Two Gallant Sons of Devon: A Tale of the Days of Queen BessCollingwood, Harry
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Two Gallant Sons of Devon: A Tale of the Days of Queen Bess
Collingwood, Harry
Adventure and adventurers -- Juvenile fiction; Seafaring life -- Juvenile fiction
"Do you surrender, senor?" demanded Bascomb, speaking in English for the
very good reason that he "had" no Spanish.
It is probable that the Spaniard was as destitute of English as Master
William Bascomb was of Spanish; but there is a language of intonation
and gesture as well as of words, and doubtless that of the Englishman
was intelligible enough, for the Spaniard, by way of reply, grasped his
sword by the point and offered it to the sturdy Devonshire seaman who
confronted him, and who accepted it with a very fair imitation of the
bow with which the Spaniard had tendered it.
"That's well, so far," commented Bascomb. "Now"--looking about him and
noticing Dick standing near, grasping his iron bar--"that ends the
trouble up here. But what about down below, Mr Chichester? You had
better take a dozen men and this gentleman down with you; and perhaps he
will explain to those of his people who are on the main deck that he has
surrendered. If they will lay down their arms, well and good; if they
won't--well, you will just have to make 'em, that's all. Now go; and
report to me here when you've gained complete possession of the ship."
Dick took his dozen men and, insinuating his hand in the crook of the
Spanish captain's arm, led that individual below to the main deck, where
they found a few Spanish seamen still hanging about between the great
culverins, apparently quite uncertain what to do, or whether they ought
to do anything. The Spanish captain spoke sharply to them; apparently
he was very much surprised and disappointed to find so few men there,
and seemed to be asking them where the rest were, for by way of reply
the seamen said something and pointed to the hatchways. The Spanish
captain relieved his feelings by stamping on the deck, grinding his
teeth, and indulging in a good deal of Castilian profanity; after which
he seemed to give certain instructions, the result of which was that the
men laid down their arms and went up on deck, one of their number having
previously gone to the main hatchway and shouted something down it which
caused the remainder of the crew to come up from below and surrender
their weapons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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