Part 6 (2/2)
”The Captain is not there!” exclaimed Bas...o...b.. when this was recognised.
”Now, what a plague do they mean by sending off the boat without him?
Are they going to beg for more time, I wonder? And, if so, why? For I will never believe but that they know where he is, but are determined to exhaust every artifice and subterfuge in the endeavour to avoid giving him up!”
The others said nothing, for what was the use of hazarding conjecture when they would soon know for certain? So they held their tongues and watched the approach of the boat with gloomy, louring glances. They were disappointed, and in a savage, dangerous mood, ready to plunge at a word into any desperate enterprise.
The boat ranged up alongside, and the oarsmen rested upon their oars as before.
”Hallo! the boat ahoy!” hailed Bas...o...b.. ”What does this mean, senor?
Why have you not brought off our Captain? Are the people ash.o.r.e aware that within five minutes the bombardment of the town will begin?”
”Alas! yes, most ill.u.s.trious senors,” answered the interpreter, ”unless I should prove fortunate enough to be successful in the mission that has been entrusted to me--that of pleading with your excellencies for a further extension of time.”
”Upon what grounds, senor?” demanded Bas...o...b.. ”I have already granted an extension of six hours--without result, it would appear. Why should I grant another moment?”
”Because, Excellency, it is now believed that a clue to the whereabouts of your Capitan has at last been found, and it is hoped that in the course of another hour or two his freedom may be obtained,” answered the interpreter.
”Ah!” returned Bas...o...b.. with a sigh of relief. ”So our Captain has been found at last, has he? And where is he thought to be?”
”In the Inquisition, senor,” answered the interpreter.
”The Inquisition!” interrupted Bas...o...b.. ”Odds bodikins! didn't I say so? And how long has he been there, friend?”
”If the clue which has been obtained proves to be a true one, your Capitan will have been there close upon four days,” was the reply. ”The man whom we believe to be he was noticed in a small posada four evenings ago, and the landlord of the house is of opinion that someone must have suspected and informed upon him, for during the evening four familiars of the Inquisition called at the house and, in spite of his violent resistance, took him and carried him away.”
”They did, did they?” retorted Bas...o...b.. ”If I can lay my hand upon those four familiars I'll make them wish their hands had withered rather than that they had laid them upon an Englishman! But there seems to be a good deal of uncertainty even now about this story of yours, senor interpreter, and I think our best plan will be to take up and investigate the matter ourselves. What say you, gentles? Four days!
Why, they will have had time to maim the man for life in those four days! But if they have--! Well, what say ye, my masters; shall us take a strong party of men, go ash.o.r.e, make our way to their Inquisition, and see for ourselves whether or not Captain Marshall is there? And if he is there, and they have mis-used him, we shall be able to take vengeance upon the evildoers themselves instead of punis.h.i.+ng a lot of innocent men and women by knocking their homes about their ears.”
”I say that we ought to do as you propose, without a moment's unnecessary delay,” replied Winter. ”And I, too,” answered each of the others present.
”Then it shall be done,” answered Bas...o...b.. determinedly. ”My proposal, Mr Winter, is that we make equal division of our force; one-half under my leaders.h.i.+p to go ash.o.r.e and look for our Captain, while the other half under you remains aboard the _Adventure_ to take care of her and the prize. Is that agreeable to your wors.h.i.+p?”
”Yes,” answered Winter; ”it is as good a plan as we are like to devise, even though we were to cogitate for the rest of the day. It is true that I would have preferred to lead the landing-party, since if aught should happen to you we shall be left without a navigator.”
”Nay, that you need not be,” answered Bas...o...b.. ”for I will leave young Chichester with you, and he can be your navigator; he has been an apt pupil, and now knows as much about navigation as I do, so that difficulty is soon overcome. Hallo! the boat ahoy!” he continued, directing his conversation once more to the interpreter; ”come aboard, senor, will you? We shall require your services anon.”
”Have I your word, most ill.u.s.trious, that no evil shall befall me if I put myself into your hands?” asked the man.
”You have,” answered Bas...o...b.. ”You may trust yourself to us without fear; indeed you are like to be a great deal more safe with us than elsewhere during the next few hours.”
”It is enough,” returned the interpreter, and signed to the boatmen to put him alongside, climbing to the deck and stepping in through the gangway without fear when they had done so.
”Now then, Senor Pacheco,” said Bas...o...b.. when the Spaniard, peering about him curiously, had joined the party on the p.o.o.p; ”I am about to land a party and march it to the Inquisition, in order that I may ascertain for myself whether or not our Captain is within its walls.
Whereabout is the place? Can it be seen from here?”
”Nay, most ill.u.s.trious, it cannot, for it lies at the back, or northern extremity, of the western half of the town,” answered Pacheco. ”It lies in the direction of the western tower of the cathedral, but far beyond it.”
<script>