Across the Spanish Main: A Tale of the Sea in the Days of Queen BessCollingwood, Harry
General
Across the Spanish Main: A Tale of the Sea in the Days of Queen Bess
Collingwood, Harry
Adventure stories; Boys -- Juvenile fiction; Sea stories
De Soto gracefully thanked his captors for their courtesy and kindness
as he went over the side, but Alvarez scowled heavily round him, and
looked attentively at every face near him before he went, as though he
meant to fix their features on his memory, that he might recognise them
again in the event of a future meeting. Then, with a glare of hatred at
the retreating form of de Soto, he turned his back without a word and
went also.
This completed the landing of the prisoners, and very glad the
Englishmen were to be rid of the responsibility and risk.
"That fellow Alvarez will know us again when next we meet," said
Cavendish with a laugh, to Roger, who was standing by his side watching
the Spaniards on the beach.
"Yes," replied Roger, "and he means mischief, I am sure. I should be
very sorry for any one of us who might be unfortunate enough to get into
his power."
"He seems to hate de Soto also pretty thoroughly," said Harry. "Did you
see the look he gave him as he went over the side?"
"Ay," answered Roger, who went on to tell of Alvarez's little soliloquy
relative to de Soto while searching for the papers in the cabin of the
sinking _Gloria del Mundo_. "He will do de Soto a bad turn, of that I
am sure, if he ever gets the opportunity," remarked Roger in conclusion.
All was now ready for their departure. The Spaniards had formed up on
the beach and marched off in order into the bush, and were by this time
nowhere to be seen.
Sail was hoisted and, the flag-ship leading, the little squadron passed
out between the heads one after another on their way to the coast of
Mexico; and by evening the island was merely a long grey line on the
eastern horizon, while all eyes were strained toward the golden west,
each man eager for the first sight of a sail that might prove to be a
richly-laden galleon, or even the pirate Jose Leirya. Later in the
evening the moon rose in all her tropic glory, and the sea in her wake
gleamed like one huge speckless sheet of silver.
Behind them, in the bush on the island, by the evening camp-fire,
Alvarez, with certain other choice spirits of his own stamp, was
plotting grim and deadly evil by the light of the same moon which lit
the English adventurers on their way.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
ROGER GOES ASHORE TO RESCUE A MAROONED MAN, AND IS HIMSELF LEFT IN THE
LURCH.
The days now slipped by uneventfully, and morning after morning broke
without either land or ship making its appearance to break the monotony
of a perfectly clear horizon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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