登陆注册
4612100000065

第65章

THE DUPES

It was a crestfallen Captain Blood who presided aver that hastily summoned council held on the poop-deck of the Arabella in the brilliant morning sunshine. It was, he declared afterwards, one of the bitterest moments in his career. He was compelled to digest the fact that having conducted the engagement with a skill of which he might justly be proud, having destroyed a force so superior in ships and guns and men that Don Miguel de Espinosa had justifiably deemed it overwhelming, his victory was rendered barren by three lucky shots from an unsuspected battery by which they had been surprised. And barren must their victory remain until they could reduce the fort that still remained to defend the passage.

At first Captain Blood was for putting his ships in order and making the attempt there and then. But the others dissuaded him from betraying an impetuosity usually foreign to him, and born entirely of chagrin and mortification, emotions which will render unreasonable the most reasonable of men. With returning calm, he surveyed the situation. The Arabella was no longer in case to put to sea; the Infanta was merely kept afloat by artifice, and the San Felipe was almost as sorely damaged by the fire she had sustained from the buccaneers before surrendering.

Clearly, then, he was compelled to admit in the end that nothing remained but to return to Maracaybo, there to refit the ships before attempting to force the passage.

And so, back to Maracaybo came those defeated victors of that short, terrible fight. And if anything had been wanting further to exasperate their leader, he had it in the pessimism of which Cahusac did not economize expressions. Transported at first to heights of dizzy satisfaction by the swift and easy victory of their inferior force that morning, the Frenchman was now plunged back and more deeply than ever into the abyss of hopelessness. And his mood infected at least the main body of his own followers.

"It is the end," he told Captain Blood. "This time we are checkmated.""I'll take the liberty of reminding you that you said the same before," Captain Blood answered him as patiently as he could. "Yet you've seen what you've seen, and you'll not deny that in ships and guns we are returning stronger than we went. Look at our present fleet, man.""I am looking at it," said Cahusac.

"Pish! Ye're a white-livered cur when all is said.""You call me a coward?"

"I'll take that liberty."

The Breton glared at him, breathing hard. But he had no mind to ask satisfaction for the insult. He knew too well the kind of satisfaction that Captain Blood was likely to afford him. He remembered the fate of Levasseur. So he confined himself to words.

"It is too much! You go too far!" he complained bitterly.

"Look you, Cahusac: it's sick and tired I am of your perpetual whining and complaining when things are not as smooth as a convent dining-table. If ye wanted things smooth and easy, ye shouldn't have taken to the sea, and ye should never ha' sailed with me, for with me things are never smooth and easy. And that, I think, is all I have to say to you this morning."Cahusac flung away cursing, and went to take the feeling of his men.

Captain Blood went off to give his surgeon's skill to the wounded, among whom he remained engaged until late afternoon. Then, at last, he went ashore, his mind made up, and returned to the house of the Governor, to indite a truculent but very scholarly letter in purest Castilian to Don Miguel.

"I have shown your excellency this morning of what I am capable,"he wrote. "Although outnumbered by more than two to one in men, in ships, and in guns, I have sunk or captured the vessels of the great fleet with which you were to come to Maracaybo to destroy us.

So that you are no longer in case to carry out your boast, even when your reenforcements on the Santo Nino, reach you from La Guayra.

>From what has occurred, you may judge of what must occur. I should not trouble your excellency with this letter but that I am a humane man, abhorring bloodshed. Therefore before proceeding to deal with your fort, which you may deem invincible, as I have dealt already with your fleet, which you deemed invincible, I make you, purely out of humanitarian considerations, this last offer of terms. I will spare this city of Maracaybo and forthwith evacuate it, leaving behind me the forty prisoners I have taken, in consideration of your paying me the sum of fifty thousand pieces of eight and one hundred head of cattle as a ransom, thereafter granting me unmolested passage of the bar. My prisoners, most of whom are persons of consideration, I will retain as hostages until after my departure, sending them back in the canoes which we shall take with us for that purpose. If your excellency should be so ill-advised as to refuse these terms, and thereby impose upon me the necessity of reducing your fort at the cost of some lives, I warn you that you may expect no quarter from us, and that I shall begin by leaving a heap of ashes where this pleasant city of Maracaybo now stands."The letter written, he bade them bring him from among the prisoners the Deputy-Governor of Maracaybo, who had been taken at Gibraltar.

Disclosing its contents to him, he despatched him with it to Don Miguel.

His choice of a messenger was shrewd. The Deputy-Governor was of all men the most anxious for the deliverance of his city, the one man who on his own account would plead most fervently for its preservation at all costs from the fate with which Captain Blood was threatening it. And as he reckoned so it befell. The Deputy-Governor added his own passionate pleading to the proposals of the letter.

But Don Miguel was of stouter heart. True, his fleet had been partly destroyed and partly captured. But then, he argued, he had been taken utterly by surprise. That should not happen again. There should be no surprising the fort. Let Captain Blood do his worst at Maracaybo, there should be a bitter reckoning for him when eventually he decided - as, sooner or later, decide he must - to come forth.

同类推荐
  • A Cumberland Vendetta

    A Cumberland Vendetta

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 景教三威蒙度赞

    景教三威蒙度赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妙法莲华经玄义

    妙法莲华经玄义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞玄灵宝灭度五炼生尸妙经

    太上洞玄灵宝灭度五炼生尸妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Dog's Tale

    A Dog's Tale

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 起源界之双生世界

    起源界之双生世界

    进了《起源》,吴煌才发现,游戏中也不比现实好混。饿了得吃饭,困了得睡觉,练级练技能的时候、更是没日没夜的。若非有着长生的希望在前面吊着,他想说,这种游戏、谁爱玩谁玩、哥就不奉陪了……
  • 燕尾蝶与松枝花

    燕尾蝶与松枝花

    她是环评师,高智商科学宅、环保一线的正义战士;他是刑警队长,警界精英、刑侦一线的热血干探;八竿子打不着的两个人,却阴差阳错成了室友。警戒线划开了他们的分界线,却划不开两颗激情澎湃的心。一起连环凶杀案、一场环保官司……是高智商与高智商的较量,科学与刑侦的碰撞,热血与正义的抗争,顽强不屈的燕尾蝶与傲骨峥嵘的松枝花的赞歌!
  • 女开科传

    女开科传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Iglesias Multiplicadoras

    Iglesias Multiplicadoras

    ?Podremos ver tal avivamiento en los Estados Unidos? ?Podremos ver una oleada de establecimiento de nuevas iglesias y campus, y la reproducción del liderazgo? ?Es posible hacer más en el futuro de lo que hemos so?ado en el pasado? Yo creo que sí. - Jeff Leake El viaje de fundar una iglesia es emocionante y gratificante, pero implica más que simplemente trazar un curso para su lanzamiento. En Iglesias multiplicadoras, Jeff Leake abre la puerta a un mundo de opciones disponibles para pastores e iglesias para crecer y reproducir las iglesias. Basándose en su experiencia en la implementación de estos pasos, propone un cambio en el pensamiento para crear un clima para el movimiento de fundación de iglesias. Las Asambleas de Dios hacen que el potencial de multiplicación de iglesias sea aún más viable a través de iglesias afiliadas o PAC, para abreviar. Para obtener más información sobre la fundación de iglesias, visite wkkk.net.
  • 文化西航,动力蓝天

    文化西航,动力蓝天

    书中介绍的中航工业西航的文化实践,是整个中航工业集团文化建设实践的一个缩影。中航工业西航用它的实践,特别是用近3年多来他们在基本投入并没有大的增长条件下,企业销售收入却翻了一番的事实,生动地说明了文化建设的力量,生动地诠释了实践创新的魅力,生动地展现了中航工业集团文化所具有的强大生命力。特别是他们创造性地开展“文化耕心”工程,创造性地建立西航文化建设推进模式,促进企业文化建设,所有这些都会为中航工业开展集团文化建设带来一股强劲的春风。
  • 重生八零之农村媳妇要翻身

    重生八零之农村媳妇要翻身

    前世的叶清婉不知怎么的就死了她留下许多的遗憾,当叶清婉再次醒来的时候发现她重生回到了八零年代的农村,那是她跟第一任丈夫生活的地方,她发誓一定不会再辜负他对自己的一辈子的付出,她要好好跟他过日子。进城卖菜的叶清婉被冤枉受了伤遇到了顾慕白,他救了她之后她流着泪笑着说:我要跟你结婚生猴子。顾慕白无奈的说:我不认识你,再说婚姻大事必须要双方父母同意才行。重生这一世她要从农村媳妇永远把身翻,她要好好爱自己的丈夫和孩子,搞好公婆邻里关系,打渣男怂闺蜜和小三,她发誓自己这辈子以种种田,读读书,做做小生意,她的终极目标就是开个大公司带着身边的人一起发家致富奔小康,这才是她比别人多活一世的人生,噢耶!
  • 蛟宠龙后

    蛟宠龙后

    我漫步在大海边,听那海潮的声响,心从没有那么一刻宁静过。宁静中带有丝丝的喜悦,丝丝的感慨。潮起又潮落,正如人生不可谓一帆风顺,只是自己的心态是否如那一叶扁舟,可以在这大海中游刃有余罢了。做到这样说起来容易,可是这世上之人又有几人可以做到真正的与世无争。记得有人说过,比海广阔的是天,比天广阔的是人的心。只是我的这颗心却算不上平静吧。我轻轻蹲下身,拾起细软沙滩上的一枚白色贝壳,捏在手中,犹豫许久。……
  • 惹婚上身

    惹婚上身

    撞见未婚夫跟别的女人在一起的时候,她可以冷静地为他们关上了门,干净利落地分手,他们好聚好散。家中面临破产,姐姐失踪,爸爸住院,在她穷途末路的时候,一个戴着面具的神秘男人出现在了她的生活里,她却无处可躲。“小丫头,我看上你了,做我的女人!”某男饶有兴趣地盯着眼前的小丫头。“天亮以后,银货两讫是吗?只可惜,洛先生,您找错人了……”“我要你做名正言顺的洛太太!”传闻洛大少心有所属,洁身自好,那张神秘的面具遮着一半惨不忍睹的脸,可在林微微的眼里,却只看到了另外一半迷惑众生,绝代风华的脸。从第一次见到他,林微微就知道,这个男人很危险,可是,世界那么大,她却逃不出他的手掌心!
  • 都市之神域天尊

    都市之神域天尊

    (无敌文!!!)他本神域天尊却轮回都市,我不想装逼,实力不允许啊,弹指一挥间,手可灭日月!!!
  • 未发现的自我

    未发现的自我

    在精神分析运动中,尽管出现了不同的思想,形成了不同的流派,但是精神分析学派总的还是有一些共同的东西,即强调儿童期的影响,强调压抑的作用,用病态的观点来看待现代的人性等。精神分析在第二次世界大战以后蓬勃发展,深入到西方社会、生活、思想、文化各个领域,融合到了整个西方社会之中,成了西方社会不可分离的一部分。究其原因,乃是因为两次世界大战对西方人性造成的戕害,以及后工业社会给人的精神造成的强大压力之故。