The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane
Page 35
CHAPTER XXXV.
A SPEEDY END IS BROUGHT TO OUR CIVIL ENTERTAINMENT.
Lady Biddy was greatly cast down when she caught sight of the blackship, as well she might be, for it seemed as if there were to be no morerest for her, body or mind. After standing in sad silence for a minuteor two, she says to me:
"Benet, you must never yield to me again; if I had not persuaded youfrom your purpose, we should have escaped this present peril."
"Here is nothing," says I, "but what confirms my good opinion of yourjudgment."
"Nay," says she, "did you not tell Dom Sebastian that Rodrigues wouldcome here?"
"To be sure, I don't want Rodrigues to catch Dom Sebastian unprepared;but as for our peril, I don't value it a snap of my fingers."
Hearing the name of Rodrigues coupled with his own, the governor, whohad been eyeing us pretty shrewdly, stepped forward, and afterapologizing for the intrusion, begged Lady Biddy to serve as ourinterpreter, and ask me whether I felt any anxiety with regard to myposition; whereupon the following dialogue ensued:
I: "We may all go to bed and sleep comfortably to-night. But 'twill notdo to lie abed to-morrow morning."
He: "You do not apprehend any immediate attack from the pirate?"
I: "No; for the reason that he is not in a position to offer it. You seehow he has been making for the shore, and how now he is standing out;that shows that the wind is all against him, but it also proves hisdesign to come hither."
He: "Why?"
I: "Because the ship's company are famished, and would never consent towork the ship at such a snail's pace unless Rodrigues could make thembelieve there was a town here to furnish them with all they need. Theyare not making half a league an hour. Unless the wind shifts to theiradvantage--and I see no likelihood of that--they will not be here eremidday to-morrow."
He: "What, in your opinion, will Rodrigues do then?"
I: "He will do his best to hoodwink and deceive you."
He (bending his brows): "And when he finds that Dom Sebastiand'Estovalderos is not to be hoodwinked?"
I: "Then he will seek to get what he wants by force. Neither he nor hismen will go away unsatisfied."
He: "He may be satisfied to go away with what he does not want. My gunsare not toys."
I: "I hope with all my heart he may under-rate them to his cost. It ismore likely, however, that he will stand well out of their reach. He ishardy, but he is prudent. Be assured he would rather murder us all inour beds than venture an open encounter."
At this, Mistress Sebastian, who also understood the Italian a little,set up a shrill scream, and, after feeling about her person in greatconcern, called a servant who waited hard by, and bade him run at onceto the house for her beads. The governor himself was too concerned totake much heed of his lady's agitation, though his pride kept him ingood countenance.
He: "Are there any measures that you think it advisable to take?"
I: "I would have stout beams chained together, and thrown across theriver from one side to the other to prevent an enemy's boat slippingpast the guns of the fortress; also I should propose to send your lady,and anything else you value, to some place of security out of the town;finally, I would set up a gallows on the top of your citadel to be seenby Rodrigues, and at his first approach let him know that you will hangwithout mercy upon it him or the first of his company that comes withinyour reach."
He: "You have nothing else to recommend?"
I: "Nothing."
He (with a penetrating glance of his quick eye): "How is it you have notthought of defending that part of the town by which you entered, and thepart most likely to be attacked by an enemy who has the discretion toperceive that his boats and men would be swept from the water by my gunsif he were to venture an assault by the river?"
I: "Because that defence would not be omitted by you or a lessexperienced general in the face of any ordinary foe; I only venture toadvise you on those points which might escape you in dealing with anenemy whose subtlety is best known to me."
The governor expressed himself quite satisfied with this explanation;but I could see, nevertheless, that he was inclined to eye me withsuspicion for having neglected to recommend the fortification of thetown on the western side, thinking, maybe, that I was no enemy toRodrigues, but his friend, come there with a plausible tale to diverthis defense from the weaker side. This, indeed, was a very ridiculousthing to imagine; yet there is nothing too absurd to be entertained of asuspicious man; and, certainly, no men do fear treachery more than thesesame Portugals, albeit they themselves are a match for all the world atlying and deceit.
Despite his boast that the guns of his castle could sweep the water ofall enemies, he did not neglect the advice I had given him. Divers greatmasts were bound to a chain, and this laid across the river, firmlysecured at either end. Within this barrier lay a long galley ship, andall the rest of the day slaves were employed in carrying goods andmerchandise from the governor's house into this galley. Besides this, agreat train of pack-mules was sent up into the country with othertreasure. Everywhere there was great bustle and commotion, for themerchants and others who dwelt in the town, getting wind of the danger,were as anxious to have their goods out of the pirate's reach as thegovernor his; nay, so eager were they to preserve the least valuablepart of their property that they would have departed with their goodsand left the governor alone to meet the enemy, but that Dom Sebastiandid threaten to hang at the first opportunity any man capable of bearingarms for the defense of the town who should fail to answer the summonsof his trumpeter.
As long as there was light to see, my anxious eyes were strained towatch the approach of the black ship. By sunset she had got near enoughfor us to descry with a perspective that her sails were being furled,which showed she had cast anchor for the night. So, feeling that we wereperfectly safe for the next ten or twelve hours, I for one made noscruple to accept the bed offered to me, for such a luxury was not to bedenied by one who had not felt a cool sheet for an age.
The first thing that entered my head when I awoke in the morning was aremembrance that we had left the boat that belonged to the _Black Death_high and dry on the shore where we had landed after our escape from thenaturals, which must surely be seen by Rodrigues in searching the shorewith his glass, and thus betray us to him. Cursing my want offorethought, I slipped into my clothes as nimbly as I could, and startedto go to the citadel, where I counted on seeing the governor. But on myway thither I was suddenly brought to a stand by the reflection that Icould not make him understand a word of what I wanted. What was I to do?If I went back to arouse Lady Biddy to come and serve as interpreter, Imust of a certainty lose time. Every moment was precious. It struck methat if I made good use of my legs I could get to the boat in an hour,stave a hole in the bottom of it, shove it out to sea, and so be quit ofthis plaguy evidence; and it being yet pretty early, I counted I mightfairly do this before Rodrigues had come within boat-reach of the spot.Anyway, I esteemed it would be best to try and do this of my own handrather than wait until a lengthy explanation of the matter could be madeto the governor through Lady Biddy; so, without more ado, I turned outof the road to the citadel by that path we had come by the day before,and took to my heels as swiftly as I could. But ere I had come to thetown-gate a couple of fellows, springing out into the road, crossedtheir bills in front of me, shouting for help; whereupon, in atwinkling, half a score of others with pike and musket ran up and laidhands on me. It was useless to cry out against this violence, for notone amongst them could make out what I said; so of necessity was Iforced to yield patiently, and go whither they chose to lead me. So,like any criminal thief, was I carried to the citadel, where thegovernor stood with his friends looking out to sea.
I made him a bow, and with a shrug, after their manner, and a smile, Ipointed to my captors.
Dom Sebastian replied to my salute very stiffly; but as for the rest,though we had all been as friendly over a bottle and tobacco-sticks asso many brothers the night afore, they to
ok no more notice of me, exceptto stare violently, than if they had just clapped eyes on me for thefirst time. The men who had stopped me told their tale--as how I wasrunning out of the town as fast as my legs could carry me, and the rest,which I could follow pretty closely by reason that these Portugals dosuit the action to the word most admirably.
When the governor had listened, like any stock of wood for stiffness, totheir history, he spoke a few words to one of the fellows, which were, Itake it, to bid him fetch Lady Biddy; and then with another stiff bow tome, turned on his heel, leaving me still in the hands of the musketeers,and goes with his friends to the parapet to note the advance of theblack ship.
Now I was vexed in the extreme, but with no one more than myself; for,had the governor been no Portugal, yet must it have aroused hissuspicion that I should be caught, the first thing in the morning,running away from the town in the direction of the enemy without givingany word of explanation or farewell.
I had ample time, as I waited there, to look about me. The _Black Death_I saw not above a couple of leagues off, having taken advantage betimesof the favorable breeze that had sprung up after the stillness of thenight. This put me in mind that I should have done well to assure me ofwhere the enemy was before I started on my mad journey, for he wasalready past the spot where the boat lay; but, indeed, when a man isflurried he is capable of any folly, and he never commits one withoutentailing another.
The governor and his friends continued in close conversation--doubtlessdiscussing my behavior--until Lady Biddy came breathless to my side.Seeing me under arrest, her face was filled with alarm, and any onemight see that her perplexity was unfeigned; yet I doubt if this removedthe suspicion of my treachery.
"What does this mean, Benet?" asks Lady Biddy, when she could fetch herbreath.
"Nay," says I, "that is the question I want you to ask Dom Sebastian."
The governor, who had drawn nigh, saluting Lady Biddy with the utmostcivility, explained to her that I had been caught attempting to run outof the town, "And in that direction," adds he, pointing to the blackship.
In a few words I told how this came to pass, the governor eyeing us thewhile as if he would look into our very hearts. Happily he seemed to seethat we were innocent, for the moment he heard Lady Biddy's account hebade the men unhand me, and begged her to tell me that he was sorry Ihad brought myself into this scrape, added that he should be glad toknow how I came to forget that I had left the boat there.
To this I replied that I could say nothing in defense of my oversight.
"I trust," says he, "the senhor will not get himself into furthertrouble by a like accident. Had I not remembered the boat and got itremoved, it would have served as a sure indication to the enemy thatthere was a path from that point by the cliff."
I felt that I deserved this reproach; nay, I was rather surprised at thegovernor's moderation, for, granting that I might be a knave, there wasevidence enough against me to justify a halter being put about my neck.
"I am the more concerned for your cousin's prudence," continues he,"because in an hour's time you will no longer be under my protection."
"How, your excellency?" cries Biddy. "Are you going to send us hence?"
"Under a proper escort," says he, "who will insure your safe conduct toa point on the river whither my wife has already gone in the galley."
I had resolved to discharge my debt to the governor by fighting at hisside, if Rodrigues attacked the town; but now by his manner I perceivedso clearly that we were being sent away because he mistrusted us, that Ithought better of it and made no offer of my services.