IYes, it is over; and the great Armada is vanquished. As the medals struck on the occasion said :- "It came, it saw, and it fled!" And whither? Away and northward, like a herd of frightened deer, past the Orkneys and Shetlands, catching up a few hapless fishermen as guides; past the coast of Norway- there, too. refused water and food : and on northward ever towards the lonely Faroes. and the everlasting dawn which heralds round the Pole the midnight sun.
Their water is failing; the cattle must go overboard; and the wild northern sea echoes to the shrieks of drowning horses. They must homeward at least, somehow, each as best he can. Let them meet again at Cape Finisterre, if indeed they ever meet. Alas for them! For now comes up from the Atlantic gale on gale, and few of that hapless remnant reached the shores of Spain.
And where are Amyas and the Vengeance all this while? Amyas is following in their wake.
For, when the Lord High Admiral determined to return,Amyas asked have to follow the Spaniard; and asked. too, of Sir John Hawkins, who happened to be at hand. such ammunition and provision as could be afforded him. promising to repay the same, like an honest man, out of his plunder if he lived, out of his estate if he died; after which, Amyas, calling his men together, reminded them once more of the story of the Rose of Torridge and Don Guzman de Soto, and then asked: " Men of Bideford, will you follow me?"And every soul on board replied that he was willing to follow Sir Amyas Leigh around the world.
There is no need for me to detail every incident of that long and weary chase. How they found the Santa Catharina, attacked her, and had to sheer off, she being rescued by the rest; how, when Medina"s squadron left the crippled ships behind, they were all but taken or sunk by thrusting into the midst of the Spanish fleet to prevent her escaping with Medina; how she was fain to run south, past the Orkneys, and down through the Minch, between Cape Wrath and Lewis; how she was nearly lost on the Isle of Man; how the Spaniard blundered down the coast of Wales, not knowing whither he went; how they were both nearly lost on Holyhead; how they got on a lee shore in Cardigan Bay; how the wind changed, and she got round St. David"s Head; these, and many more moving incidents of this voyage I must pass over, and go on to the end; for it is time that the end should come.
It was now the sixteenth day of the chase. They had seen,the evening before, St. David"s Head, and then the Welsh coast round Milford Haven, looming out black and sharp before the blaze of the inland thunderstorm. In vain they strained their eyes through the darkness to catch, by the fitful glare of the flashes, the tall masts of the Spaniard; and, when, a little after midnight, the wind chopped up to the west and blew stiffly till daybreak, they felt sure that they had her safe in the mouth of the Bristol Channel.
Slowly and wearily broke the dawn; a sunless, drizzly day, roofed with low, dingy cloud, barred and netted and festooned with black-a sign that the storm is only taking breath a while before it bursts again. As the day went on, the breeze died down, and the sea fell to a long, glassy, foam-flecked roll, while overhead brooded the inky sky, and round them the leaden mist shut out alike the shore and the chase.
Amyas paced the sloppy deck, fretting at every moment which lingered between him and his one great revenge. The men sat sulkily about the deck and whistled for a wind; the sails flapped idly against the masts; and the ship rolled in the long troughs of the sea, till her yard-arms almost dipped right and left.
"Take care of those guns. You will have something loose next," growled Amyas. "To have been on his heels sixteen days and not sent this through him yet !" and he shook his sword impatiently.
So the morning wore away without a sign of living thing,not even a passing gull. Was he to lose his prey after all? The thought made him shudder with rage and disappointment. It was intolerable. Anything but that!
The men were now below at dinner.
"Here she is !" thundered Amyas from the deck; and, in an instant, all were scrambling up the hatchway as fast as the rolling of the ship would let them.
Yes, there she was. The cloud had lifted suddenly, and a ragged bore of blue sky let a long stream of sunshine down on her tall masts and stately hull as she lay rolling some four or five miles to the eastward; but, as for land, none was to be seen.
"There she is, and here we are," said Cary; "but where is here; and where is there? How is the tide, master?""Running up channel by this time, sir.""What matters the tide?" said Amyas, devouring the ship with terrible and cold blue eyes. " Can"t we get at her?"Cary looked at him. His whole frame was trembling like an aspen. Cary took his arm, and drew him aside.
"Dear old lad," said he, as they leaned over the bulwarks, " what is this? You are not yourself, and have not been these four days.""No; I am not Amyas Leigh; I am my brother"s avenger. Do not reason with me, Will; when it is over I shall be merry old Amyas again"; and he passed his hand over his brow.
Cary went away with a shudder. As he passed over thehatchway, he looked back. Amyas was whetting away at his sword-edge, as if there was some dreadful doom on him to whet and whet for ever.
The weary day wore on. The strip of blue sky was curtained over again, and all was dismal as before, though it grew sultrier every moment; and now and then a distant mutter shook the air to westward. Nothing could be done to lessen the distance between the ships for the Vengeance had had all her boats carried away but one. and that was much too small to tow her.
About two, Yeo came up to him.
"He is ours safely now, sir. The tide has been running to the eastward for these two hours.""Safe as a fox in a trap. There comes the thunder at last."And, as he spoke, an angry growl from the westward heavens seemed to answer his words, and rolled and loudened nearer and nearer till, right over their heads, it crashed against some cloud-cliff far above, and all was still.
Each man looked in the other"s face; but Amyas was unmoved.
"The storm is coming." said he,"and the wind in it. It will be eastward-ho now, for once, my merry men all ! Here comes the breeze. Round with the yards, or we shall be taken aback." The yards creaked round; the sea grew crisp around them; the hot air swept their cheeks, tightened every rope, filled every sail, bent her over. A cheer burst from the men as thehelm went up, and they staggered away before the wind right down upon the Spaniard, who lay still becalmed.
"There is more behind, Amyas," said Cary. " Shall we not shorten sail a little?""No; hold on every stitch," said Amyas." Give me thehelm, man. Boatswain, pipe away to clear for fight."It was done; and, in ten minutes, the men were all at quarters, while the thunder rolled louder and louder overhead, and the breeze freshened fast.
"We shall have it now, and with a vengeance; this will try your tackle, master," said Cary.
He answered with a shrug, and turned up the collar of his rough frock as the first drops flew stinging round his ears. Another minute, and the squall burst full upon them, in rain which cut like hail-hail which lashed the sea into froth, and wind which swept the waters into one white, seething waste.
"Get the arms and ammunition under cover, and then below with you all," shouted Amyas from the helm.
"And heat the pokers in the galley fire," said Yeo, "to be ready if the rain puts our linstocks out. I hope you"ll let me stay on deck, sir, in case--""I must have some one, and who better than you? Can you see the chase?"No; she was wrapped in the grey whirlwind. She might be within half a mile of them for aught they could have seen of her.
"Hurrah ! there she is! right on our larboard bow."There she was indeed, two musket-shots off, staggeringaway, with canvas sprit and flying.
" What shall we do now?" said Yeo, rubbing his hands. "Range alongside, and try our luck once more."On they swept, gaining fast on the Spaniard.
" Call the men up, and to quarters; the rain will be over in ten minutes."Yeo ran forward to the gangway, and sprang back again, with a white face and wild.
"Land right ahead ! Port your helm, sir! Port your helm!"Amyas, with the strength of a bull, jammed the helm down, while Yeo shouted to the men below.
She swung round. The masts bent like whips; crack went the foresail like a cannon. What matter? Within two hundred yards of them was the Spaniard; in front of her and above her, a huge, dark bank rose through the dense hail and mingled with the clouds, and, at its foot, plainer every moment, pillars and spouts of leaping foam.
"What is it?-Motto? Hartland?"
It might be anything for thirty miles.
"Lundy!" said Yeo. "The south end; I see the head of the Shutter in the breakers. Hard aport yet, and get her as close- hauled as you can, and the Lord may have mercy on us still ! Look at the Spaniard!"IIYes,look at the Spaniard!
On their left hand, the wall of granite sloped down from the clouds towards an isolated peak of rock, some two hundred feet in height. Then, a hundred yards of roaring breaker upon a sunken shelf, across which the race of the tide poured like a cataract; then, amid a column of salt smoke, the Shutter, like a huge, black fang, rose waiting for its prey; and, between the Shutter and the land, the great galleon loomed dimly through the storm.
He, too, had seen his danger, and tried to turn. But his clumsy mass refused to obey the helm. He struggled a moment, half hid in foam, fell away again, and rushed upon his doom.
"Lost ! lost ! lost!" cried Amyas, madly; and, throwing up his hands, let go the tiller. Yeo caught it just in time.
"Sir! sir! what are you at? We shall clear the rock yet."Another minute. The galleon gave a sudden jar, and stopped; then one long heave and bound, as if to free herself; and then her bows lighted clean upon the Shutter.
An awful silence fell on every English soul. They heard not the roaring of wind and surge; they saw not the blinding flashes of the lightning; but they heard one long. ear-piercing wail from five hundred human throats. They saw the mighty ship heel over from the wind and sweep headlong down the cataract of the race. plunging her yards into the foam, andshowing her whole side. even to her keel, till she rolled clean over. and vanished for ever.
"Shame!" cried Amyas, hurling his sword far into the sea, "to lose my right, my right, when it was in my very grasp ! Unmerciful !"A crack which rent the sky, and made the granite ring and quiver; a bright world of flame: and then a blank of utter darkness, against which stood out, glowing red-hot, every mast and sail and rock, and Salvation Yeo as he stood just in front of Amyas, the tiller in his hand. All red-hot, transfigured into fire; and, behind, the black, black night!
******
A whisper, a rustling close behind him, and John Brimblecombe"s voice said softly," Give him more wine, Will; his eyes are opening."" Hey-day!" said Amyas, faintly, " not past the Shutter yet? How long she hangs in the wind !""We are long past the Shutter, Sir Amyas," said Brim- blecombe.
"Are you mad? Cannot I trust my own eyes?" There was no answer for a while.
"We are past the Shutter, indeed," said Cary, very gently, " and lying in the cove at Lundy.""Oh, Sir Amyas Leigh, dear Sir Amyas Leigh," blubbered poor Jack, "put out your hand and feel where you are and pray the Lord to forgive you for your wilfulness!"A great trembling fell upon Amyas Leigh. Half fearfully, he put out his hand; he felt that he was in his hammock, with the deck beams close above his head. The vision which had been left upon his eyeballs vanished like a dream.
"What is this? I must be asleep. What has happened? Where am I?""In your cabin, Amyas," said Cary. "What? And where is Yeo?""Yeo is gone where he longed to go, and as he longed togo. The same flash which struck you down struck him dead.""Dead? Lightning? Any more hurt? I must go and see. Why, what is this?" and Amyas passed his hand across his eyes. "It is all dark-dark, as I live!" And he passed his hand over his eyes again.
There was another dead silence. Amyas broke it.
"O God !" shrieked the great, proud sea-captain-"O God, I am blind! blind ! blind!" By and by, when his fit of frenzy had passed off, they lifted him into the boat. rowed him ashore, and carried him painfully up the hill to the old castle. Three miserable days were passed within that lonely tower. On the fourth day, his raving ceased; but he was still too weak to be moved. Toward noon, however, he ate a little, and seemed revived. "Will," he said, after a while, "this room is as stifling asit is dark. I feel as if I should be a sound man once more if I could but get one snuff of the sea breeze. Lead me out, and over the down to the south end. To the paint at the south endI must go; there is no other place will suit.""Let him have his humour," whispered Cart; "it may be the working off of his madness."It was a glorious sight upon a glorious day. Amyas stood breasting the genial stream of airy wine with swelling nostrils and fast-heaving chest, and seemed to drink in life from every gust. "I know it is all here- the dear old sea, where I would live and die. And my eyes feel for it-feel for lit-and cannot find it; never, never will find it again for ever ! God"s will be done !" said Amyas. "Now set me where I can rest among the rocks without fear of falling-for life is sweet still, even without eyes, friends-and leave me to myself awhile."They retired a little space, and watched him. He leaned his elbow on his knee, and his head upon his hand. He remained so long thus that the pair became anxious and went towards him. He was asleep, and breathing quickly and heavily. Cary moved forward to him, As he did so, Amyas lifted his head.
"You have been asleep, Amyas."
"Have I? I have not slept back my eyes, then. Take up this great, useless carcase of mine, and lead me home. I shall buy me a dog, I think, and make him tow me with a string, eh? So! Give me your hand. Now, march !"His guides heard, with surprise, this new cheerfulness. "Thank God, sir, that your heart is so light already," said good Jack.
"I have reason to be cheerful, Sir John; I have left heavyload behind me. I have been wilful and proud, and God has brought me low for it, and cut me off from my evil delight. No more Spaniard-hunting for me now, my masters."" You do not repent of fighting the Spaniards?""Not I; but of hating even the worst of them. Listen to me, Will and Jack. If that man wronged me, I wronged him likewise. But God has shown me my sin, and we have made up our quarrel for ever.""Made it up?""Made it up, thank God. But I am weary. Set me down awhile, and I will tell you how it befell."Wondering, they sat him down upon the heather, while the bees hummed round them in the sun; and Amyas felt for a hand of each, and clasped it in his own hand, and began :-"When you left me there upon the rock, lads, I looked away and out to sea, to get one last snuff of the merry sea breeze which will never sail me again. And, as I looked, I tell you truth, I could see the water and the sky as plain as ever I saw them, till I thought my sight was come again. But soon I knew it was not so; for I saw more than man could see-right over the ocean, as I live, and away to the Spanish Main. And I saw Barbadoes, and Grenada, and all the isles that we ever sailed by; and La Guayra in Caracas, and the house where she lived. And I saw him walking with her, and he loved her then. I saw what I saw; and he loved her; and I say he loves her still. "Then I saw the cliffs beneath me, and the Gull Rock, andthe Shutter, and the Ledge; I saw them, William Cary, and the weeds beneath the merry blue sea. And I saw the grand old galleon, Will. She lies in fifteen fathoms, at the edge of the rocks, upon the sand. And I saw him sitting in his cabin, like a valiant gentleman of Spain; and his officers were sitting round him, with their swords upon the table. Then Don Guzman took a locket from his bosom; and I heard him speak Will, and he said, "Here"s the picture of my fair and true lady; drink to her, senors all."
"Then he spoke to me, Will, and called me, right through the sea: "We have had a fair quarrel, senor; it is time to be friends once more. My wife and your brother have forgiven me, so your honour takes no stain." And I answered, "We are friends, Don Guzman; God has judged our quarrel, and not we." Then he said, " I sinned, and I am punished." And I said, "And senor, so am I." Then he held out his hand to me, Cary; and I stooped to take it, and awoke."Charles Kingsley, in Westward Ho!
Author.-Charles (1819-1875) was an English clergyman and novelist. His chief works are Alton Locke, Yeast, Hypatia, Westward Ho!, Two Years Ago, The Water Babies, and Hereward the Wake.
General Notes.-Amyas Leith, the hero of Westward Ho!, was a young man of great bodily strength and amiable disposition, but very combative. His revenge, as you will see, was frustrated. Read up in your history the story of the Armada. Find Orkneys, Shetlands, and Faroes onthe map, also the other places mentioned. Sir John Hawkins is a truly historical character, a brave and hardy sea captain, but not above piracy and slave dealing. Don Guzman, the Rose of Toridge, Cary, and Yeo-for these, consult the novel itself. Don is the Spanish equivalent of Mr., and Se?or is the Spanish for sir. The mark over the n, making it sound like ny, is called a tilde.
Drawn by W.S. Wemyss
