Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-11-22
CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VI.
We returned to Vigo Bay in less than
four months and with us a large com
pany of other ships. all bearing grain
for which the failure of the Spanish
wheat crop promised a profitable mar
ket We neither sold our cargo, how
ever. nor did | succeed in carrying Oh
my sweetheart And this is how i
happened:
Scarcely had we anchored when g
negro page came off to the ship in 9
Inez.
She was in sore trouble through hel
love for me. for Don Miguel had for
bidden her to have anything more tC
do with me and had locked her in hel
room to make sure that his commands
were obeyed And there was even
worse news than this in the letter. Or
ders. she told me. had Teen received
from the court to seize all the English
shipping in the bay. to contiscate the
car-UpS and TO inprison the crews. AS
captive in the town dungeon | should
be farther from her than ever; but
still a free man. might some day re
turn ard carry her Off. and so By the
love bore her she entreated me to be
gone at once.
Here WIS a pretty piece of news
We questioned the page. but as he eli
thcr did NJ; know or would know moth.
lag W. scuI him OF ashore in his boat.
What az We to GoT' asl-rd .flec.
I'm going lore l replied decid-
ed!y
What f0r?"
TO r.scne ln-z"
"Jaci. it'a ua ., IS. You would be ar
rested !on@ before yoI reached her"
Il mean 10 Try all the same"
"It'll be fOollIardy, / tell you. Much
better take the advice she gives you,
escape now and come back again to
carry her off
ALEC. | can't 20 away and leave her
in that sc0uld.tI's power. | must 20
ashore"
Alec shrugged his shoulders. We'll,
if you must. you must. I'll go with
you. of course, and try to see you safe
both be locked up for our pains. We
will spread the warning among the
other English ships Oh our way"
We went on deck at once and began
to lower the boat. We were lying a
good two miles farther out than the
other ships. so we had a stiff pull be-
fore US.
Night was just beginning to fall, and
there was some hope that the darkness
might cover our movements and enable
us to rescue IneZ and then slip out Of
the harbor before the Spaniards had
made up their minds to strike. 1t was
n desperate chance, though.
The boat was already on the bull
warks when Alec shouted. Hold on,
all!'
"Too late" he said There's a feet
of boats putting out from the shore
now. each one crammed full of SOL
diers. We must leave the other ships
to Shift for themselves. I'm afraid, and
make q bid for our own freedom. That
big fellow there. coming up before the
wind. seems to have been told off to
look after us.
We were well armed. of course, as
the most peaceful ship has to be when
there are so many sea thieves unhang-
ed, and though the Spanish galleon was
five times our size we would have
thought nothing of tackling her. five
Spaniards to one Englishman being by
no means crushing odds, but there
were three other ships outside of us
evidently waiting to pick up stragglers,
so we were to all appearances hopeless
ly shut in.
The men looked at one another In
CONSERVATION.
Alec. however had made his plan
Put back the powder" he cried, land
buckle on your side arms. Not a shot
must be fired, mind, or we shall have
the whole nest of wasps buzzing round
our ears. Every man of you take a
pike or Ak and hide under the bull
warks We must make that fellow
think he has caught us mapping"
Our preparations were quickly and
quietly made, and long before the big
Spaniard was near enough to see what
we were doing every man of us was
under cover and the decks looked quite
deserted. But when he sheered along
side and hove his grapnels into our rig
ging Alec gave the word, and with
ringing cheer 80 lusty English lads
rushed from their hiding places and
were hacking and prodding away
among his crew before the unsuspect-
ing Spaniard knew that anything had
happened. They were taken complete
ly by surprise, but after the first min
ute or so they recovered and fought
like wildcats. They were about three
to our one, so counting one English
man TO five of them the odds in our IA
vor were overwhelming. The Span
iards fought desperately enough until
about half of them had been killed,
then the rest threw down their arms,
called for quarter" and scrambled
down the ladders in utter rout. We
clapped the hatches on them, and the
big galleon of Spain was ours.
Leaving me with 20 men to take care
Of our prize (whose sails were all seO,
Alec tumbled back with the others to
our own ship and set about making
sail as quickly as he could
"An AK here and cut the cablew l
aY.I I,f