Adventure stories; Spain -- History -- Ferdinand and Isabella, 1479-1516 -- Fiction
But here there was no boat, and now the sound of voices came from the
other side of the ship, so he must drag it back again. By the time he
reached the starboard bulwarks all was silent, and another flash of
lightning showed him the boat, crowded with people, upon the crest of a
wave, fifty yards or more from him, whilst others, who had not been
able to enter, clung to its stern and gunwale. He shouted aloud, but no
answer came, either because none were left living on the ship, or
because in all that turmoil they could not hear him.
Then Castell, knowing that he had done everything that he could,
dragged Peter under the overhanging deck of the forward tower, which
gave some little shelter from the rain, and, laying his bleeding head
upon his knees so that it might be lifted above the wash of the waters,
sat himself down and began to say prayers after the Jewish fashion
whilst awaiting his end.
That he was about to die he had no doubt, for the waist of the ship, as
he could perceive by the lightning, was almost level with the sea,
which, however, here in the harbour was now much calmer than it had
been. This he knew, for although the rain still fell steadily and the
wind howled above, no spray broke over them. Deeper and deeper sank the
caravel as she drifted onwards, till at length the water washed over
her deck from side to side, so that Castell was obliged to seat himself
on the second step of the ladder down which Peter had charged up on the
Spaniards. A while passed, and he became aware that the San Antonio had
ceased to move, and wondered what this might mean. The storm had rolled
away now, and he could see the stars; also with it went the wind. The
night grew warmer, too, which was well for him, for otherwise, wet as
he was, he must have perished. Still it was a long night, the longest
that ever he had spent, nor did any sleep come to relieve his misery or
make his end easier, for the pain from the arrow wound in his arm kept
him awake.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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