But there was no time now for more words, even though the young people
seemed to have much to say to each other. Carlo followed Pedro and
Harry, feeling altogether angry and ashamed of his position. He was,
too, a little jealous of Etta’s evident happiness at talking to one from
her own country; and besides, he could not bear to feel that he was
himself virtually a prisoner in his own house; and yet, thought he, ’I
have never delivered up my sword, and I have never owned myself
defeated.’ As for his father, he could not bear to think of him as a
traitor to his king and country.
When they entered the hall Carlo was dismayed by a sight such as he had
never expected to see in Santa Teresa.
Some long wooden planks had been laid on trestles and placed in two rows
down the hall, and round them sat some forty or fifty of Captain
Morgan’s chief men eating and drinking voraciously. A dozen or more of
the negro slaves waited on them, filling up their goblets when empty--a
duty which was by no means light or infrequent. At a smaller table at
the upper end of the hall Captain Henry Morgan was also enjoying what he
considered a well-earned breakfast; for daylight was beginning to flood
the hall, showing that the long night of anxiety was over. In the sky
beautiful clouds tinged with every conceivable shade of crimson and gold
were making lovely backgrounds for the tall palm-trees and the other
forest giants; but of all this beauty the soldiers and the buccaneers
thought nothing. Henry Morgan was anxious, now that he was in
possession of the island, to secure it permanently for future need, and,
as soon as he could, to send on some of his men in search of still more
booty, the thirst for gold in these pirates being quite unquenchable.
After a moment’s pause Carlo walked proudly up to the top table, bent on
showing no fear; yet what made the deepest impression upon him was, not
the sight of the much-dreaded sea-robber, but that of his own father
seated opposite to the foe, and being treated apparently, not as a
prisoner, but as a friend, by the man whom Carlo hated as being both a
buccaneer and an Englishman.
The poor Marquis, however, could not be said to look happy; he carefully
turned away from Morgan, and now and then rose hastily from his chair
and paced nervously up and down the small platform, muttering audibly,
’I did it for the best. There has been no massacre of the people. Who
will dare to blame me? How could I do otherwise? Why has Don Francisco
left me, and where is my son?’
’Marry! here comes the culprit!’ cried Captain Morgan, seeing Carlo
approaching. ’Señor Governor, I suppose this young sprig is your son,
and the one who led the assault before sunrise? The young scoundrel has
a puissant sword and despiteful ire.’
’My son knew nothing of our plans,’ said the poor Marquis, who in spite
of his own conduct could not help feeling proud of his boy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account