Long Ago, Far Away by Esmè Stuart (good books to read for 12 year olds txt) 📖

be seen or followed by the dogs, which the English pirates would most likely set on the track if they had the least suspicion of hidden treasure.

'But you, Harry, what can you do?' asked Etta, who did indeed feel proud of her countryman, for she guessed that, though he made light of his adventures, he had gone through much suffering for the sake of a stranger.

'I mean to hide in these woods till I get a chance of escaping; after what has happened I can never go back to Captain Morgan. Andreas is so grateful for what I have been able to do for the Señor Carlo that he says I may stay in the hut. If a ship were to touch here, I would work my passage back to Europe; but that if is doubtful, Mistress Etta.'

'But you will take me too if the Captain will let me come on board?' asked Etta. 'Now Felipa has her aunt she would let me go back to my own country, for the pirates have taken the Marquis, and so I need not ask him. In England, I shall never again be in dire terror of my life.'

Harry did not like to explain to the eager girl that there was but little probability of his being able to take her on board. The idea was so delightful to Etta that she hardly knew how to contain her joy.

'And you will see your home again, and your father and mother; and you will ask them to let me stay with them till I hear from my uncle. Mr. Aylett will write for me--I seem to know him already from all you have said of him.'

Harry took a small prayer-book from his pocket.

'Look, Mistress Etta: this book has often reminded me of my dear master; I have had it with me all the time. I happened to have it with me on the evening when I was taken prisoner--I was to learn the Gospel for the next Sunday to repeat to Mr. Aylett. I little thought then how precious the book would appear to me. Do you ever read the Psalms of David and the Gospels, Mistress Etta?'

Etta shook her head.

'On Sundays I go to church with Felipa; I once told the Padre I was no Papist, but he said I had better pray to God with Felipa, and that in time I should be shown the right way. Then I cannot read English very easily, for we have no English books here, only I read the precious letters left me by my mother, till I know them all by heart. In truth I will never be a Papist, nor forget that I am English.'

Etta turned over the leaves of Harry's book with great care and admiration, whilst he read over the collect to her which began 'Lord of all power and might,' which Etta, much delighted, said she could remember.

'Without this I should sometimes have forgotten when Sunday came round,' added Harry, smiling; 'for Captain Morgan's men made but little difference between week-days or the Lord's Day, save now and then they had extra rations and more spirits. Good-night, Mistress Etta. I see Andreas wishes me to go with him, but I will come again to unloose my tongue, as my speech will be limited in the woods, and mayhap I shall turn into a wild man such as our sailors speak of; but Andreas says he will teach me how to shoot with poisonous arrows.'

From this time there was much less dulness up in the dwelling-room at Santa Teresa, and if they might have gone out, the girls would not have been very unhappy, except as to Carlo's state of health. For many days he hovered between life and death, and Etta had to act as sentinel, being most quick at hearing the distant steps of the soldier who brought them their daily portion of food. There was no more starvation now, the point being to keep the prisoners in good health; for death would have deprived their jailors of the much-expected ransoms.

How eagerly every morning the little party inquired for news, which the soldier was not loth to give! Captain Morgan was on his way to Panama; he had twelve hundred men with him; they had scarce victuals, and had sent back a boat to St. Catherine for more maize and Indian corn; the men were only allowed one pipe of tobacco; the Captain was determined to take the town, but he was in sore straits about victuals; they must conquer or starve; and so on.

The little party hoped much that the pirates never would reach Panama, and that other misfortunes might befal them; only, not knowing if the Marquis were with them, it was difficult to wish they might all die of hunger.

In the evening Harry would come and amuse Carlo, for as the days passed slowly on the boy gradually began to mend. He would tell him of his hunting with Andreas, and how sometimes they had near escapes of being discovered; but that the men left behind had enough to do to guard the few fortresses remaining, and thought, besides, more about watching the bays for possible enemies than of hunting the forest. One day the Doña Elena herself asked Harry to tell her all he knew of her brave husband's last hours, and he recounted simply what he had seen. Carlo was sitting up, propped with pillows, looking pale, but far different from what he had been a fortnight before; and he joined in the request, saying:

'When I last saw my dear uncle he was just starting to help some twenty men who were defending an important post.'

'Yes, and that was where I saw him,' added Harry. 'I was bent on gaining an entrance into the castle, so that I might, if possible, save you and your uncle. I had tried to pass over some portions of burning wall, for I had seen the pirates rush through, regardless of the danger; but though I tried twice, the flames drove me back each time; so, at last, climbing along the side of the mountain, I caught sight of the men making a dash for this special breach. I could not help admiring their pluck, though the cause was bad enough. I came up just as they carried the position, in spite of the fierce resistance they met. Following them through the breach, I saw that this last effort would most likely end in the capture of the castle; for I noticed several Spanish soldiers throw themselves over the parapet rather than fall into the pirates' hands alive. They would not ask for quarter--indeed, it would not have been granted. Just then I met a fellow who was badly wounded, and I asked him if he knew whether the Governor were taken, or what had become of him. This man told me Don Alvarez had retired to the Corps-du-Garde, and was defending it like a lion. So, never thinking of danger, I hastened in the direction to which he pointed, and beheld a scene I shall never forget. Don Alvarez was standing at the head of a flight of steps, and round him and below him were some thirty men. The pirates had double the number of men, and saw it was only a question of time, and that a short one. I was looking everywhere for you, Señor Carlo, and, not seeing you, I was just going to hurry away, when I heard a sharp report, and then a yell of anger; and, looking back, I saw the noble Don Alvarez fall forward, struck through the heart with a musket-shot. I knew that I had not then a moment to lose; and, meeting a fugitive Spaniard, I asked him to tell me where the young nephew of the Governor had last been seen, for I was none of the enemy. He hardly believed me; but pointed to some spot behind the church; and the rest you know, Señor Carlo.'

'If it had not been for you, Harry Fenn, I must have been caught at last, or else died of that fever. I wish my uncle had lived to hear of it and to reward you, but when my----' Poor Carlo paused; he, could not appeal to his father, for all that history was one he could not bear to think about; so he added, 'When I am a man I will give you whatever you like to ask of me.'

'There is nothing to thank me for,' said Harry, laughing; 'in running away with you I was but doing what I had planned for a long time. You see, I promised Mistress Etta to help her back to her own country; and to do that I must e'en get back first myself.'

'And you, Aunt Elena,' said Felipa, 'shall you really have to pay the large ransom? It does seem hard to be deprived of one's home and then have to pay the wicked men who have made one unhappy and miserable.'

'We must not complain, Felipa, for nothing would be allowed to happen unless God saw that it was for our good. If I could have seen my poor brother I should have taken counsel with him; but I must resign myself to a long captivity till the money can come from Spain.'

'Then why should you not go and fetch it yourself, noble lady?' said Harry. 'If I were you, I would not stay here longer than I could help; for if Captain Morgan were killed the pirates might choose another captain who would not treat you as civilly as he does.'

'But there is little chance of one of our ships being able to come into port here,' said Carlo. 'Andreas told me that the bays were very closely watched.'

'What I most fear is the return of the victorious pirates,' said Harry, thoughtfully. 'If we hear news of the taking of the city of Panama, I think we must try and escape, or at all events get to some Spanish settlement whence they will send us on.'

So they talked and planned, but could do nothing at present except wait patiently, Harry promising to keep a sharp look-out for any ship flying the Spanish colours, adding:

'I fancy the Captain will certainly take the rich city if it is at all possible, and after seeing the attack on Chagres I can believe these bold men capable of taking even a large place, especially when driven to great straits by hunger. I was by when the Captain made all his men sign the articles of common agreement between them, and in that they bound themselves to obey him and to do their utmost to carry out all his plans.'

'The selfish robbers!' cried Catalina, indignantly. 'Heard you anything else of importance, young Englishman?'

'But very little,' answered Harry, rubbing his forehead and trying to recall what had passed on the pirate vessel. 'Every captain was to have the share of eight men; the surgeon, besides his pay, was to have two hundred pieces of eight for his chest of medicaments, and other officers in some such-like proportion. But I remember that for the loss of both legs in battle the unfortunate buccaneer was to receive fifteen hundred pieces of eight, and he was to get still more for the loss of both hands.'

'All these ravages should be put an end to by the sovereigns who own these people. All nations of Europe have joined in it; and it is high time it were stopped,' said Doña Elena Alvarez. 'But now, kind Harry, it is time you went away, for Carlo is tired and must go to bed.'

'It is so dark to-night that I wonder how you will find your way to the hut,' said Etta.

'I have been making a store of candles from the Bois-de-Chandel. Andreas showed me how the Indians prepare it. Truly, how my parents would laugh to see me in an Indian hut! But I have to be careful of shading my light, for Andreas says we must not trust the negroes, and they often wander at night when the fancy seizes them.'

With this Harry slipped away; and Etta went with him so as to close the window and secure it when he had let himself down from the balcony.