Presently up came the moon in glory to show them the city, growing ever smaller, its white houses agleam against a vast background of dark forest and soaring mountains,—and before the broad, white decks of this great ship where many dark figures were so eagerly at work with hoarse laughter, rolling sea-oaths and snatches of song, rejoicing in their new found freedom and the wide ocean all aglitter with moonlight and stirred by freshening wind.
But Adam looked oftenest where astern of them came a ship of war under great press of sail; suddenly from her bow came puff of white smoke and a round shot hummed through the sail above his head, but as the report woke the echoes, it was answered by the harsher roar of the Santissima Trinidad's heavy stern-chasers aimed by John Fenn, and, when the smoke cleared, the pursuer's fore-topmast was seen to hang in flapping ruin.
Then from Adam's company rose such cheer as these shores had seldom or never heard, a deep-lunged bellow of savage exultation, the jubilant cry of slaves becoming men once more.
And so, with a fair wind and none left to bar her course, the great Santissima Trinidad bore out and away for the open sea.
CHAPTER XXVII
HOW ADAM TOOK COMMAND OF THE GREAT GALLEON
Ho, for the piping song of wind in cordage and rigging, with creak of straining blocks and mighty yards! Ho, for the surge and hiss of tumbling seas at foaming fore-foot, for the joyous lift and roll of this great ship that is bearing them out from the black hell of misery and servitude, from stripes and shame—away across windswept ocean to a new life and the Golden Indies.
And now, feeling something of this rapture, these men that had so lately been slavish wretches cowering to the whip, made haste to rid them of their fetters, shameful badges of their degradation, and then to sing and dance, to cut capers and play leap-frog like so many happy boys, but thereafter to show themselves for the savagely revengeful brutes hardship and bestial usage had made of them (Adam included) and in the following manner.
With Jimbo, his gigantic negro steward, in attendance, Adam was blessing himself with a hot bath and sensing all the luxurious comfort of it, when to him ran little Smidge, tumbling over his ponderous sword with haste.
"Oh, Cap'n Adam," he panted, "they've found they Spanish dons as was hiding below and be a-dragging of 'em up for to kill and murder 'em! Oh, sir, come and stay 'em ... come quick!"
Up leapt Adam, snatched on his breeches, or what remained of them, caught Smidge's sword from him and ran out on deck where the great, tropic moon made all things plain to see and showed a howling scurry of naked savages who, with merciless fists and clawing fingers were at their dire work on one whose pale, blood-spattered face and torn clothing were evidence of horrors yet to be....
But in upon them burst Adam, a small, silent, hard-smiting fury using the flat of heavy blade to such dire effect that the raving mob scattered and showed two—the half-swooning Spaniard and the hairy, inhuman ferocity whose powerful clutching hands had begun their dreadful work.
"Loose him!" cried Adam; the hairy savage roared and spat, so Adam smote him down. Snarling, the fellow made to rise, took Adam's bare foot in his face and was dashed to the deck half stunned; yet even then he would have risen, but squealed instead to the goring steel that nailed him to the planking. Then with foot on the man's hairy throat, Adam laughed, wrenched free the sword and fronted the many-handed menace that now threatened him.
"Off ... ye dogs!" he panted, twirling the long blade in sinewy hand. "Back, ye vile scum or I'll bring bloody death on ye. I'm Captain here ... ay, Captain o' this ship to be obeyed, d'ye hear? Now forrard two o' ye and take me up this two-legged beast. Heave him overboard if dead, if not—tie him up till I can tend him—away with him. The rest o' ye fall in,—line up or——" Here again he made fierce play with his sword, driving his snarling would-be assailants before him, this way and that, striking them with flat of blade, checking them with point until he had them lined in some degree of order.
"Now," said he, padding up and down their sullen ranks, "I am Captain Adam Penfeather, your captain, and one ye shall obey or, by the God above us, I'll be death for some o' ye afore I die. Ho, Dreadnoughts!" he shouted.
"Ay, ay, Adam! Here, sir! With ee, Captain!" cried the Twelve, mustering about him.
"Martin Frant and you, Ned, look to these murderous slaves I mean to make into men again. Choose your watches,—nay first, since they're so foul outsides and in, let 'em heave buckets o' water over each other till they be something sweeter. Smidge, your Spanish is better than mine, desire this don to follow me."
And so, long sword aglitter and white hair gleaming in the moonlight, back stalked Adam to his interrupted bathing and, lying in this joy of warm water, bade Jimbo go and do all he might to the comfort of this ill-used Spaniard.
Now after some while when Adam came to dress he found that instead of his own poor rags, Jimbo had laid out for his selection so many strange, rich garments, such splendour of satins, velvets and gold embroidery, such luxury of lace and fine linen, with stocking of silk, shoes, buckled and resetted, boots short and long, of fragrant leather themselves soft and pliant as velvet, indeed such magnificence of attire as should be worthy to grace only the high and noble person of a Spanish Grandee of loftiest lineage and bluest of blood.
Adam surveyed these many wonders, as he had the magnificence of this spacious cabin, with eyes of awe, then, having no other, proceeded to choose such as he thought fittest and get himself into them, turning as he donned each garment to watch its effect in the long, silver-framed mirror nearby. Thus at last he beheld himself no more the naked, scarred wretch but a very dominating personage, a stately gentleman of such gracious bearing and dignity that he marvelled at the potency of tailor's needle and the magic of clothes.
Thus arrayed, he entered the great cabin whose luxury of carving, silken hangings and rich carpets seemed less awesome now by reason of his own splendour. Here Jimbo, with Smidge to aid, was comforting the hurts of the Spaniard, who instantly rose and bowed with such ceremony that Adam found himself bowing as graciously.
"Sir," said this young Spaniard impulsively and speaking in very good English, "I beg you to accept my very humble, grateful expression of thanks."
"Pray be seated," said Adam, "and indeed you speak excellent good English."
"Sir, I was with our Ambassador in England, first two, then three years. I was well acquaint with your Prince that is now King Charles, and have many friends there, though our nations, alas, are nothing friendly. I am Luiz Alphonso y Valdez, and your very grateful servant. But for you, sir, I had died ... extreme ungently."
"Don Luiz, I am happy to have served you. Were you an officer aboard this ship?"
"No, sir, a passenger, I was going home—to Spain. But now——?" Don Luiz spread eloquent hands and bowed again. "I am your prisoner and glad to find myself in so noble hands ... those of a gentleman of England. And, sir, I beg to say that my father will pay generous ransom if——"
"No, sir," answered Adam, "you will pray consider yourself passenger still until we fall in with the first Spanish ship able and willing to your transport."
"Oh, sir ... sir," stammered the young hidalgo, "I crave to learn the name of my so generous captor and ... host, if you please."
"Sir, I am Captain Adam Penfeather——"
It was now that with knock on door, Sir George D'Arcy entered and all he wore, besides grime and matted hair, was a pair of ragged, canvas drawers; dumbly he stared from Adam to Don Luiz who recoiled with a very evident disgust.