Roger the Bold: A Tale of the Conquest of Mexico Page 4

  CHAPTER IV

  The Island of Cuba

  Thanks to the brilliant moon which floated in the sky, the master of thebrigantine was able to sail her within easy distance of the coast ofCuba without fear of dashing her upon the land. Then he put his helmdown again, and sent the good ship along towards the north-west, hislook-outs being on the watch for Spanish vessels. No one ventured tosleep that night, though all were tired out after their engagement.Roger would have slumbered as he stood had not Sir Thomas detailed himto aid the apothecary whom the ship carried.

  "Go and see what you can do to aid him," he said. "The work willinterest you after a time, and you will be doing good for yourcomrades."

  Roger took Philip with him, for the two had become inseparable, and theydived below in search of the surgeon, a wizened man of fifty years, whostruggled to do all that was necessary by the aid of a feeble glimmer,all that could be allowed him.

  "Right glad shall I be of help," he said, lifting his head from the taskupon which he was engaged. "No lights can be permitted above this deck,and in consequence our wounded have to be on the level of the keelalmost. Take no notice of the water. None leaks in now that the canvashas been nailed over the rents."

  The wounded aboard the brigantine had, in fact, to put up with roughquarters for the time being, for Sir Thomas had given strict orders thatno lights should be used, and had only permitted this feeble dip in thelower-deck space. Round the sides of it were gathered the wounded, somein serious condition, though the majority were able to sit up and talk.The place was hot and stuffy, and smelled strongly of boiling oil, someof which was even then heating over a brazier. But the men did notcomplain; instead, they discussed the battle cheerfully, for allrealized that a stubborn fight had been made.

  "We have given them a taste of what is to follow," said one of the men,beckoning to Roger. "But I warrant that but for our giant's help weshould not be so comfortable to-night. 'Tis not the pleasantest feelingto know that cannon, and large cannon, too, comrades, are firing at one.One ducks the head perhaps when on deck; but here below, when a chanceshot may find its way in all unexpected, and then the blow will befollowed by a deluge of water, and perhaps by the sinking of the vessel,why then----"

  "It is somewhat distasteful to feel that one must be drowned in a cage,that one must go to the bottom of this ocean as surely as a dog wouldwith a stone about his neck; that is, if the ocean has a bottom, which Idoubt."

  They took for a moment or two to the discussion of this problem,mentioning many superstitions; for the men of that day were uneducated,and vastly superstitious. They even imagined that once they had crossedthe horizon and sailed over the other side they would be unable toreturn; and it was this thought which had been almost the ruin ofColumbus's voyage. However, at length they returned to Roger.

  "We were saying that shot are not pleasant at any time, and particularlydown here," said the first speaker; "and I was about to tell all who maynot have known it that this giant of ours is to be thanked specially forthat. Mayhap all know now that it was he who suggested that the masts ofthe galleon should be cut, and he and this young fellow here carried outthe work. Truly, you deserve some recognition."

  "Which he already has received," burst in Philip, "and right well hemerits it, for it was his shaft which threw the steersman of the galleonout and enabled us to come alongside. He is a lieutenant now, and willcommand an expedition one of these days."

  "Come, come! All this chatter is not help," burst in the surgeon. "Hereare strips of coarse linen, and here a pot of hot oil. Now we will seeto those who have as yet had no attention. I will examine their wounds,and then do you and your friend apply the dressings. Already I have seenthat severe bleeding has been stopped, so that there will be no greatdifficulty."

  He beckoned Roger and Philip to follow him, and led the way along therow of wounded men. Our hero then noticed that all had received someattention, those whose wounds were deep and severe having a tourniquetor a bandage tied tightly about the limb. The surgeon awoke the firstthey came to, for the poor fellow had fallen asleep, and quicklyexposed the wound. It was in the shoulder, and was a clean cut,evidently the work of a sword, and had penetrated to the bone.

  "A heavy blow," he reflected; "and it cut through the leather jerkin andthe armour scales sewn to it. Truly a straight cut. The bone stopped theblade, and prevented further mischief. Now, sit so while my helpersdress the wound. Come, Roger de Luce, get that basin of water and bathethe place; then dry and apply the oil when burning hot."

  It was trying work for those unaccustomed to such sights, and Roger feltthe same feelings of giddiness which he had experienced as thecannon-shot struck the men down on deck. His head swam, and he feltsick. The surgeon noticed his condition at once, and spoke sharply.

  "Do not give way to silly fancy," he said curtly. "Get the basin, andlet me see you commence to work. Help is required."

  The words came at a timely moment, and were spoken in a manner whichmade our hero writhe; not that the surgeon meant to be unkind, as heexplained later.

  "I could see that you were a strange mixture," he said, with a grimsmile; "that you were brave in the fight, and fertile in resource whendifficulty faced you; that you were better at giving wounds and atreceiving them, if need be, than attending to the work of fighting men.You would have fainted at the sight, for men do that when their blood iscold and such matters are shown to them. Then I spoke, and you rallied.You glared at me as though I had given a mortal thrust, and then seizedthe basin."

  "I was determined to be a help, and not a hindrance. I hate being afailure."

  "And you strive to succeed in all that you take up," said the surgeon."A proper desire, and one which will aid in giving you furtherpromotion. There are men, and lads too--and always will be, I opine--whowill go about the world drowsily and too lazy to care what happens solong as they can win drink and food. Be one of the opposite sort, Icounsel you. But, no, there is no need to do that. You are one of thosewho would lead a strenuous life."

  Roger would, in fact, far rather have suffered anything than havefainted or proved useless at such a moment. Just as he would havegrieved had Sir Thomas elected to spurn the advice which he had givenwithin a few minutes of his promotion, so would he have shown distresshad he, on this occasion, carried out his orders indifferently. Heseized the basin, therefore, reeled for a moment, and then, with aneffort of will, composed himself for the strange task; and very soon hebecame accustomed to it. His hands gently bathed the wounds, while hissympathetic words comforted the men as the hot oil was applied; for itwas the custom in those days to dress wounds with boiling fat or oil,and the pain of such a procedure can be imagined. However, the men boreit stoically, and when an hour had passed all were comfortably dressed.

  "Your services have been invaluable," said the surgeon, "and I shalldesire Sir Thomas to give me the loan of your help again. Now you hadbetter retire. I shall administer a soporific to these men, and thenshall extinguish the light. They will sleep till morning, I trust, andawake feeling refreshed and better."

  He nodded to Philip and to Roger, who at once sprang up the ladder. Theywere almost sorry to be gone, for the task which had appeared sodifficult at first now fascinated them. Indeed, for many a day afterthat they came every morning to help the surgeon, and thereby gainedmuch useful information.

  When they gained the deck above, and Roger scrambled to the poop withhis report for the commander, the moon was falling, and the slantinglight made it difficult to see the island.

  "We are safe in any case," said Sir Thomas, "unless, of course, thereshould be rocks hereabouts. In an hour the dawn will come, and then wemust search for a hiding-place. Stand beside me, Roger de Luce, and tellme if you perceive a spot which might prove suitable. It must be someharbour protected by the land and hidden by trees or something elsewhich will prevent those on the shore from espying us."

  "Trees would be the better, sir," said Roger, quickly.

  "And why? Why better than an
overhanging bluff, which would completelyscreen us?"

  "Because we shall require wood. Because you have already said, SirThomas, that our planks are not long enough to fill the hole in ourdeck."

  "A pest upon it! The lad thinks of everything!" laughed the commander."I must have you as my close attendant. But, seriously, Sir Giant, 'tiswell to cultivate this habit of seeking for the best, of planning acourse which shall prove most helpful to success. He is not always mostsuccessful who leads his men boldly when the moment of danger arrives.Better make preparation beforehand, and ward off the danger altogether,if that be possible. Ah! the sky lightens a little, I think, and we mayhope for the day soon. Come, now, tell me of those poor fellows below."

  Roger strode up and down the deck with him, telling him of the woundssuffered by each man, and the surgeon's opinion as to their chances ofrecovery.

  "I warrant that fresh air, water, and food will do for them as much evenas the worthy apothecary's skill," Sir Thomas said thoughtfully. "Oncewe find a suitable spot, we will send a force ashore and investigate thecountry around. Then we will establish posts, and at one of these thesick and wounded shall be placed; for I have observed that men get welland strong when taken from the confinement of a ship, and from the saltprovisions which we necessarily carry."

  "There is a point yonder, I think!" cried Roger, suddenly interruptinghim; "and, if my eyes and this half light do not deceive me, it isthickly wooded."

  "They do not deceive you, lad. The point is forest grown," answered SirThomas, when he had stared in the direction of Roger's finger. "Mayhapthere is a suitable nest for us there. We will see. Call to the masterand tell him to put our head over in that direction."

  Half an hour later the light was sufficiently strong to disclose theland clearly in that neighbourhood, and it was seen at once that thewooded point was but a portion of a huge forest extending along thecoast. In places the trees seemed to come to the very edge of thecliffs, while at others, which perhaps were more exposed, the woodreceded, leaving brown patches of rock. The stem of the brigantine wasturned promptly towards the land, and she held on that course till thebreakers could be seen. Then she swung west again, and sailed along theline of the shore, every one aboard searching for a sheltered cove.Suddenly the cliff was seen to be broken. A tiny bay presented itself,and on the far side the coast continued, lower than before, andconsisting of shelving sand and rock. But trees made up for the absenceof cliff, and seemed to hem the exit in and hide it from the outsideworld.

  "Yonder point shall be our signal station and our hospital," said SirThomas, with decision. "There shall the wounded drink in all thebreezes, while we labour at the ship below. Now, to you, Roger andPhilip, I give the task of searching the land about. Others will follow,but they will not go far, for to them will be given the work of makingtemporary forts, and of sounding the depth of the inlet. When we haveyour report, we can arrange to careen the ship, but not before. Makeyour preparations, therefore, and leave as soon as we touch the land.Carry what arms you prefer, and, if necessary, be absent for two days.It is essential that I should know whether Spaniards are near, and ifso, how far they are, and whether they are likely to attack us."

  Roger and his friend were overjoyed at the prospect. They had been awhole month on the ship, and the confinement was beginning to tell uponthem. Besides, the salted food carried in those days, and the absence ofvegetables, made existence on shipboard very different from what it isin these days. Scurvy was a very common ailment, even amongst crewssailing home waters, while amongst those going farther afield itfrequently proved fatal, and ruined an expedition. Roger was consciousof a lack of energy, and both he and Philip prepared for the expeditionwith alacrity, feeling intuitively that a scamper ashore, fresh water todrink, and some wild fruits to eat, would do them a vast amount of good.

  "Though we must be careful not to pluck and eat the first that we cometo," said Philip, cautiously. "We are ignorant of foreign fruits, and nodoubt shall see many that are strange."

  "Then we must watch to see whether the birds pick them," answered Roger,eagerly. "In any case, we will carry some biscuit and cheese, and a junkof salted meat. For water we shall have to search, but there can be nodoubt of its existence. The woods prove that it is here in abundance.And now for weapons and clothes."

  "A sword is my choice for the former," said Philip.

  "And mine a sword and a crossbow. We want something to eat, Philip, anda shaft strikes the mark silently, and brings down the quarry. I shalltake my crossbow, therefore, and some two dozen shafts. An arquebuswould be useless, and, besides, were one to be fired, the Spaniardsmight hear it, particularly if some are ashore. For clothing, I shallgo as I am, with a light head-piece, and no other protection. A blanketcarried across the shoulder will do for night covering."

  "A very complete programme. Then we are ready, you think?" asked Philip.

  "Not yet. We have to decide where we shall go first, for there is a bigtrack of land about us. We should make for the highest peak, and fromthere endeavour to obtain a view far and wide. That will, perhaps, saveus a long search, for if Spaniards are here they will have houses, andthere will be clearings amongst the trees. We should see those easily,and could make our way to them."

  "And then?"

  "And then we should want to look into the matter; to see how many therewere; whether inclined to be peaceful or warlike, and whether insufficient numbers to prove troublesome. Also we should do well toarrange a signal with our leader. Now, what shall it be?"

  "Why not hoist a blanket. There are trees in plenty, and one blankethoisted will mean all is well; if two, look out for trouble. The matteris easily arranged."

  They went at once to get their blankets and their weapons, both adding adagger to the last. Then Roger clambered to the poop, and discussed thequestion of signals with the commander.

  "I shall remember," was the answer. "One blanket will be a good sign forus, and I trust that you will be able to fly it. In an hour you shouldbe gone, and soon afterwards I will post look-outs to search for yoursignal."

  By now the brigantine was heading into the tiny bay, while all aboardcrowded the decks, sniffing in the smell of the land. Then the sun cameout, and the green of the trees flashed, the leaves shimmering in thelight. But for the urgent need for silence a cheer would have brokenfrom the men--a cheer of gratitude, for the long confinement had toldupon them also. But they preserved silence, and watched eagerly as thevessel forged her way in. Presently, when within some sixty yards of theshore, the anchor was dropped, and preparations made to lower the onlyboat which the brigantine carried. Then a crew were placed aboard her,all armed to the teeth, while Roger and Philip dropped lightly amongstthem.

  "Remember that an early warning of danger is valuable," Sir Thomas crieddown to them from the poop. "Send us news that Spaniards are here andthreaten our safety, and we shall be prepared. On the other hand, if youtell us that none are to be found we shall be grateful. Now push off.May success follow you."

  Ten minutes later Roger and his friend had gained the fringe of thetrees, and turned ere they dived into the undergrowth.

  "'Twould be a bad day for us if these enemies came from the seaward sideand the brigantine were forced to sail away," said Philip, suddenly,taking a lingering look at the ship. "We should be in sorry case, Roger,and should have to decide whether to starve or to become Spaniards."

  "In which case we should need to become Catholics and change ourreligion, or suffer the tortures given by their Inquisition. That wassomething of which I heard tales when in Spain. But never fear! Ourcommander would not desert us; and if he were so inclined your fatherwould prevent the action. Now, there is the point above us, and we willmake for it."

  They plunged into the undergrowth, plucking the leaves from the treesand briars as they passed, for it was delicious to feel the softmaterial, still wet with the dew. Above their heads rose a network ofbranches, at first of moderate height, though as they progressed theheight increased till it
made them marvel.

  "No need to stay here for more than a week, I should say," said Roger,suddenly. "If the ship were careened and the shot rents 'tween wind andwater mended, we could put to sea again with one of these trees in tow.Then we could cut planks from it at our leisure, and mend the deck. Butwe shall see. Perhaps there will be no need to hasten."

  By now they had begun to ascend towards the elevated part for which theyaimed, and presently were on the summit. But trees surrounded themthickly on every side.

  "We must climb, or search for some higher spot free of trees," saidPhilip. "Give me a leg up, Roger, and I will make an attempt to get tothe top of one of these giants. Once I am up to the first branch thereshould be no difficulty."

  He threw his sword to the ground, and his blanket also. Then he leanedagainst the tree, stiffening his frame. Roger stepped towards himeasily, and, stooping, grasped his ankles.

  "This to show my weakness," he laughed. "Keep rigid, and grasp the trunkas I lift you."

  He put out all his power, and slowly and steadily lifted his friend, hisgrasp never relaxing from the ankles. Higher and higher went Philip,till Roger's arms were full above his head.

  "Now stand on one of my hands as I release the ankle," he called out;"then do the same with the other foot."

  Very carefully he released the right leg, and shifted his hand rapidlyto the sole of the foot, while Philip transferred his weight to theleft. Then the operation was repeated with the other leg, till thegreatest amount of lift was obtained. By standing up on his toes as faras possible, Philip was just able to reach the lowest branch, and aquick jerk on Roger's part allowed him to grasp it. After that theascent was easy, and he was soon at the very summit. Thence he stared inall directions, and finally fixed his attention to one particular spot.

  "There is a side clearing, and beyond it a lot of rocky ground, free ofvegetation," he said, as he came down to the lowest branch and droppedbeside Roger. "I thought I saw men walking about, but I am not certain.However, there are houses, for I saw them, and the presence of housesargues men."

  "And men argue the presence of Spaniards, and therefore of enemies,"added Roger, with a grim smile. "How far was this clearing?"

  "Perhaps seven leagues. But the expanse of trees made it difficult tojudge."

  "Then we will ascertain for ourselves. But, first, shall we fly thesignal?"

  They debated the matter for a little while; and then arguing that theywould soon traverse the distance, they set off through the forest,being careful to take their bearings by means of the sun. Also Philipused his sword every few minutes, cutting a mark on the trees.

  "Foresters do that in England," he said, "and we must not neglect totake the same precaution. A man could be easily lost in this forest."

  An hour and a half's quick walking took them to the verge of theclearing, for after a little while Philip became more dexterous at theblazing of the trees, while Roger aided him, each making the cutalternately. Then they took the precaution to avoid the denser parts ofthe wood.

  "We may want to retire at a run, and in that case the undergrowth wouldhamper us," said Roger. "And, besides, if the ground is moderately openwe shall be able to see our blaze marks better, and pick them up as werun. I fancy that we have now taken them close enough, though I shouldlike to have something here which would tell us at a glance where ourtrack commenced, without giving the secret to the Spaniards, presumingalways that they are here."

  "A fact upon which I am ready to stake much. For do natives havehouses?"

  The question was one which neither could answer, for in those daysEnglishmen were absolutely ignorant of foreign matters. Negroes they hadseen in England, but these were few, and in many cases were born put oftheir native haunts. Then, though the people of this island knew Franceand other adjacent countries well, for they had carried war there, theyhad but the vaguest ideas of the Indies. Vague rumour had come of hugeriches--of gold which was to be obtained without the trouble of mining,of pearls ready at hand. The tales whetted their cupidity and theircuriosity, but it led to no inquiry as to the condition of affairs inthe Indies, the inhabitants there, and their ways of living. But Rogerand his friend, as time passed, learned more, learned that the Caribs ofCuba, and the natives of Hispaniola and other adjacent islands, had beenfriendly and well disposed to the Spanish strangers; that they werepeaceful people, tilling the soil, and living in contentment. Somelittle gold they had, simply because it was at hand. But they needed nowealth while their climate was so friendly and the land provided theirwants. However, with the coming of the Spaniards came the greed forgold. Adventurers of every station and of every character came to thesenew-discovered lands, eager to make their fortunes. Labour wasessential, for these adventurers discovered that gold was not to be soeasily obtained once the resources of the natives had been drained.Therefore mines had to be worked, and the natives must work them. Thencommenced a _regime_ of brutality and tyranny so fierce and sounreasoning and inhuman that Hispaniola was soon depopulated, while inCuba the natives hanged themselves sooner than endure further miseries.But the Spaniards were not dismayed. They deported natives from otherlands, and set them to work as slaves, standing over them with theirwhips, and giving them in return for labour the right to exist, andsufficient food to attain that object. The history of the SpanishConquest is, indeed, one long tale of cruelty, a tale which is made evenworse by the narration of their treatment of the people on the TerraFirma, the country to which Roger and his friends were bound.

  "Let us make use of some of the fallen boughs if there is need to leavethe forest," said Philip. "There are sure to be plenty, and we will laytwo in the form of a cross, so that none will suspect that they have notfallen in that manner, while we shall know that they are our mark. Butwe shall not require to do that yet. We have to spy out these houses."

  The light in their immediate front had now increased, and the two youngfellows therefore redoubled their precautions against surprise. Theycrept forward silently, cutting their blazes by piercing the bark withthe points of their swords or with their daggers. Then a sudden break inthe trees told them that they were at the clearing.

  "We will go on our faces and creep to the very edge," said Roger. "Now,there is a bush there which will give us shelter, and from behind whichwe can watch the men who may be in the clearing."

  They fell on their faces and wormed their way forward till the bushcovered them. Then they parted the leaves in front, and stared eagerlyinto the clearing. A number of wooden houses stood there, and one or twohad little gardens of flowering plants in front of them. Then a longdark track was seen crossing to the far side of the clearing, where itmade its exit through a wide gap in the trees.

  "A road constructed of logs," whispered Roger; "and see the huge moundsof earth."

  "With a Spaniard standing above them with his whip in his hand. Andthere are natives. He drives them as one would a dog."

  "Say, rather, as one would some wild beast whom one feared or loathed.That last blow was wholly undeserved. Poor folk! How they cringe beneathhis lash. I would that some who have the power to thus torture theirfellow-beings could change places with their victims. Then, indeed,would there be groaning and anguish."

  Roger spoke bitterly, for in those days the slave trade was almostunknown in England. In Portugal it had existed for many years, and Spainhad adopted the custom. But England, in spite of her rising maritimepower, and the increase of her sea-borne trade, had not as yet venturedto Africa or to the Indies, as had the Portuguese and the Spaniards,though there had been a few unauthorized expeditions. So that Englishmenwere totally ignorant of the dark-skinned races, and held them in higheropinion, deeming them as fellow human beings, deserving of fairtreatment. It made the blood boil, therefore, to see such cruelty.

  "And here comes their guard," exclaimed Roger, in low tones, as a dozenmen lounged from behind the mound of earth which cropped up into thecentre of the clearing. "They are armed, and clad in light armour. Isuppose the heat here is to
o great for much clothing. It looks as if itwere the hour for a meal, and the slaves and their masters retiring."

  Very soon they were certain that this was what was happening, for not asoul was to be seen, not even the big ruffian who had stood over theslaves.

  "We will take advantage of their absence. They have gone into thehouses, and are out of our way. Stay here, Philip, while I creepforward."

  It was ridiculous of Roger to talk of creeping forward. But when heglided off his friend was bound to confess that, in spite of his size,this huge Roger de Luce, the crossbow-man, had a silent step and a wayof getting across the ground swiftly, while showing very little ofhimself. He was gone round the end of the mound of earth almost beforePhilip had had time to grasp his meaning; while the latter, once he wasout Of sight, sat up with a start, and taking the crossbow, fitted ashaft and drew back the bow.

  "He is venturesome to rashness," he said angrily. "He will be seen.Presently I shall hear a shout, and back he will come, and an arquebusbullet racing after him."

  However, when Roger next appeared it was from the very opposite quarter,so stealthily that Philip was dumfounded. He would have questioned him,but Roger would not answer. He silenced him with a finger, and then ledthe way into the forest.

  "Can you find your way to the ship alone?" he demanded. "Then do so, andwith this report. There are fifteen Spaniards here, and I make out thatthey are engaged in mining for the Government. I heard them say as much,for I stood outside one of the houses and listened to the talk. They donot suspect our arrival, though they were speaking of the battle, thenoise of the cannon having reached their ears. Also they know that anEnglish ship may appear, a golden plaque of vast value, because of theplan it contains, having been taken by our countrymen. But there is moreyet," he suddenly added, seeing that Philip was about to interrupt."This mine gives a rich store of gold, which is kept partly in bars andpartly as dust. I saw the bags, and the pure metal. Tell Sir Thomasthis, and say that a guard posted here might watch to make sure that noone suspected our arrival, and against surprise; and that if the work ofrepair were hastened, it might be possible to make a raid upon themine."

  "And recoup ourselves for the injury these Spaniards have done us. Ifollow the reasoning, Roger, and I will return at once. Here is the bow.I promise to lead the way back here at the first opportunity."

  He rose to his feet from the position which he had taken, and turned onhis heel. There was no protest, no argument, no attempt to alter hisfriend's decision, or to shake his determination to stay. For Philip wasbeginning to find out that this huge friend of his, who played andlaughed like a boy, was a clever fellow at times, skilled in stratagems,and fertile in resource.

  "I suppose he has been thinking it over as he went round," he said tohimself as he plunged into the trees. "Anyway, I fancy he is in theright."

  He left Roger comfortably seated on the trunk of a tree within sight ofthe edge of the clearing, and in such a position that he could watchwithout danger of being seen.