Across the Salt Seas. John Bloundelle-Burton
of the Spanish treasure ships, though I knew well enough that all hope was gone of my being the fortunate individual to put my countrymen on their track.
Also, I remembered that that hoary-headed old ruffian, Carstairs, had spoken of two at least of those galleons as being of importance to him-and you may be sure that I had no intention whatever of enlightening him as to anything I knew.
"What did the Portuguese picaroon tell you?" I asked of Tandy, now; "what information give? And-are they sure of their news?"
"Oh, very sure," he answered. "No doubt about that. No doubt whatever that we have failed in the attack on Cadiz-abandoned the siege, gone home. They were too many for us there, and-'tis not often that it happens, God be praised! – we are beaten."
"But why so sure? And are they-these Portuguese-to be trusted?"
"What use to tell lies? They are Portuguese, and would have welcomed a victory."
I shrugged my shoulders at this-then asked again what the strength of their information was.
To which the captain made reply:
"They came in, it seems, early in the month, and called on the governor to declare for Austria against France, to which he returned reply that it was not his custom to desert his king, as many of the English were in the habit of doing, he understood; whereon-the Duke of Ormond being vexed by such an answer, which, it seems, did reflect on him-the siege of Port St. Mary's commenced, the place being taken by our people and being found to be full of wealth-"
"Taken and full of wealth!" I exclaimed. "Yet you say we are defeated!"
"Listen," went on Tandy, "that was as nothing; for now the German Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, who had come too, in the interests of his Austrian master, interfered, begging of Rooke and that other not to destroy the town, since it would injure their cause forever with the Spaniards, and-and-well, the Portygee captain of that picaroon I spoke says that they were only too willing to fall in with his desires and retire without making further attempt."
"And these are English seamen and soldiers!" I muttered furiously. "My God! To turn tail thus!"
"Ormond agreed not with these views, it seems," Tandy went on, "but he could not outweigh the admirals-and that is all I know, except that he will perhaps impeach 'em when they get back to England. And, anyway, they are gone."
"And with them," I thought to myself, "go all my hopes. The galleons will get in safe enough; there is nothing for it but to make back for Holland and tell the earl that I have failed. No more than that," and my bitterness was great within me at these reflections, you may be sure.
Tandy, I doubted not, observed these feelings which possessed me, for a minute later he said-while I observed that in a kindly way he filled up my glass for me, as I sat brooding with my head upon my hands by the side of the cuddy table:
"I see this touches you nearly, Mr. Crespin, and am grieved. Yet what will you do now? Since you have missed your chance-I know not what-will you return with me? If so you are very welcome, and-and," he spoke this with a delicacy I should scarce have looked for, "and there will be no-no-passage money needed. La Mouche Noire is at your service to Rotterdam, or, for the matter of that, to Deal or London, or where you will. I shall but stay to go in to Lagos for wood and water, and, perhaps, sell some of my goods, if fortune serves so far, and then-why then, 'tis back again to Holland or England to see what may be done. I have the passage moneys of you and that old ribald aft. For me things might be worse, thank God!"
At first I knew not what answer to make to this kindly, offer-for kindly it was, since there was according to our compact no earthly reason whatsoever why he should convey me back again, except as a passenger paying highly for the service. In truth, I was so sick and hipped at the vanishing of this, my great opportunity, that I had recked nothing of what happened now. All I knew was that I had failed; that I had missed, although through no fault of mine own, a glorious chance. Therefore I said gloomily:
"Do what you will-I care not. I must get me back to Holland somehow, and may as well take passage there with you as go other ways. In truth there is none that I know of. Yet, kind as your offer is to convey me free of charge, it must not be. I cannot let you be at a loss, and I have a sufficiency of money."
"Oh! as for that, 'tis nothing. However, we will talk on this later. Now let's see for getting into Lagos-there is nothing else to be done. 'Specially as I must have wood and water."
Then he went away to study his chart and compass, while I sought my bed again, and, all being perfect silence at this time in Carstairs' cabin-doubtless he was quite drunk by now! – I managed to get some sleep, though 'twas uneasy at the best.
In the morning when I again went on deck I saw that we were in full sail, as I had guessed us to be from the motion of the ship while dressing myself below; also, a look at the compass box told me we were running due north-for Lagos. And, if aught could have cheered the heart of a drooping man, it should have been the surroundings of this fair, bright morning. It was, I remember well, September 22-the glistening sea, looking like a great blue diamond sparkling beneath the bright sun, the white spume flung up forward over our bows, the equally white sheets above. Also, near us, to add to the beauty of the morn, the sea was dotted with a-many small craft, billander rigged, their sails a bright scarlet-and these, Tandy told me, were Portuguese fishing boats out catching the tunny, which abounds hereabout. While, away on our starboard beam, were-I started as I looked at them-what were they?
Three great vessels near together, their huge white sails bellied out to the breeze, sailing very free; the foam tossed from their stems, almost contemptuously, it seemed, so proudly did they dash it away from them; vessels full rigged, and tightly, too; vessels along the sides of which there ran tier upon tier of gun-ports; vessels also, from each of whose mastheads there flew a flag-the flag of England!
"What does it mean?" I asked Tandy, who strolled along the poop toward me, his face having on it a broad grin, while his eye drooped into that wink he used so. "What does it mean? They are our own ships of war; surely they are not chasing us!"
"Never fear!" said he. "They are but consorts of ours just now. Oh! it's a brave talk we have been having together with the flags this morning. They are of the fleet-are Her Majesty's ships Eagle, Stirling Castle and Pembroke-and are doing exactly the same as ourselves, are going into Lagos for water. Also those transports behind," and he pointed away aft, where half a dozen of those vessels were following.
"The fleet," I gasped, "the fleet that has left Cadiz-the great fleet under Sir George Rooke-and going into Lagos!"
"Some of them-those you see now on our beam, and the transports coming up."
"And the others," I gasped again, overcome by this joyful news, "the others? What of them?"
"Oh! they will lie off till these go out with the fresh water casks. Then for England."
"Never," I said to myself. "Not yet, at least," and I turned my face away so that Tandy should not perceive the emotion which I felt sure must be depicted on it.
For think, only think, what this meant to England-to me!
It meant that I-the only man in the seas around Spain and Portugal who knew of where the galleons would be, or were by now-I who alone could tell them, tell this great fleet, which I had but lately missed, of the whereabouts of those galleons-had by God's providence come into communication with them again; meant that the instant we were in Lagos bay I could go aboard one of those great warships and divulge all-tell them to make for Vigo, tell them that it was in their power to deal so fierce a blow to Spain and France as should cripple them.
I could have danced and sung for very joy. I could have flung my arms around Tandy's sun-burned and hairy neck in ecstasy, have performed any act of craziness which men indulge in when a great happiness falls upon them; nay, would have done any deed of folly, but that I was restrained by the reflection of how all depended on me now, and of how-since I was the bearer of so great a piece of news from so great a man as the Earl of Marlborough-it behooved me to act with circumspection and decorum. Therefore I calmed myself, instead of indulging in any transports whatever. I recollect that I even forced myself to make some useless remark upon the beauty of the smiling morn;