Part 8 (1/2)

After sunset the breeze died away rapidly and, by the time night had fully set in, the sails dropped motionless, and the Swan ceased to move through the water. The captain at once ordered all the boats to be lowered, and the men swarmed into them, double banking the oars. Hawsers were handed into them, and the vessel's head swept round in the direction from which she had come, but somewhat farther seaward.

”Now, lads,” the captain said, ”pull with a will. There will be a good supper, and an allowance of strong ale, when you come on board.”

After rowing for half an hour, the captain ordered them to cease, and to keep silence. Listening attentively, he could hear in the still night air the sound of oars; but whether the boats were towing the s.h.i.+ps, or rowing independently, he could not tell. Again the men set to work.

”I hope they are towing,” he said to the first mate. ”They would have no chance whatever of catching us, for our strong crew can take a vessel like the Swan through the water at twice the rate they could row their big s.h.i.+ps. I can't see the fellows in sh.o.r.e, can you?”

”No, Captain. They are hid in the shadow of the land. I can make out the others, but they are a long way farther off than when we started.”

”I expect we shall have the boats after us, Standing. Both lots can make us out, and can see that we are gaining on them.

”Ah! I felt a breath of wind. I did not expect it for an hour or two yet; but if the breeze springs up, we shall soon run away from them.”

Stopping and listening again, they could hear the sound of oars, from two directions.

”They are coming,” the captain said. ”The beat is quicker than it would be if they were towing; besides, it is a great deal more distinct than it was. I don't think they are more than a mile behind us.

”Ah! There is the wind again.”

There was a deep flapping sound, and a rattling of blocks, as the sails bellied out for a moment, and then fell against the masts again. Captain Reuben went to the forecastle:

”Keep it up, lads. You won't have much longer to row, for the wind is coming. The Spaniards are after us, but they won't be up for a quarter of an hour, and I hope we shall get it before that. Remember, every yard we can keep away from them is of importance. Put your backs to it, lads.”

The Swan carried four boats and, strongly manned as these were, she was gliding through the water at a fair rate. It was five minutes before another breath of wind came, but this lasted three or four minutes, and greatly relieved the strain from the hawsers.

”She is going through the water now,” the captain said. ”They cannot be gaining very much upon us, at present.

”Confound it!” he added, a minute later. ”There is an end of it again.”

The boats were now but half a mile away, and the voices of the officers, urging the rowers to exert themselves, could be plainly heard, On the Swan the officers were all gazing in the direction from which the wind was to come. The yards were all braced sharply aft. Presently there was an exclamation of relief, as they felt the wind in their faces, and the vessel heeled a little over. The boats behind were but a quarter of a mile away now, while those from the vessels insh.o.r.e were perhaps twice that distance.

”If this is the true breeze we are safe,” the captain said. ”If not, we shall have to fight for it.”

The men had already, without orders, cast loose the guns, and armed themselves with pike and cutla.s.s.

”Now listen, lads,” the captain said, as he went forward to the p.o.o.p rail, ”if these fellows come up and try to board us, let no man utter a word. Fight like bulldogs, and as silently. We shall beat them off, never fear. No doubt they believe that we are their countrymen, who have broken their trading regulations, and are afraid of being overhauled. But if there is a word spoken they will know that we are foreigners, and we shall be chased wherever we go.”

Then he went to the forecastle, and bade all the men in the boats cast off the hawsers and come on board. They were, indeed, no longer of any use, as the vessel was going through the water almost as fast as they could row ahead of her. As they gained the deck he repeated the orders he had given--that strict silence should be observed, in case the Spaniards came alongside.

Everything now depended on continuance of breeze, and those on board the boats saw that the vessel was now holding her own with them. Orders to throw the s.h.i.+p up into the wind and heave to were shouted and, as no attention was paid to these, several musket shots were fired at her; but the wind held and, faster and faster, the Swan made her way through the water. At last the boats fell behind, and were lost to sight.

”We are safe now,” Reuben said, exultantly. ”We are to windward of them all, and shall have them well out of sight, before morning.”

When day broke, indeed, the topsails of three of the Spanish s.h.i.+ps could be seen on the horizon; but in two or three hours these sank out of sight, and the Swan was headed on her course west.

Chapter 5: s.h.i.+pwrecked.

For six days the Swan sailed westward before a gentle wind. Then clouds were seen rising in the north, and spreading with great rapidity across the horizon.