Sea-Dogs All!
Page 47
Chapter XLVII.
HERNANDO SPEAKS.
The governor's progress lasted about five weeks. The galley sometimeslay at anchor for several days, and on these occasions the slaves wentashore for a time in chained gangs for the sake of the fresh air andthe walking exercise; but they spent the greater part of the daychained to the benches, and always slept on them at night. At oneplace there had been some insubordination amongst the garrison, so thegovernor paraded the whole of his gaunt, dishevelled, whip-scarred crewthrough the town, in order to impress the disloyal ones with the powerand terror of the law.
During these weeks, and especially during the times of leisure inharbour, the two Englishmen got better acquainted with their companion.At first the Spaniard was moody and inclined to be spiteful: he couldnot forget that his neighbours were English; but Johnnie's repeatedacts of courtesy and kindness, and his cheeriness at times when thethree sailors from the _Golden Boar_ got dangerously despondent, brokedown the barrier of race and creed and speech. Hernando began to talkof himself. He had been a gentleman adventurer aboard a Spanish ship;was hot-tempered and impatient of official control. On severaloccasions whilst in harbour at Panama he had come into wordy conflictwith the authorities. A sailor aboard his vessel, who had acted as hisservant, abused his trust, and had been soundly thrashed inconsequence, had gone to the governor with a plausible story concerninga conspiracy which he declared his master was hatching. Hernando wasin bad odour with the authorities at the time; had been certainlyguilty of rash and foolish speeches; so the story was believed, and hewas sent to the galleys. The treacherous servant was rewarded with thepost of boatswain, and he used his authority over his old master withthe most offensive vindictiveness.
The Europeans talked with one another fairly freely. Morgan andJeffreys were looked up to by the English section. The two strangersailors had both been captured in Spanish waters some years before,and, after a period in the jail of Cadiz, sent out to the Indies; theyhad been galley slaves at Panama for about two years.
One afternoon whilst lolling on his bench, no boatswain or free sailorwithin hearing, Hernando asked his two English comrades whether theyhad considered the idea of attempting an escape. They replied that atfirst they had thought of nothing else, but no ways or means offered,and they had almost abandoned the idea. They detailed the story oftheir attempt to escape from the prison in Panama. The Spaniardlistened carefully.
"Now," he said, "I have seen chances of escape from these chains overand over again; not for one man, mind you, but for a body of resolutefellows who would follow a leader. There are some thorough rascalschained to these benches; I have sounded them, and found that I darednot trust them. It is not difficult for a man to earn his freedom byturning traitor on his comrades; indeed, it is well known that libertywill be given for the betrayal of any plot for revolt: a coward orrogue would take such a chance instantly."
"What about the Indians?" asked Jeffreys.
"Sheep! I do not count upon them, and I have shown you that we darenot depend much on some of our own colour. It is the coming of you twoand the three sailors from your ship that has revived my hopes andplans. All the world knows how you Englishmen can fight. I know it,and have hated you for it. I hope to live and find my hatred turned toesteem and affection. The two sailors that were here before you Isounded long ago. One is eager enough; the other has becomebroken-spirited, and hesitates to venture upon anything where failurewould add to his present miseries. Five of you are strong, and not yetcowed at all by the lash. The whip will never cow me. I have arevenge to take; and I will take it, or die in a bold attempt to do so.There are seven of us prepared to plot and dare all in the dash forliberty; one of your countrymen is weak. I can depend prettyconfidently on four of my own tongue, and on the gray-bearded Portugeeat number one oar. The cut-throats and thieves, that help to make upour number, will fight stoutly enough if suddenly they find themselvesfree and armed. Love of plunder and thirst for slaughter and revengewill nerve them. But we must not trust them beforehand. The poorIndians, too, will strike a blow at their oppressors if a clear chanceof freedom offers."
"You are not hoping for an opportunity in one of these harbours?"
"No, nor in Panama either. Our chance will not come on this voyage;there are too many troops aboard. But we sometimes go out with emptycabins; no one but the captain and his officers. Stores have to becarried from port to port, and treasure fetched from places fartherdown the coast. It is then, at night, that our hour will come. Wemust watch for it, prepare for it, and use it without hesitation. Areyou with me in the matter?"
"Heart and soul! Heart and soul!"
A boatswain's step was heard, and nothing more was said.