions, that the secretary's mission had not been brilliantly successful. On the contrary, it soon developed that the errand had proved an utter failure, for after an hour's earnest and anxious converse and discussion with Senor Montalvo, Don Sebastian approached George, and, with every evidence of the utmost distress, handed him the reply of the Governor of Panama to read.

The letter was brief and to the point. It opened with a pithy but pungent expression of Don Silvio's opinion of the capacity of a Governor who could permit his city to be captured and held by a handful of English pirates; then proceeded succinctly to refuse to accede to any of those pirates' demands; and wound up by saying that if the garrison and citizens of Nombre were such fools as to allow themselves to be surprised, they must take the consequences, whatever they might be.

But, Don Silvio concluded by saying, if the city of Nombre were sacked by the English, the citizens might console themselves with the a.s.surance that they would be amply avenged, for he (Don Silvio) was dispatching every soldier in Panama to the a.s.sistance of Nombre, and if, upon their arrival, any English were found in the city, they would be exterminated with the utmost prompt.i.tude!

Like Don Sebastian, George read this precious effusion of a pompous, consequential, pig-headed official twice before commenting upon it.

Then he turned to the secretary and said:

"Senor, are you cognisant of the contents of this letter?"

"I believe so, in a general way, Ill.u.s.trissimo," answered Senor Montalvo. "Of course," he continued, "I have not read the communication itself, but I was able to pretty well gather from Don Silvio's remarks when I explained my mission to him what was the nature of the reply he intended to make to Don Sebastian's request."

"Describe Don Silvio to me," demanded George.

"He is a man somewhat above medium height," replied the secretary, "of rather striking appearance, dark complexioned, sallow, hasty and irascible of temper, has a very exalted opinion of his position and dignity, is very impatient of anything in the most remote degree approaching to dictation, and has a profound belief in his own judgment, and in his qualifications generally for the post which he occupies. He is of opinion, for example, that had he been Governor of Nombre, you and your followers would never have succeeded in establishing yourselves in the city."

"I see," said George. "Yes, I think from your description I can form a tolerably accurate picture of the man. Is he a man of his word?"

"As how, precisely, Senor Captain?" demanded the secretary.

"Well," explained George, "in this letter he announces his intention to dispatch every soldier at his disposal in Panama to the relief of this city. Do you think he will really do so?"

"Undoubtedly, senor," was the answer. "I was present when Don Silvio issued the order, and when I left Panama the soldiers were already mustering for the march."

"And how many soldiers do you suppose are available for this service?"

demanded George.

"Five hundred cavalry, and twelve hundred foot soldiers, with six batteries of horse artillery," was the startling reply.

It was a reply for which young Saint Leger was wholly unprepared; it startled him, while at the same time it inspired him with a most audacious idea. He carefully controlled his features, however, quite conscious of the fact that both Don Sebastian and his secretary were intently watching him, and proceeded with his questioning in the same level, quiet tones as before.

"And when do you think we may look for the arrival of those soldiers?"

he asked.

"The cavalry may arrive at any moment," answered Senor Montalvo, "while as for the artillery and the foot soldiers, they should be here by to- morrow's noon."

"Ah! I thank you, senor, for the frankness with which you have replied to my questions," said George. "This news is important and unexpected; I must ask you to excuse me, gentlemen, while I retire to confer with my officers. What you, Senor Montalvo, have told me may possibly necessitate an alteration of my plans." And, so saying, the young Englishman bowed to the two Spaniards and left them, going out to find Ba.s.set and Dyer, that he might communicate to them the momentous news as to the dispatch of the soldiers from Panama, and also to broach to them the audacious project that had just suggested itself to him.

The three Englishmen conversed together earnestly and eagerly for the best part of an hour, while they paced to and fro upon the parapet of the battery, well out of earshot of anybody else; and at length they came to a certain decision which they at once proceeded to put into effect, George going off to rejoin the Governor and his secretary, while Ba.s.set and Dyer hastened to muster their respective forces, and put into effect the preliminaries of the plan which they had agreed upon.

When at length Saint Leger rejoined Don Sebastian and Senor Montalvo, he found his guests--or prisoners, they scarcely knew which to consider themselves--awaiting his return in a state of anxiety and perturbation, which they took no pains to conceal. Prominent in their minds was George's threat to sack and burn the city in such an eventuality as had just arisen, and they had already seen enough of the young man to convince them that he was quite capable of carrying out his threat.

There was but one hope for them, they felt, and that lay in the suggestion artfully put forth by Senor Montalvo, that the cavalry might be expected to arrive at any moment. This statement was the result of a sudden and brilliant inspiration which had come to the secretary while George was questioning him. As a matter of fact, Senor Montalvo felt tolerably certain that the cavalry could not possibly arrive until the morrow, but it had suddenly occurred to him that if he stated this, it would show the English that there was still time for them to sack the town, while by stating that a considerable body of troops might be momentarily expected to arrive he hoped to frighten the insolent strangers into immediate abandonment of the town, without waiting to sack it.

And he had every reason to congratulate himself that his ruse had been successful, for George's first words when he returned to the room occupied by the two Spaniards were:

"Your Excellency, the news which Senor Montalvo has brought from Panama has caused me to very materially modify my plans. When you were preparing your dispatch to his Excellency the Governor of Panama, I gave you to understand that in the event of Don Silvio's refusal to entertain my proposals, I would sack and destroy the city of Nombre de Dios. But since then I have had time for reflection; I have come to recognise that it would be unfair of me to visit Don Silvio's obstinacy too severely upon you and your town; moreover, I am in hopes that by further correspondence with him he may be brought to see the desirability of saving you and Nombre by a merely nominal sacrifice on his part; therefore, after consultation with my officers, I have decided to spare Nombre for the present, and to withdraw from it in order to afford you time for further negotiations with Don Silvio. But before withdrawing I intend to take the precaution of destroying this battery, so that upon my return I shall, at least, not have it to contend with. And, understand me, your Excellency, I shall return again, but not until the soldiers now expected have been withdrawn from the town. That must certainly happen soon, and when it does you may expect to see me back, for I shall find means to learn everything of importance that happens in Nombre. And when I next come, my visit will be a final one; for unless you are then prepared to hand me over the seventeen prisoners I have asked for, I will not leave one stone of Nombre upon another. You will kindly remain here until I am ready to evacuate the battery, when you will be free to return to Government House."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

HOW THE ENGLISHMEN MARCHED ACROSS THE ISTHMUS TO PANAMA.

As Saint Leger quitted the room Senor Montalvo gave vent to a chuckle of delighted self-gratulation, much to the surprise, and somewhat to the annoyance, of his Excellency, Don Sebastian Salvador Alfonso de Albareda, Governor of the city of Nombre de Dios.

"Senor Montalvo," he said austerely, "you are surely forgetting yourself. I see nothing at all in that truculent young Englishman's threat that is in the least degree calculated to excite the risibility of anyone whose misfortune it is to be a dweller in this G.o.d-forsaken city of Nombre de Dios. Not even its name seems to protect it in the slightest degree from the sacrilegious violence of these Lutheran dogs.

Pray explain yourself, senor."

"Ten thousand pardons, your Excellency," exclaimed Montalvo, still grinning delightedly. "It was not so much the Englishman's threats at which I was amused--although I think we may perhaps permit ourselves to smile at them, too; what I was chiefly amused at was the stroke of genius by which I have fortunately been able to save our city from sack by those pestilent English to-day."

"You--you have saved Nombre from being sacked to-day?" exclaimed Don Sebastian. "Still I fail to understand you, senor."

"Did you not observe, your Excellency, that, in reply to a question by the young English pirate, I mentioned that the cavalry from Panama might be expected to appear here at any moment? That was a little slip of the tongue on my part, the result of a happy inspiration. Had I replied truthfully I should have said that the cavalry could hardly by any possibility arrive until some time to-morrow; and the result of that reply would in all probability have been an instant order by that young English dog to sack the city, which work might easily be accomplished before the appearance of the cavalry upon the scene. But did you mark the expression of Senor Englishman's face when I said that the cavalry might be expected at any moment? It was terror, your Excellency--terror and consternation! And the result is an order for the instant evacuation of this battery and the retreat of the English from the town.

That youngster at once recognised that if the cavalry were close at hand there would be no time to sack the town: he and his people would be caught and exterminated to a man. Hence his magnanimous resolve to spare us for the time being. _Now_ does your Excellency understand?"

"Ah! yes; of course I do, and I beg your pardon for my hasty rebuke, Montalvo," exclaimed Don Sebastian, seizing his companion's hand and shaking it heartily. "_Caramba_! that was a brilliant idea of yours about the cavalry, and it has had the effect that you foresaw; the rascally Englishmen are much too anxious regarding the safety of their own skins to think of plundering the town now; and, please the Virgin, in a few hours we shall be well rid of them, and I shall have escaped getting into very serious trouble--thanks to you, Montalvo. You have placed me under a very heavy obligation, my friend, and I shall not forget it.

"But there is still the future to be thought of. It is true that we have escaped by the skin of our teeth for the moment, Montalvo; for the moment only. But if I am any judge of character, that English _muchacho_ will return, as he threatened he would; and then what are we going to do?"