Margaret Tudor: A Romance of Old St. Augustine, Page 2

  CHAPTER II.

  The land to west of us was Virginia, and we sought harbour at Nancemund,and lay there some weeks for needful repairs on the sloop, which wasalso provisioned afresh for her further voyage.

  It was then the month of February; we had been six months a-journeying,and still the promised land was far away.

  This tale of mine, however, bids fair to spin itself at too greatlength, so I must hasten on to the story of our captivity.

  In spite of fairly good weather on our way southward we somehow overpassed the latitude of Port Royal harbour; and of a Saturday in May--thefifteenth day of the month--we did cast anchor at a little isle upon thecoast, in order to obtain wood and water for the sloop's needs.

  This island is within the territory of the Spaniards, who have named itSanta Catalina. It lies some days' journey north of San Augustin,--theexact latitude I know not, although I have heard it more times thanone; but there are some things that abide never in a woman's brain.

  Here appeared many Indians, who seemed at first not unfriendly, andspoke words of welcome to us in the Spanish tongue.

  Much trading was done aboard the sloop, and the barbarians appearedstrangely content with strings of paltry beads and the cast-off garmentsof the crew, giving in their stead good provender, and skins of the wilddeer dressed soft and fine.

  The second day of our stay, Mr. Rivers, with the ship's master and threeseamen, went ashore with such stuff as the Indians desire, to trade forpork and other provisions; and it being a Monday morn, Dame Barbara didcrave leave to take her washing and go with them, in the hope of findinga softer water to cleanse the linen.

  It was early morning; the breeze from the land blew sweet and fragrant,and the woods beyond the sandy beach bourgeoned in new leafage, greenand tender. I longed for the scent of the warm earth, and the tunefulcourting of bird-lovers in the thicket; so I prayed my uncle to let mego ashore with the dame. He acceded willingly enough; but Mr. Rivers,who is always over-anxious where my safety is concerned, counselled meearnestly not to leave the ship.

  I was ever a headstrong maid, and the sunshine and the scent of far-offflowers had set me nearly wild with longing; so I chid him roundly forhis caution and merrily warned him to beware how he sought to clip thewings of a free bird. Go I did, therefore, though he smiled and shookhis head at me; and when we all parted company at the watering-place heseemed uneasy still, and, looking backward over his shoulder as I wavedfarewell, entreated me to wander no farther from the shore.

  The little spring where they had left us welled up, cold and clear, atthe foot of a tall cypress-tree, and trickled thence in a tiny stream, amere thread of crystal, that tangled itself in the low bush and woundits way helplessly through the level wooded country, as though seekingfor some gentle slope that would lead it to the sea.

  The dame rinsed her linen till it fairly shone, and spread it out to dryin a sunny nook; while I lay prone on the warm earth and stirred up thedamp brown leaves that had drifted into a tiny hollow, and found beneaththem a wee green vine with little white star-flowers that blinked up atthe sun and me. And I dreamed of the new home we would make forourselves in this far country, and of the very good and docile wife Iwould be to my dear love. Then at last,--because I grew aweary at theprospect of my very great obedience in the future, and because, too, Ithought it was high time my gallant gentleman came back to ask me how Idid,--up from the ground I started, rousing the dame from a sweet nap.

  "Look, Barbara! the linen is dry; the sun is on its westering way, andthe shadows grow longer and longer.--'Tis very strange that Mr. Riversand the master have not returned!"

  "Mayhap they have clean forgot us and gone back to the ship alone,"moaned the old woman, rubbing her sleepy eyes and beginning at once tocroak misfortune, after the manner of her class.

  Such an idea was past belief and set me smiling. I laid my hollowedpalms behind my ears and listened.

  Master Wind, passing through the tree-tops, had set every leafa-whispering and nid-nodding to its gossips,--just as the peddler on hisway through the village at home stirs all the women-folk to chatteringabout the latest news from the whole countryside. In the thicket besideus a chorus of feathered singers were all a-twitter, each trying tooutdo his neighbour; but one saucy fellow piped the merriest tune ofall, mingling in a delicious medley the sweetest notes of all the rest.Of a sudden, as I listened, there was a soft rustle in the undergrowth,and out from a clump of myrtles bounced a little brown rabbit, whococked an astonished eye at me and disappeared again with a series ofsoundless leaps and a terrified whisk of his little white tail. Uponthat the laugh in my throat bubbled over; I dropped my hands and turnedto the dame.

  "Gather up your linen, good Barbara, and let us explore the trailourselves. They are doubtless picnicking somewhere in the woods beyond,and 'tis very discourteous not to bid us to the entertainment."

  She would have demurred at first: the linen was not to be left, and yetwas too weighty to carry; her back was aweary and she was fain to restin peace. But Mistress Margaret was minded to have her own way, and,dividing the bundle in two, started on ahead with the larger share ofit; so that, will she, nill she, the dame must follow.

  I knew, of course, that I was disobeying Mr. Rivers's last injunction,and 'twas that thought quite as much as the sweet woodland airs thatlured me on: I desired, above all things, to behold the countenance ofmy gallant gentleman when he discovered my wilfulness. So I hastenedforward, pausing now and again to encourage the good dame and entice herstill farther with glowing descriptions of new beauties just coming intoview.

  It fell about, therefore, that I was some forty paces in advance of herwhen I suddenly came upon the Indian settlement and saw there a sightthat made my heart stand still.

  I drew back hastily behind the trunk of a wide-branched oak, whence Icould look--unseen, I thought--upon the town.

  A great concourse of barbarians was assembled in the open space beforethe chief building, which was of considerable size, built round afterthe manner of a dove-house, and completely thatched with palmettoleaves. Many smaller buildings surrounded it: one, in especial, I wouldhave done well to take note of; for it was doubtless a kind of sentinelor watch-tower, being set on tall, upright timbers which gave it anelevation much greater than any part of the surrounding country.

  I had eyes for naught, however, but one figure, that stood, with handsand feet bound, at the foot of a great wooden cross planted opposite theentrance of the chief building. It was my dear love--I knew him on theinstant by the proud poise of his head and shoulders. He was speaking inhis usual calm and courtly tones to the circle of half-naked savages,who seemed to hear him with respectful consideration, though they madeno motion to loose his bonds.

  On the ground beside him lay the ship's master, old Captain Baulk, andthe three seamen, their arms securely pinioned. Near them was the baleof goods which had been brought from the ship: it lay wide open, and wasbeing most unscrupulously rifled of its contents.

  For the moment I thought it was the sight of the gewgaws this balecontained that had roused the cupidity of the barbarians; but now Ibelieve otherwise. The savages would have paid for them willingly, inskins and such like, and then suffered our men to depart in peace, hadnot that smooth-tongued hypocrite, Ignacio, been behind. But this, ofcourse, was unknown to me at the time.

  The idea came over me, like a flash, that we should go for help to theship; and I turned quickly and signalled the dame to be silent. It wastoo late, however, for she had caught sight of the savages and of ourmen bound in the midst of them; and turning to the right about with ashrill scream, she cast away the bundle of linen and started back theway we had come at a speed which 'tis likely she had never equalled inher life before. After her I hastened, and implored her to be still,lest the barbarians should hear and overtake us. My one thought was tosummon aid; for, though there seemed to be over two hundred of theIndians, I believed that our handful of men, armed with muskets, swords,and pikes, would be sufficient to st
rike terror into them at once.

  We had scarce run an hundred yards down the trail when four savagesstepped from a thicket and laid hands upon us. They had lain in wait,there is no doubt, so 'twas evident we had been seen some while before.

  Barbara resisted them with much wild shrieking, but I submitted insilence. 'Twas not that I was any braver than she, but simply that Icould not believe that they meant to do us any real harm; and all thewhile I was possessed with the thought that there was some one stationedin the thicket who was directing the actions of the savages. It appearedto me that, as they fastened our arms behind us, their eyeballs rolledever toward a certain myrtle-bush, as if they were waiting for a cue.

  We were led back at once to the town, and I shall never forget the lookupon my dear love's face as he caught sight of me.

  "Margaret--you also! I had hoped you and the dame were safe!" he criedout, as our captors led us to his side.

  "'Twas all my wilfulness--I came hither seeking you," I answered, andhung my head.

  He looked at me dumbly, and then turned his face away; and I saw hisarms writhing in their bonds. A strange feeling came upon me, part shameand sorrow that I should have grieved him so, and part exultationthat--whatever our fate--at least we would meet it side by side. Fearhad the least place in my thoughts as I waited, breathless, for theoutcome of this strange situation. My eyes wandered round the circle ofbarbarians, and I noted with some wonderment that numbers of the menwore their crowns shaven, after the manner of a priest's tonsure.

  One among them, who seemed of greater consequence than the rest, beganto speak; but I could make nothing of his discourse, although he usedmany words that I thought had somewhat of a Spanish ring.

  Yet his meaning was fathomed by Mr. Rivers, who gave him the reply onthe instant, couched in the Spanish, and delivered with some heat andindignation.

  There was a stir among the barbarians, and presently there appeared anew figure on the scene. The shaven crown, the bare feet, the coarsewoollen robe fastened by a knotted cord about the waist, all denoted afriar of the Franciscan order.

  "So," muttered Mr. Rivers, under his breath, "now we have the real chiefto deal with."

  Scarcely less swarthy than the Indians themselves was the dark face ofthe Spanish friar. As he came forward into the open space, he raised hiseyes to the great cross at the foot of which we were standing, andstraightway bent the knee and crossed himself. Some few of the Indianslikewise made the sign upon their breasts, though the greater partcontained themselves with the same stolidity that had marked them fromthe first.

  Mr. Rivers gave a low laugh, and turned to me with a curling lip. "Thesebe Christians," he said.

  The Spaniard caught the sneer, and a scowl gathered on his coarse face;but he checked it suddenly and began in smooth tones to address us.

  Old Captain Baulk had raised himself to a sitting posture, and theseamen all held themselves in attitudes of strained attention.

  "What says he?" I asked, in a whisper, of my dear love, when the friarhad ceased and turned away from us.

  "Naught but a tissue of lies," exclaimed Mr. Rivers, through hisclenched teeth. "He would have us believe that he is whollyirresponsible for the doings of these 'banditos'; but he will exert whatinfluence he has among the believers of his flock to procure ourrelease,--I would we had fallen among infidels! These can have learnednaught of their teacher but deceit. They tricked us, on the plea of ourmost mutual confidence, to lay aside our arms, and then fell instantlyupon us and made us captive."

  "I would to Heaven I could have gone back to the ship and givenwarning," I sighed dolefully. "Yet perhaps some of them may come out tosearch for us."

  "Now God forbid!" exclaimed Mr. Rivers, "for they would walk into atrap. Some of these Indians have muskets and ammunition, and aretherefore as well armed as our men. If many more of us were taken therewould not be left able-bodied men enough to sail the sloop. 'Twould bebetter if they held off and waited for the Indians to take theinitiative. My hope is that we will be able to treat with the savagesfor ransom,--that is, if the friar bears us no real ill will. See, herehe comes again, with his oily tongue."

  The shifty eyes and full-lipped mouth of the man filled me with asudden loathing. Fear began to take hold of me at last, and a little sobbroke in my throat.

  My dear love turned to me with a quick, warm glance.

  "Cheer up, sweetheart," he whispered. "It is too soon to lose courage.Come, where is my brave Margaret?"

  "Here!" I answered, and forced a smile on my quivering lips.