Part 3 (2/2)
”Well,” said d.i.c.k, ”to be of any use it must be tolerably accurate, and drawn to scale; and the top of this hill is admirably adapted for our purpose. Our first business must be to measure off as correctly as possible the longest line we can get--and, with a little management, I think we ought to be able to make that line a mile in length, which will be long enough for our purpose. Then, having measured off our line, and taken its compa.s.s bearing, all that will remain to be done will be to take, from each end of the line, the compa.s.s bearing of as many objects as we require; and where the several bearings intersect will be the correct positions of those objects. Then we can complete the chart accurately enough for our purpose by sketching in the details between the objects, the positions of which we have determined. See, this is the sort of thing I mean.” And, drawing a sc.r.a.p of paper from his pocket, Chichester rapidly sketched a diagram ill.u.s.trating his meaning.
Marshall took the sketch and considered it attentively. ”Yes,” he said at length, ”that ought to be near enough for our purpose. But how are you going to measure your line?”
”Quite easily,” answered d.i.c.k. ”When I learned that I was to accompany you, the idea of drawing a chart of the harbour at once occurred to me, and I thought out the plan that I have just explained to you. I also borrowed from the carpenter a ball of fine cord, which I then proceeded to knot very carefully at every foot, measured with the carpenter's rule. Here it is, just one hundred feet long; and with the help of it we ought to have no difficulty in measuring our line.”
Nor had they: for the hilltop was quite level enough for their purpose.
They measured it twice, going and returning, in order to ensure the greater accuracy, and, laying down their work on paper to scale as they proceeded, managed before dark to secure an exceedingly useful and tolerably complete chart of the upper bay and inner harbour, with the help of which they felt that they ought to be able to find their way to the town, even on the darkest night. Of course they were not able to ascertain the depth of water by this means; but the even colour of it seemed to indicate that there were no hidden dangers to guard against anywhere except just inside the entrance of the inner harbour, where the presence of a shoal obstructing the fairway was clearly indicated by a certain gla.s.siness of surface, which was duly recorded upon the chart.
The preparation of this chart served to familiarise them with the princ.i.p.al features of the harbour in a really wonderful manner, and to fix in their memories the relative positions of them one with another.
But that was not all; for while they were at work their eyes were busy noting various details, one of which was that a small fis.h.i.+ng village existed at the base of the hill upon which they were at work, and not more than half a mile from the spot where the longboat lay concealed.
This was a discovery of some importance to them, for it at once suggested the possibility of ”borrowing” a canoe from the village, after dark, and proceeding in her to the city; by which plan they would run much less risk of detection than if they attempted to reach the city with the longboat.
They completed their labours and set out to walk down the hill on their way to the boat while the sun was still nearly an hour above the horizon, and were safely aboard her again ere darkness fell. Then, having partaken of a meal, Marshall and d.i.c.k stretched themselves along in the stern-sheets of the boat, in order to s.n.a.t.c.h an hour or two of sleep before embarking upon by far the most hazardous part of their enterprise, namely, their excursion to the city of Cartagena.
Marshall had given instructions that he and d.i.c.k were to be called punctually at eight o'clock; but when that hour arrived and the man who had the watch proceeded to arouse them, it appeared that the Captain was already awake, not having been to sleep at all, in fact; and as d.i.c.k seemed to be fast locked in the arms of slumber, Marshall softly whispered to the man who was about to arouse him, that he was to be permitted to sleep on, at the same time composing himself to rest and giving fresh instructions that both were to be called at midnight. From which it was evident that in the interim he had modified his original plan.
When at length midnight arrived and the pair were duly awakened Marshall remarked with a grin which the darkness effectually concealed:
”Well, lad, hast had a good sleep?”
”Excellent,” answered d.i.c.k. ”I feel as fresh as a lark, and can scarcely realise that I have only been asleep two hours.”
”Two hours!” retorted Marshall, with a laugh. ”Thou hast had six hours of good, honest sleep; and 'tis midnight instead of eight o'clock. The fact is,” he continued in more serious tones, ”I could not sleep when I first attempted to do so. My thoughts were busy with the task that lay before me; and I could not see how it was to be done in the time that I had allowed myself. The way that I looked at the matter was this: I had arranged that we were to start from here at eight o'clock. By the time that we had found our way round to the village where we hoped to get a canoe, it would be nearly or quite nine; and by the time that we reached Cartagena it would be ten o'clock, or after; there would be no work doing, and most of the good folk would be abed; thus I should stand a very poor chance of gaining any information worth having. The proper time for me to be ash.o.r.e, there, is during the day, when everybody is astir, when there are plenty of people about to talk to and ask questions of, and when they will be too busy to take particular note of me, and wonder who I am and where I came from. So I altered my plan, deferring our departure until now, which will afford me plenty of time to get into the city before daylight. Then I shall have the whole day before me, if I find that I require it, in which to look about me and make a few discreet enquiries; and as soon after dark as it is safe to return I will come back; reaching the boat, if all be well, in time to go out and rejoin the _Adventure_ to-morrow night about this time. Now, I shall want you to go with me as far as the village, to help me, if need be, to secure a canoe; and when I have done that, and am fairly under way, you can come back here to the boat, and wait for me; for the work that I have to do can best be done single-handed. Now, if you have any questions to ask, ask them; but if not, we may as well be off, for I want to allow myself plenty of time to make my way into the town.”
d.i.c.k intimated that he believed he quite understood the scheme which the Captain had outlined, and that he had only one question to ask, namely, how long the boat was to remain where she was in the event of Marshall being detained in Cartagena longer than he antic.i.p.ated.
”How long?” repeated Marshall. ”Let me see. This will make the second complete night that we have been absent from the s.h.i.+p--although it seems very much longer. Stay here, if necessary, for four days and nights longer, as arranged with Bas...o...b.. and if I am not back by midnight of the fourth night my orders are that you are to rejoin the s.h.i.+p, report to Winter and Bas...o...b..all that we have done and learned; and say it is my wish that they shall act as may seem to them best, and without any reference at all to what may have become of me; for if I do not return to you by the time that I have named it will be because I cannot, having fallen into the hands of the Spaniards. And now, if you are ready, let us be going.”
Silently, and with the observance of every precaution to prevent betrayal of the longboat's hiding-place to any chance wanderer in the neighbourhood, the pair forced a way through their leafy bower and up the steep bank until they emerged upon clear ground, when, bearing away to the eastward round the foot of the hill which they had that day ascended, they groped their way cautiously over the unfamiliar ground until, in the course of about half an hour, they caught the dim s.h.i.+mmer of starlight upon water, and, between them and it, a group of dark, shapeless blotches which, upon their nearer approach, they identified as the hovels const.i.tuting the fis.h.i.+ng village which they had seen during the day from the top of the hill.
Circling round these, they presently reached the water's edge, where, as they had fully antic.i.p.ated, they found a dozen or more canoes of various sizes hauled up on the beach, most of them with their nets piled up in their sterns. They looked about for the smallest canoe they could find, and having overhauled her as carefully as the light would allow, and satisfied themselves as to her seaworthiness, removed the nets from her to the craft nearest at hand and, lifting her by her two ends, carried her down to the water, and set her afloat. Then, with a quick hand-clasp and a low-murmured ”Goodbye, lad, and take care of yourself and the men,” Marshall stepped softly into the crank little craft, seated himself in the stern, and with a vigorous thrust of the paddle sent himself off into deep water, where a few minutes later he was swallowed up by the darkness. d.i.c.k stood by the water's edge, watching the small black blur which represented man and canoe as it receded from the sh.o.r.e until it vanished; and then turned slowly away to retrace his steps to the longboat, happily unconscious that he had looked his last upon his gallant leader.
Returning safely and without difficulty to the longboat, d.i.c.k Chichester whispered to the man who was keeping watch that thus far all was well; and then bestowed himself in the stern-sheets to s.n.a.t.c.h another hour or two of sleep. Then, after a somewhat late breakfast, he emerged cautiously from his leafy refuge and climbed to the top of the hill again, ensconcing himself well within the shadow of a thick bush, from beneath which he commanded an uninterrupted view of the entire upper bay and harbour. Not that he expected to see much, or, indeed, anything in particular; but he thought it well to keep a watchful eye upon things in general and, if anything particular should happen ash.o.r.e, take care to be where he might perchance be able to detect some indication of it.
But he saw nothing at all to indicate that anything unusual had taken place, or was taking place, in Cartagena, the only occurrence of a noticeable character that came under his observation that day being a violent quarrel among certain of the inhabitants of the fis.h.i.+ng village below, which quarrel, he shrewdly conjectured, might possibly have something to do with a missing canoe.
He remained on the hill the whole of that day, allowing himself only just daylight enough to find his way back to the longboat, and then, having partaken of a meal, disposed himself to secure a good long uninterrupted night's rest, warning the men, however, to be alert during their watch, so that if the Captain should return during the night and need a.s.sistance, they might be prepared to render it quickly.
But Captain Marshall did not return during that night; therefore after an early breakfast the next morning d.i.c.k again ascended the hill to keep watch upon the town and harbour, thinking that mayhap he might thus catch an early glimpse of Marshall returning; and if haply he should chance to be pursued, learn the fact in time to go to his a.s.sistance.
But this day, too, pa.s.sed uneventfully away, the galleon, with the great golden flag of Spain flaunting at her stern, showing no visible sign of an early departure.
d.i.c.k felt so firmly convinced that the Captain would return some time during the ensuing night that he sat up, waiting for him, and taking watch after watch as it came round. But the morning dawned with still no sign of Marshall; and then the young officer began to feel seriously apprehensive; for he could not imagine that his leader should spend two whole days in Cartagena without learning all that he desired to know upon a matter which must be so widely discussed as the departure of an exceptionally rich treasure s.h.i.+p for Old Spain. Yet of course there was the chance that Marshall might be voluntarily prolonging his stay for the purpose of obtaining some especially valuable item of information; meanwhile, the four days having not yet expired, his duty was to remain where he was, and keep a sharp lookout. So again d.i.c.k wended his way to the top of the hill, and ensconced himself in his now familiar hiding-place beneath the bush.
And on this day his vigilance was rewarded by signs of activity on board the galleon, to wit, a slow and very deliberate bending of her sails; so slow and deliberate, indeed, that at the end of the day only about half her canvas had been secured to the yards. This of course indicated that the date of her sailing was drawing nigh; and he comforted himself with the reflection that possibly this date had not yet been definitely fixed--the Spaniards were notoriously dilatory in this respect, thinking nothing of a fortnight's, or even a month's delay--and it might perhaps be that Marshall was patiently awaiting the fixing of this date before rejoining them, knowing that the boat would be awaiting him whenever he might find it convenient to return to her.
Thinking and reasoning thus, d.i.c.k at length succeeded in so completely convincing himself that Marshall's delay was entirely voluntary, that the anxiety which had gradually been growing upon him pa.s.sed away; so completely, indeed, that he composed himself to rest with the absolute conviction that the Captain would return sometime during the night; the only orders which he deemed it necessary to give the men being, that they were to maintain a sharp lookout, and awake him immediately upon their general's arrival.
But the night pa.s.sed; and day--the fourth day since Marshall had left them, and the last of their prescribed sojourn where they were--dawned without sign of the absentee; and when at length d.i.c.k Chichester awakened and this fact was borne in upon him, all his former apprehensions returned with redoubled force. Something had gone wrong with the Captain; he was convinced of it; Marshall would never deliberately tarry so long in a town, every man, woman, and child in which was an enemy; his ident.i.ty as an Englishman had been discovered, and he had been taken, without a doubt. Yet, with a sudden revulsion of feeling, d.i.c.k remembered that one trait of his Captain's character was a certain daredevil recklessness which made peril, or rather the overcoming of it, a joy and a delight, and caused him actually to court danger for the pleasurable excitement which the evasion of it afforded him. Might it not be, then, that Marshall, knowing the fate that awaited him in the event of detection, was deliberately lingering in Cartagena in order that he might enjoy to the fullest possible extent the gratification of hoodwinking his enemies and moving freely among them unsuspected?
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