"No, senor! I am a freeman and a cavalier, a Christian Guayqueria, whose forefathers, first of all the Indians, swore fealty to the King of Spain, and whom he calls to this day in all his proclamations his most faithful, loyal, and noble Guayquerias.God forbid, therefore, that I should tell aught to his enemies, who are my enemies likewise."A growl arose from those of the men who understood him; and more than one hinted that a cord twined round the head, or a match put between the fingers, would speedily extract the required information.
"God forbid!" said Amyas; "a brave and loyal man he is, and as such will I treat him.Tell me, my brave fellow, how do you know us to be his Catholic majesty's enemies?"The Indian, with a shrewd smile, pointed to half-a-dozen different objects, saying to each, "Not Spanish.""Well, and what of that?"
"None but Spaniards and free Guayquerias have a right to sail these seas."Amyas laughed.
"Thou art a right valiant bit of copper.Pick up thy dollar, and go thy way in peace.Make room for him, men.We can learn what we want without his help."The Indian paused, incredulous and astonished."Overboard with you!" quoth Amyas."Don't you know when you are well off?""Most illustrious senor," began the Indian, in the drawling sententious fashion of his race (when they take the trouble to talk at all), "I have been deceived.I heard that you heretics roasted and ate all true Catholics (as we Guayquerias are), and that all your padres had tails.""Plague on you, sirrah!" squeaked Jack Brimblecombe."Have I a tail? Look here!""Quien sabe? Who knows?" quoth the Indian through his nose.
"How do you know we are heretics?" said Amyas.
"Humph! But in repayment for your kindness, I would warn you, illustrious senor, not to go on to La Guayra.There are ships of war there waiting for you; and moreover, the governor Don Guzman sailed to the eastward only yesterday to look for you; and I wonder much that you did not meet him.""To look for us! On the watch for us!" said Cary."Impossible;lies! Amyas, this is some trick of the rascal's to frighten us away.""Don Guzman came out but yesterday to look for us? Are you sure you spoke truth?""As I live, senor, he and another ship, for which I took yours."Amyas stamped upon the deck: that then was the ship which they had passed!
"Fool that I was to have been close to my enemy, and let my opportunity slip! If I had but done my duty, all would have gone right!"But it was too late to repine; and after all, the Indian's story was likely enough to be false.
"Off with you!" said he; and the Indian bounded over the side into his canoe, leaving the whole crew wondering at the stateliness and courtesy of this bold sea-cavalier.
So Westward-ho they ran, beneath the mighty northern wall, the highest cliff on earth, some seven thousand feet of rock parted from the sea by a narrow strip of bright green lowland.Here and there a patch of sugar-cane, or a knot of cocoa-nut trees, close to the water's edge, reminded them that they were in the tropics; but above, all was savage, rough, and bare as an Alpine precipice.
Sometimes deep clefts allowed the southern sun to pour a blaze of light down to the sea marge, and gave glimpses far above of strange and stately trees lining the glens, and of a veil of perpetual mist which shrouded the inner summits; while up and down, between them and the mountain side, white fleecy clouds hung motionless in the burning air, increasing the impression of vastness and of solemn rest, which was already overpowering.
"Within those mountains, three thousand feet above our heads," said Drew, the master, "lies Saint Yago de Leon, the great city which the Spaniards founded fifteen years agone.""Is it a rich place?" asked Cary.
"Very, they say."
"Is it a strong place?" asked Amyas.
"No forts to it at all, they say.The Spaniards boast, that Heaven has made such good walls to it already, that man need make none.""I don't know," quoth Amyas."Lads, could you climb those hills, do you think?""Rather higher than Harty Point, sir: but it depends pretty much on what's behind them."And now the last point is rounded, and they are full in sight of the spot in quest of which they have sailed four thousand miles of sea.A low black cliff, crowned by a wall; a battery at either end.Within, a few narrow streets of white houses, running parallel with the sea, upon a strip of flat, which seemed not two hundred yards in breadth; and behind, the mountain wall, covering the whole in deepest shade.How that wall was ever ascended to the inland seemed the puzzle; but Drew, who had been off the place before, pointed out to them a narrow path, which wound upwards through a glen, seemingly sheer perpendicular.That was the road to the capital, if any man dare try it.In spite of the shadow of the mountain, the whole place wore a dusty and glaring look.The breaths of air which came off the land were utterly stifling; and no wonder, for La Guayra, owing to the radiation of that vast fire-brick of heated rock, is one of the hottest spots upon the face of the whole earth.
Where was the harbor? There was none.Only an open roadstead, wherein lay tossing at anchor five vessels.The two outer ones were small merchant caravels.Behind them lay two long, low, ugly-looking craft, at sight of which Yeo gave a long whew.
"Galleys, as I'm a sinful saint! And what's that big one inside of them, Robert Drew? She has more than hawseholes in her idolatrous black sides, I think.""We shall open her astern of the galleys in another minute," said Amyas."Look out, Cary, your eyes are better than mine.""Six round portholes on the main deck," quoth Will.
"And I can see the brass patararoes glittering on her poop," quoth Amyas."Will, we're in for it.""In for it we are, captain.
"Farewell, farewell, my parents dear.
I never shall see you more, I fear.
Let's go in, nevertheless, and pound the Don's ribs, my old lad of Smerwick.Eh? Three to one is very fair odds.""Not underneath those fort guns, I beg leave to say," quoth Yeo.