"A sail! Sail ho!"
Up bounced Sir Benjamin instantly and out upon deck, bellowing:
"Where—whereaway?"
"Astarn of us to windward," answered Ned, glass at eye. "She'm too far yet to make sure, but by her length o' spars and cut o' canvas I'll say as she ain't Spanish."
"Ha, you hear that, Adam, you hear?" cried Sir Benjamin. "Now, fulfil me your promise, man."
"Ay ay!" answered Adam, focusing his own perspective glass upon this distant ship. "Let them make all sail, Ned, every stitch. Then come you to my cabin. As for thyself, Ben, go muster and arm your musketeers! For, as I've told, our Santissima is heavy sailer, and should we be pursued 'twere well to stand prepared."
"'Od's body, Adam,—one would think you expect battle and bloody strife anon!"
"As you say, Ben. But what I say is,—what will be must be, wherefore it behoves us to be ready."
So saying, Adam smiled rather grimly, tucked perspective glass beneath his arm, and so went to his cabin; and here presently Ned coming to report all sail now set, found him gazing thoughtfully from stern window at this distant vessel.
"Sit down," said Adam, without moving, "sit ye now and hearken to me. If, as you think, yon ship is no Spaniard then I take it she is some pirate or buccaneer and if so, 'tis my earnest hope she may prove that same Joyous Lark intent on more vile havoc and plunder. Indeed, Ned, I verily believe she is."
"Then, sir, she'll be on-common heavy armed and manned."
"Beyond all doubt, Ned. Howbeit I am determined on her absolute destruction."
Ned drew a deep breath, rose to his feet, staring on this small, soft-voiced speaker but, meeting his eye, sat down again and shook his head.
"Meaning, Captain, as you'll ... fight her?"
"Indeed!" nodded Adam. "I shall bring her to close action so soon as may be."
"The Lord forbid, sir!"
"Nay, I believe the Lord so ordains, Ned, and hath sent her hither to His just vengeance and her final doom."
"But ... Oh Lord love us, Cap'n Adam,—how we be sure as our rogues shall fight?"
"Because the most of them are Englishmen, thank Heaven! Moreover, we Dreadnoughts will show 'em how. For fight we shall, and sooner the better. And this the way on 't. 'Tis certain she sees us,—very well,—so soon as she alters course to pursue, we, as if in panic, shall do the like, making to run from her, and this shall be proof to every man aboard how anxious I am to avoid battle and spare them all the least danger thereof ... but—now hearkee! I have read of a contrivance called a 'sea-anchor', which is a sail outspread on spars, that, cast overboard, shall hold and stay a ship very handsomely."
"Ay, sir, for sure. I've rigged many a one."
"Why then, Ned, you shall now go rig another and all unknown to any o' the men save trusty, chosen few. Then stand by, and so soon as I give order to alter course, you shall let go our sea-anchor astern to check and hinder our speed. So thus and despite our vast spread o' sail our pursuer shall rapidly overhaul us and, thinking we fly in terror, shall be the more assured and less prepared for heat of our welcome. Now, is this understood of thee, Ned?"
"Ay, sir ... though ... when I think on all that gold below as is to be our fortun'——"
"Ha,—this curse of gold!" snarled Adam, in sudden fury. "This damnable evil that can so pervert and corrupt the best and bravest——"
"Nay now, sir!" quoth sturdy Ned. "Belay, Master Adam, I was but saying, seeing as how we'm rich, one and all,—why run chance o' losing all? And yet, seeing as how you be my Captain and orders being orders, all as I therefore says is, ay ay, sir, dooty being dooty, so be it!" And, touching bristly eyebrow, away rolled this hardy seaman, leaving Adam to pace up and down, scowling on this far-off ship; presently, however, he took quill and penned this:
A list of all officers aboard the Santissima Trinidad, prior to our action with suspected Pirate.
Name Rank
Ad. Penfeather Commander
Ed. Bowser Master
John Fenn Gunner
Nick Cobb Gunner's mate
Silas Guppy do.
Sir Benj. Trigg Captain of Musketeers
Sir Geo. D'Arcy 2nd do.
Martin Frant Boatswain
Matt. Appleby Boatswain's mate
Timothy Sprake do.
Tobias Drew Carpenter
Sim Hopkins Carpenter's mate
G. Tregenza Cockswain
And I humbly pray God we may all answer the roll-call when this fight be over and these pirates utterly destroyed.
Amen.
This written, he summoned Smidge to belt, hook and buckle him into his splendid Spanish armour, and so went clashing to and fro to get used to the irk of it, while the boy watched in an ecstasy.
"Now, shipmate," said he, surveying himself in the mirror, "go seek John Fenn, Sir George, Martin Frant and Sir Benjamin and bid them to the coach ten minutes hence for council of war." So away sped the boy while Adam clanked down below where Ned, Toby and Sim Hopkins were busied to fashion the sea-anchor.
"How goes it, Ned?"
"All ready and ship-shape, sir."
"Very well. Stand by to let it go when I hail."
Then up he went for his perspective glass, and so to the poop, and peering thence at their pursuer, saw her now much nearer, plainly standing in chase of them beneath great press of sail. Hereupon he hailed below where Ned and his fellows waited in the steerage; he heard Ned's answering cry, then the splashing plunge of the sea-anchor, and thereafter was aware how the great ship's career was sensibly decreased,—and so with furtive smile curving his lips, Adam betook himself to the coach.
Thus Sir Benjamin and his companions, turning to sound of opening door, stared at sight of this grim, warlike figure booted to the knees and thence sheathed in burnished steel, but grimmest of all the lean, bronzed face framed in steel and crowned by nodding, scarlet plume.
"'Od's body!" exclaimed Sir Benjamin. "'S blood, what's this?"
"Strategy!" answered Adam, taking his seat at head of the long table. "You behold in me a Spanish Admiral, a proud and noble gentleman o' Spain, with Spanish colours at our main and, as I believe, a pirate coming down wind on our quarter in chase of this treasure ship o' Spain. So it behoves us now to take counsel how we shall meet his attack."
"Eh—attack?" exclaimed Sir Benjamin, bouncing in his chair. "Why, by not meeting it, by bearing up and standing away and avoiding any chance o' battle. We're all agreed on this, and most heartily unanimous, eh, sirs? You, George, speak now and tell him how we are determined."
"Why yes," said Sir George, "for truly and indeed, Adam, seeing we have so much at stake our best strategy should be to elude all strange ships and shun every chance of attack, to set every sail possible and use every means and sailorly device and cunning artifice——"
"'Tis done, George, 'tis done!" nodded Adam. "Sail, device and artifice, and yet despite all this our pursuer gains on us so fast their shot will be flying about our ears ere long. And 'tis no wonder we are pursued since this great galleon, with her paint and gilded bravery, is a challenge and resistless lure to all predatory craft. So must we handle and fight her like the Englishmen we are. And this the way of it. Yon ship I believe to be a pirate intent on our blood and pillage——"
"God forbid!" exclaimed Sir Benjamin, piously.
"Amen!" said Adam. "And may He thereto aid our John and his men to aim true and fire speedily. Now hearkee, John! With your greatest pieces double-shotted you shall bide with closed ports and never a blink of gun-muzzle, while you, George and Ben, with your musketeers shall lie hid in points of vantage. Then will I in this armour show myself on the poop like proud Don in solitary estate. So shall these rogues come on amain all unsuspecting and assured until at my word ye loose off every piece, every musket and gun smiting them point blank and so close as, I pray the Lord, shall prove their soon and very complete destruction. Well, how say ye?"