Chapter XIX: The Taking of the Galleon

WHEN I came to myself I was lying in the small state-room or cabin of the _Damsel of Lyme_. I lay on a mattress placed on the floor, and noticed the oak beams over my head.

For awhile I pondered, trying to recall my thoughts, and wondering how I came to be lying there. Then the incidents of our stand 'gainst the Spaniards on the isthmus came back to me, and, anxious to know what had taken place since I was stricken down, I attempted to rise. But the effort was beyond me, and with an involuntary groan I sank back once more upon my pillow.

Then it was that I became aware that my head was swathed in bandages, while a sharp stinging pain in my leg told me that that was also bound so tightly that it seemed as if I were lashed to the floor.

There was no one else in the cabin, but overhead there was much scurrying and trampling of feet, while the slight list told me that the pinnace was once more under way.

For a while I lay thus, longing for some one to appear, while, in addition to the pain of my injuries, my throat burned like a limekiln.

Then the agonising thought came across my mind: Had the pinnace been taken, and was I a prisoner? If 'twas so, it was unlikely that I should be placed in the cabin; yet the doubt haunted me, and I strained my ears to catch the shouts of the men on deck.

After awhile I heard a voice, which I recognised as that of Coombes, the mate, shout, "Hard over; let her come round," and then, with an inexpressible feeling of relief, I knew that I was safe in the hands of my friends.

But even then doubts arose in my mind. How had my father fared in the final stages of the fight--and Jack Staynton too? I remembered seeing him waiting to receive the charge of the Spanish horse. And Skelton also; he, I knew, went down as he strove to defend me; yet I survived, and why not he?

In the midst of my suspense the door was softly opened and Jack's head cautiously appeared. Seeing me awake, he stepped in, with mingled joy and anxiety written in every line of his face. As he did so, I saw that his left arm was in a sling.

"How fares it, Jack?" I asked.

"Hist," he replied, holding up a finger warningly. "You must not speak yet awhile. Your father will be right glad to see you have --awakened," he added after a brief pause.

"Is he hurt?" I asked, in spite of my comrade's injunction.

"Nay, sound as a bell; and all's well with those of us who are left. Now, rest easy, Ralph. Later I'll tell you of the whole matter."

"Water," I begged.

Thereupon he held a pannikin to my lips 'Twas water mingled with some sour compound, such as the Spaniards use in cases of fever, and, parched as I was, I took a deep draught, e'en though I would have vastly preferred the liquid without the drug it contained.

Thereupon Jack left me to acquaint my father of my recovery. But on my parent's arrival he was even more uncommunicative than my comrade, for he forbade me to speak, and, holding my hand, told me to try and slumber. In a very few minutes, overcome with weakness, I slept.

From that time my progress, though slow, was steadily maintained, and within a week I was able to sit up for an hour or so and engage in conversation.

Jack soon told me all concerning the last stages of the defence. So well did our little party defend themselves that ere the Spaniards could achieve their object several of our men left the shelter of the breastwork and drove them off with the loss of three of their number. Skelton and I, the only two members of the sallying party who were badly hurt, were carried in. Skelton's injuries consisted of a nasty cut across the head, caused by the partly parried stroke of the Spaniard's sword, and a broken rib, for one of the horses had trodden upon him as he lay on the ground. As for me, I had received a musket ball that grazed the muscles of my left leg, and a blow across the head that all but fractured my thick skull.

Soon after the return of the sallying party the pinnace had been brought in close to shore. Safe from the fire of the Spaniards' heavy ordnance, yet galled by the fire of the arquebuses, our men contrived to ship the whole of the silver by means of a whip and tackle betwixt the ship and the shore. Then, those on board covering their comrades' retreat, the remainder of the defenders gained the decks of the _Damsel of Lyme_.

Fortunately, what little wind there was came off shore, and by the aid of the sweeps the pinnace was taken beyond the range of the enemy.

There they drifted, under bare poles, and had it come on to blow things might have gone badly with us, being helpless in a dismantled ship. But on the morning of the following day, to our joy the _Nonsuch_ bore up to us, and the work of transhipping the pinnace's gear was put in hand immediately.

Within twenty-four hours the yards were sent aloft, the sails bent, and the proper quantity of stores and ammunition placed on board; and, having achieved the object of the expedition, both vessels set a course towards Old England.

During this time I had lain unconscious, and it was not until the sixth day following my injury that I came to myself.

Fearing to make the Windward Passage, or, indeed, any of the straits betwixt Hispaniola and the adjacent islands, since the Spanish ships of war were known to be thereabouts, we stood north-eastwards, passing between the dangerous cays of the Bahamas.

Thereafter, having navigated this part of the Indies successfully, we stood northwards, intending to put into one of the ports of the newly-founded settlement of Virginia to replenish our fresh provisions.

Here we found that the poor planters whom Sir Walter Raleigh had sent over to form the colony were in a most distressed condition, for sickness, mortality, and the ravages of the Indians had reduced the survivors almost to starvation. Some of them implored us to give them a passage home, and Captain Staynton consented to receive a score of them. After remaining here for nearly two months, for the weather during this time was most unpropitious, we again set sail, having left a goodly store of powder, of which we had plenty, for the use of those of the planters who were still determined to maintain the struggle for existence in that ill-starred land.

By this time I had quite recovered from my wounds, though at times the muscles of my calf twinged painfully. Yet, in general, the use of my limbs was not impaired, nor was my health adversely affected by reason of my hurts and the long period of my recovery.

On the third day out the wind, hitherto fair, shifted nor'-east, and at length blew so hard that we were compelled to scud under close-reefed fore courses only. Four days it continued thus, finishing with such a tempest the like I wish never to see again.

With morning 'twas almost a calm, though the sea ran high by reason of the vexed condition of the waves during the gale. But when we looked around for our consort, the _Nonsuch_, she was nowhere to be seen.

"She'll have weathered it, sir," observed Coombes. "What the pinnace'Il go through the barque'll make light of. We'll pick her up sure enow in a day or two."

The day wore on, and though a sharp look out was kept no signs of our consort were visible; so at night we hove-to, firing a gun at every quarter of an hour in the hope that the _Nonsuch_ might hear the report and bear up to us.

Early on the following morning the look out reported a sail hull-down on our larboard bow. Our course was thereupon altered, and soon we perceived the vessel which had apparently hove-to.

"That's the _Nonsuch_ sure enow," said Coombes confidently, as he made his way down from aloft. "She's heard us, and is waiting for us to come up."

But the mate was wrong, for as we rapidly approached, the wind being fresh and steady, we perceived the vessel to be a large galleon. She had evidently suffered severely in the gale, for her topmasts had gone by the board, leaving only her fore and main lower masts standing, the mizzen having also carried away. She had sent her lower yards up, and under courses only was she scudding before the breeze.

"A Don, sure enough," remarked my father. "We'll nab the rascal."

"Let us hope that she is not crowded with soldiers," said I, bearing in mind the lesson Captain Hannibal Cleat had learned to his cost on board this very craft.

"That we must guard against," he replied. "Meanwhile see to it that guns are fired, and our own ancient dipped repeatedly as if we are calling upon our consort."

Though the _Nonsuch_ might be leagues away, or perhaps at the bottom of the sea, we might reasonably expect to profit by the trick. Then, as we approached within range, we let fly with our culverin, aiming wide so as to show that we had no wish to provoke should the Spaniard have a mind to surrender.

But the galleon held resolutely on her course, making no signs as to her preparations for defence or otherwise, although I felt sure that I saw the sun glint upon polished steel morions just above the weather bulwarks.

Rapidly we came up with her, for she being partially crippled, we could sail three leagues to her one. On her gilded stern we could discern the name _Sol del Esto_.

Presently she altered her course, and began, by reason of her small spread of canvas, to edge more off the wind. As she did so, she exposed the whole of her broadside--twenty-five demi-cannons.

Swiftly we altered helm, till the pinnace placed herself in the same relative position as heretofore--namely, fair in her wake. This was sufficiently easy to do, since the galleon durst not lay too close to the wind with her scanty canvas, and we were thus able to rake her with our culverin and sakers, while in reply she could but use two falcons that projected through ports on either side of her rudder.

"Now let her have it right royally," shouted my father, and in obedience to his orders we kept up a steady fire, sending shot after shot crashing into her towering stern.

The Dons were not slow in replying, but the range of the falcons was not enough to do us harm, the balls plunging finally into the sea at a hundred feet or more from the pinnace.

Every time the galleon yawed the watchful Coombes had the pinnace about with the utmost swiftness, so that ere the Spaniard's broadside guns could be brought to bear, the _Damsel of Lyme_ was once more dead astern of her gigantic antagonist.

Soon the graceful stern of the galleon resembled a woodseller's booth. Splinters of timber were flying at almost every shot.

"Stick to it, my lads!" shouted my father. "'Tis more than they can stomach. Another ten rounds and we'll make them cry halt."

This seemed likely to be the case, for the Spaniards, finding that their stern-chasers did not avail, had ceased firing. Yet they had not surrendered, for when one of our shots carried away the ancient from the staff another was instantly hoisted on a pole, and lashed to the stump of her mizzen-mast.

Suddenly there was a tremendous crash, accompanied by the shattering of woodwork and cries of pain, while I felt myself hurled to the deck by an irresistible rush like a whirlwind.

Yet I was little hurt, for almost instantly I sprang to my feet and looked around. The first I saw was my father lying in a pool of blood and two others slain by his side.

His face was set and drawn with pain, and as I ran to him I saw that his left foot had been carried away at the ankle.

"Tell Coombes to carry on with the matter, Ralph!" he exclaimed. "The rascals have crippled me. Bring Cox to me----"

The sentence remained unfinished, for, overcome by the pain and the loss of blood, he swooned.

There was no time for useless lamentations. Giving the first mate my father's orders, I ran to fetch Cox, who was a skilful leech as far as seamen went. Together we carried my father below, and, having been reassured that the wound would not be likely to prove mortal, I returned to my duty.

The Spaniards had dragged aft an enormous serpentine, and by the simple expedient of blowing out a portion of their already shattered stern, were able to train the formidable piece of ordnance upon us with disastrous effect.

Again they fired, the heavy shot whizzing through our topsail, but doing no other damage.

"Mark you whence that came?" asked Coombes of the gunner at the culverin. "I pray you, as you value your life, clap a shot immediately below it."

Calmly the veteran gunner sighted his piece, whilst his assistant applied the linstock.

Anxiously we watched the course of our shot, and to our great joy saw the missile land home fairly beneath the jagged hole that served as a gun-port. When the flying fragments had fallen, a huge rent extended from the improvised port almost to the upper rudder-brace. Our shot had dismounted the long gun, causing it to plunge into the sea.

With that down fluttered the Spanish flag. We cheered lustily, but in the midst of our exultation we realised that our task was still no light one. How could we, with our few men, hope to take possession of a prize carrying perhaps fivescore soldiers in addition to her crew?