Sir Ludar

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

  HOW LUDAR BROUGHT BACK THE DUKE'S LETTER.

  It may have been near midnight on that Sunday night when I went aloft tothe main-tops. The sea was still running high, and it was all I coulddo, in the drizzling rain and wild wind, to hold on to my perch. Nowand then a wild gull, terrified by the invasion of its peace, whirledpast me, and shrieked away seaward. Once, with a swish and dull boombehind it, a shot passed below me; and once or twice a quiver up thetall mast told me the _Rata's_ guns were at work.

  I could detect nothing in the darkness, save the twinkling of many a dimlight ahead, and the glare of the ship's lanthorns on the deck below.But, amid the howling of the squall, I heard the thunder of a battlesomewhere near, with now and then a loud shout and a rattling of chains,and knew that King Philip of Spain had not yet muzzled the English sea-dogs.

  So the night passed, and when morning dawned, cold and grey, I wasstupid with sleep, and hunger, and loneliness. The storm had died away,and the water lay sullen and still, while the sails below flappedheavily in the wind. The _Rata_ had dropped to the rear of the Armada,which spread eastward in a long irregular line, very different from thegrand curve with which she had swept on Plymouth.

  Behind us, some three miles away, cruised the Englishmen, looking at us;while, betwixt us and the far distant Portland headland, I could see thevast hull of one of our own galleons (the same which had blown up in thenight), surrounded by a swarm of little craft that picked her bones,like crows on a carcase. Nearer still lay a great disabled Spaniard,with bowsprit and top-masts gone, and flag struck, being towed by hercapturers into port. As for the _Rata_ herself, 'twas sad to see howdingy the gay gilding had become in one day, and how sails were riddled,tackle flying, and scutcheons toppled over.

  Yet, I had but a passing glance for all these. Where was Ludar? Was hereturned? Or was he in the Englishmen's hands? Or was the little cock-boat, perchance, floating somewhere bottom uppermost, and he beneath it?I scanned the waters till my eyes ached. Far ahead, miles away, Ifancied I could see, towering among the other galleons, the Duke's royalstandard. But, amidst these huddled ships, and water littered with manya spar and little boat, with galleys gliding here and there, signalsgoing, with movings in and out, this way and that, who was to find asolitary man in a cock-boat?

  Yet, I think, love has keener eyes than most; and so I, looking againtowards where a few stout English craft, returning to their line after acruise up Channel, cracked out their broadside on the nearest Spaniardwithin reach, I seemed to see between us and them something in the waterwhich made me look twice. It may have been half-a-mile away, a speck onthe water, like some floating barrel or spar. Yet, for the stillness ofthe water, it moved, as I thought, more than an idle log; and once, asthe sun flashed out for a moment along the surface, I thought it to be ahead and shoulders.

  Presently I lost it, for the glare of the rising sun blotted it out likea speck on a shining mirror. I began to think it was but fancy, or,even if it be a swimmer, it could never be Ludar, who would come fromthe other quarter, where the Duke's ship was; when once again I saw thefigure, this time near enough to know it was assuredly a man who,between each few strokes he took, waved a hand above his head.

  I was down the mast in a twinkling, caring nought if I were to swing atthe yard-arm within an hour, and ran wildly to the quarter-deck.

  "Sir Don!" shouted I, breaking in upon him and his lieutenants, "by yourleave, yonder comes Sir Ludar, swimming for his life."

  The Don rounded on me with knitted brows. But I cared not.

  "Put out a boat to save him, or he is lost!" I cried, "Has your nightaloft, sirrah, taught you no better manners?" said he. "Go back--"

  But here, looking over towards the swimmer, I saw him throw up botharms, and heard a shout which set every vein in me tingling.

  I waited not for his Don-ship, or anyone beside; but flung myselfheadlong over the tall side into the sea, and struck out with all mymight for the place.

  A Spanish sentinel on deck, seeing my sudden plunge, and smellingtreachery and desertion in it, let fly at me with his musket, grazing myelbow, and sending me ducking a dozen yards or more, before I durst showhead again above water. But I had somewhat better to think of thanSpanish bullets. For a few minutes I could see nothing of the swimmer,and was beginning to fear I was too late after all, when suddenly a wavebrought him close beside me.

  Sure enough, it was Ludar, well-nigh spent, keeping himself up withshort, breathless strokes, but unable to do more. He was alive enoughto know me, and to lay his hand on my arm for support. Hard-pressed ashe was, he held betwixt his teeth a paper, which I guessed to be theDuke's despatch, and which, to give him better use for his mouth, I tookfrom him and stuck in my own collar. After that he revived, andtogether we paddled towards the _Rata_, which lay, with sails flapping,almost motionless in the rapidly calming sea.

  The Spaniards on board seemed to have changed their minds as to myself,for, instead of the sentinel with his gun, a sailor with a rope stoodwaiting at the gunwale to receive us. I think, had we gone down wherewe were, he would hardly have troubled himself to come after us. Butsince we held up, and drifted within reach of his line, he honoured usby casting it our way; and so, with some hauling, we got aboard.

  Ludar had partly recovered from his fatigue when he stepped once more onthe deck and took the letter from my neck, "You have done me a goodturn," said he, with a glow in his face which I prized as much as allthe gold pieces in the hold of the _Rata_; "you have made it possiblefor me to keep my parole with the Don. Thank you, Humphrey."

  Then bidding me follow, he led the way to the quarter-deck, and withouta word handed his missive to the Don.

  "Senor has returned by a strange way," said the commander.

  "I have returned the only way open to me. His Majesty your King haslost a cock-boat."

  "He has found what will compensate him--a gallant servant."

  "Your pardon," said Ludar, shortly, "I am no servant of the King ofSpain. I was his debtor, as was my friend. We are quits up to now.What more we accept from him, we shall be bound to repay,--no more."

  The Don frowned, and then smiled, and then with a quiet gesture raisedhis hand to his helmet.

  Accepting this salute as a dismissal, Ludar took my arm and walked away.

  No more was said about me just then; but I think, after what passed, theDon, however much he disliked me, deemed it not worth his while toseparate me from my comrade.

  Ludar told me, what he never told the Don, that he had been captured ashe returned in the cock-boat by a boat of the enemy's, belonging to theship _Revenge_. The men of the boat, perceiving him to be of theirspeech, and suspecting he carried news (though he had hidden his letterin his shoe), resolved to carry him to their Captain Drake, to which heseemed to submit. But waiting till he came somewhere near where hesuspected the _Rata_ to lie, he had slipped overboard, and hangingquietly under the stern-sheets till they were tired of looking for him,had got off; and after beating about an hour and more, had sighted us inthe dawn, and (as he confessed), but for my sight of him, might not havebeen there to tell the story.

  Well, after that, for two days, the weather remained calm; and, as Isaid, the Spaniard, though now and again he had the better of thebreeze, could do little with the enemy which hung doggedly on hisskirts, sometimes coming near enough for a broadside, but never, as theimpatient gallants on the _Rata_ prayed he might do, running in to closequarters. 'Twas pitiful to hear the grinding of noble teeth on boardthe ship, as day by day the English Admiral plucked his Majesty'sfeathers one by one, yet never gave a chance of a battle. Even DonAlonzo's grave, mild countenance grew heavy, and as for the sailorsforward, where we were, our friend of the whip had a busy time with themto keep them from breaking into open mutiny.

  So there was much comfort all round when, on the Thursday, the wind gotup and gave us a chance at last of serious business. For, when welooked out at daybreak, there, sca
rce two gun-shots off, cruised ahandful of English craft, gaily hauling after them two great Spaniards,which (so I heard), were full of stores for the fleet, and which the_Rata_ had kept an eye on for many a day. How, in the night, they hadgot separate from the main line and so fallen into the hands of thesleepless Englishmen, I know not; but this I know, that when daylightdiscovered them being towed at the tail of their captors towards anEnglish port, a cry of rage and fury went up from the _Rata_. All handswere called, guns were manned, arms were served out, and although by sodoing he left the Armada without its rear-guard, the Don luffed out intothe wind and gave chase.

  Then followed merry sport. For no sooner were our backs turned than themain body of the English (who wished nothing better), slipped into ourplace, and blazed away at the Spanish line right and left, till thewhole sea was white with smoke, and you might fancy the thunder of theguns would be heard in Fleet Street itself.

  As for us, we had better have stayed where we were. For, while thefight went merrily on ahead, a pretty wild goose chase were we led. Forwe never got near enough for so much as a broadside. The store shipslay between us and the English, who cunningly used them as a shield, sothat from whichever quarter we approached, there were the Dons' ownvessels betwixt us and them. Besides that, we could see boats busilytaking over the chief of the treasure under our very eyes; while everyhour we stayed we dropped further and further astern of the main Armada,so that, had it pleased the Englishmen to spare a ship or two to lookafter us, I verily believe we might have been cut off for good, andtowed into an English port, like these same ill-starred store ships weprofessed to be rescuing.

  Two galliasses, that joined us in our errand, made a gallant attempt, byparting company and coming suddenly upon the enemy, one from eitherquarter, to compel an action. But the Englishman was ready for this.Keeping the store ships as a shield on the one side, he had a royalsalute ready for the galley on the other--so smartly dealt and with suchdeadly aim, that the wretched slaves at the oars tumbled off theirbenches and rolled over like so many ninepins; and before others couldtake their places, a second broadside and a third swept the craft fromstem to stem. The Spaniard's shot flew high and harmless, and, forevery broadside he let go, the English gave him back two or three.

  Thus all that morning and well into the afternoon the _Rata_ hungmiserably in the wind, watching the sport which the Englishman made ofthe King of Spain and his galleons, and never once able to get withinspeaking distance.

  At length, amid many a bitter curse and many an angry taunt, the Dongave orders to put about, and, leaving the store ships to their fate,rejoin the fleet, where, at any rate, (now that it seemed a generalfight had at last come about), there was some certain consolation instore for the fluttered grandees.

  Alas! that I should live to pity her Majesty's enemies! But I did sothat afternoon. For when we came upon the scene, the battle was well-nigh at an end, and the Duke-Admiral's ship, sorely battered in thebows, was hanging out signals to the fleet to draw off. The sea wasstrewn with helpless galleons; amidst which the active English craftslipped in and out, giving a broadside here, a shot there, a flight ofarrows there, yet never getting within grappling distance, or offeringthe Don a chance of boarding. Not a single one of their ships could Isee in distress; while many a Spanish top-mast and bowsprit draggledshamefully, and many a Spanish corpse could I mark being slippedoverboard.

  Don Alonzo, wrathful and baffled, affected not to see his Admiral'ssignal, and made one brave attempt to close with the ships nearest himand so retrieve the honours of the day. But he got more than he gave.For the Englishmen suddenly slipped to the wind of him, despite all hisefforts, and lying snugly on his flank, as he yawed over with thebreeze, pounded him merrily betwixt wind and water, while his own shot,aimed at the sky, flew yards above the English topsails. The youngnobles shouted in vain to the enemy to come alongside if they dare, andtry conclusions. The Englishman laughed back out of every port in hisbroadside, and bid them catch if they could. Meanwhile, to pass thetime, they slid round by our stern and new-blacked the gilding there,and even hovered a few minutes to leeward to pick off a score or so ofthe crew on the deck with their arrows, before running back to theirquarters on the other port.

  How long it went on I know not. For a cry suddenly came of "Handsbelow!" and down we went to patch up with all our might the holes theEnglish shot had made on the water line. And here we worked all night,amongst a swearing, savage gang, who threatened aloud to blow up theship rather than fight any more, and wished themselves safe back in thedrinking-shops of Lisbon.

  When, about midnight, half-stifled with the heat, we came on deck, the_Rata_ was running before the wind at the rear of the Armada, headingfor the French coast; and the lanthorns of the English had dropped aleague behind.

  Never saw I a company so changed as were the gallants of Spain by thatday's fight. They still cursed, and laughed, and shouted. But whenthey shook their fists it was at the lights ahead, and when theydropped, silent and downcast, their faces were turned to the lightsastern.

  "Humphrey," said Ludar to me, as we stood a moment looking round beforewe turned to go to our quarters, "I like not this business."

  "Why," said I, "the Spaniard is being beaten, and he knows it. OurEnglish sea-dogs are too many for him."

  "Ay," said he, with a curl of his lip, "your English are brave enoughwhen there is no helpless woman's head to be taken. But it is becausethese Dons are a pack of curs that I like this business less and less."

  "It contents me well enough to see them shuffled and routed," said I.

  "Yes; but how is it to end? A little more, and instead of sailing upChannel, we shall be sailing down; instead of finding ourselves inLondon, we may arrive in Lisbon. What then?"

  This had never occurred to me, I had calculated so surely on findingmyself back in England, that I had forgotten we were prisoners on the_Rata_, and must even go wherever she took us.

  "How can we get away?" I asked. "If we swim to the English they willmistake us for spies or Spaniards. And we are too far from the shore."

  "In a day or two," said Ludar, "unless the English stop us, we should benear the French Coast. Wait till then. Perchance your master has abetter chance for his type after all than he thinks for."

  But any plan of escape was fated to be thwarted then and there, even aswe laid it. For as we passed a black corner, turning below towards ourbunk, there came a sudden gleam and a Spanish curse out of the darkness,and Ludar, next moment, with the blood rushing from his side, staggeredforward and fell to the ground.

  In an instant, before the villain could slink away, I had him by theneck. It needed no cudgelling of my brains to guess who it might be;for once and again that day while we worked I had marked the fellow'sevil eye on Ludar. Ludar had laughed when I had told him of it, and hadnot deigned so much as to turn his head to see if I spoke true. And inthe bustle that had followed I too had forgot our enemy of the whip.But he had not forgotten us.

  Although I caught him in the dark, he was too quick for me. He had hisblade still, and though he struck wildly and only scratched my arm, theblow loosed my grip for a moment; and in that moment he dashed past meand up the ladder. I followed madly. As I reached the deck, I saw himbefore me, running forward, and casting a glance behind to see if Ifollowed. Then, tripping on a rope, he lost his feet, and sprawledforward, as I supposed, my easy prey.

  But Heaven had taken his punishment out of my hands. For, at the veryspot where he fell, the gunwale of the ship stood open at a place wherethe refuse of the late battle was being let out from the deck into thewater. And here, before a hand could be stirred or a cry raised, thewretch plunged shrieking to the fate he deserved, and there was an endof him.

  When I returned below, I found Ludar gasping; but his wound, bad as itwas, was not so bad as the villain intended. The blade which had aimedat his heart had turned aside on the rib, leaving, indeed, a hideousflesh-wound in the side, but not threatening life.
He was faint withloss of blood, and I think, with pain; and when I spoke to him, heturned a white face to me and said nothing.

  Therefore, in no little panic, I lifted him gently to his bunk, and wentin search of help.

  By good fortune I met Captain Desmond, to whom I told his fellow-Irishman's plight; and presently he came forward with a leech. Thislearned grandee seeing the wound not to be desperate, and having plentyof business, I suppose, elsewhere, among his sea-sick lordlings, bade usbandage up the wound as best we could, and find a better place to laythe sufferer in than that foul hole. Saying which, he dawdled away.

  Then Captain Desmond questioned me as to how it all happened, and when Itold him, he shrugged his shoulders and said:

  "Help me carry him abaft. Heaven knows there are plenty of empty cabinson our ship to-night! The Don has enough to think of without thiscoming to his ears. Therefore, when we have him safely bestowed, do youattend to your duties here, as before, and I will see to him. Comenow."

  This was a sad blow to me, to be parted from my master and friend inthis hour of danger. Yet it seemed better for him to get to thegentlemen's quarters; for in the hole where he was he could scarce havelived. So I was fain to submit. Captain Desmond promised me that oncea day I might come to enquire; and further, that if his man--a Spanishclown, who shook in his shoes whenever he heard a gun--should by anychance be killed, I might take his place.

  Whereupon, I grieve to say, I prayed devoutly that night that Heavenwould speedily relieve the poor fellow of his fears for good.

  Next day I was too miserable toiling alone at the rents in the hold tosee or care much what passed. But I know that, towards evening, when Ilooked out, the low cliffs of France were in sight, and that the Englishsail were a league in our rear, standing out, as it seemed to me, forthe white walls of their own land.