CHAPTER V.
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.
Running as one runs whose life is at stake, Donalblane looked hitherand thither for some break in the cliffs that would give him a chanceto climb out of his fell pursuers' reach. At last, with a thrill ofjoy, his eye perceived one, and, summoning all his energies for asupreme effort, he darted thither.
The ravening swine were gaining upon him at a rate which meant his soonbeing overtaken, and if he should stumble his fate was certain.
"THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."]
But the sure-footed faculty of the Highlander stood him in good stead.He neither slipped nor tripped, and kept steadily on, until well-nighspent he won his race for life by so scanty a margin that the baffledboar drove hard against the friendly rock up which his intended victimhad sprung to safety.
It was little more than a ledge which afforded Donalblane such timelysanctuary, and it did not lead far; but, about twenty feet from theground, he found a sort of niche wherein he could dispose his exhaustedbody with some degree of comfort.
"Eh, man, but I'm well-nigh dead!" he panted, as he stretched out onthe moss-covered rock. "Anither ten yards and he'd have had his tusksinto me. Ah, weel, he'll no' get anither chance, though I stay here a'nicht!"
As the boar was grunting and gnashing, and his squealing family wereevidently determined to invest the place, Donalblane proceeded tosettle down as comfortably as he could.
Happily the moss lay thick on the rock, and really made quite a softcouch. It was a fine, warm night, and if he had only had food anddrink he would not have greatly minded. But the pangs of hunger, andespecially of thirst, took possession of him, and he had a wretchedtime of it as the long hours dragged slowly by. Some time during thenight the pigs disappeared, and when day dawned the coast was clear.
Feeling very stiff and sore and out of sorts, Donalblane clambered downinto the valley, and set off to find his ship. By a lucky chance,after a couple of hours' vain wandering, he came upon a couple ofnatives laden with oranges evidently intended for market.
They, of course, could not understand his words, but by vigorouspantomime he got into their heads the two facts, that he wanted some oftheir oranges, and to be shown the way to the harbour.
For a bit of silver they filled his hands with the fruit, which thestarving boy found very refreshing if not quite satisfying; and then,by keeping them company, he came in due time to where the welcome sightof the _Bonnie Scotland_ gladdened his eyes. On his return to the shiphe found his friends in great concern about him, and Mr. Sutherlandactually organising a party to go in search of him.
They were considerably amused at his story, and thereafter he had toendure many a joke in regard to his supposed fondness for pork.
Leaving the lovely islands with good stores of fruit, fresh provisions,and water, the _Bonnie Scotland_ pursued her way westward through stormand {50} calm until the drawing near of the New World was announced bytropical things that came out to meet her on the bosom of the deep.
Thenceforward every eye scanned eagerly the horizon, and Donalblanespent most of his time high up the mainmast, it being his ambition tobe the first among the passengers to sight the land. Mr. Paterson,whose kindly interest in the boy had increased during the voyage,promised him a golden guinea if he did sight land first, and this ofcourse intensified his desire.
His patience was sorely tried, for when the ship reached the dreadedSargasso Sea her onward progress was checked for many a weary day bythe provoking seaweed which held her fast.
"I'm afraid you'll not soon win your guinea, Donald," said Mr.Sutherland, after they had been apparently motionless for several days."We're bound to stay where we are until a strong wind is good enough tospring up and help us out."
But the wind seemed in no hurry to come, and the gulf-weed kept themprisoners until at last something in the nature of a hurricane struckthe _Bonnie Scotland_, and she scudded helplessly before it under barepoles for a whole day, her passengers' impatience to sight land beingfor the time replaced by a lively fear of foundering.
In spite of being so poor a craft, however, the _Bonnie Scotland_braved out the peril, and the following morning Donalblane, who hadtaken to the mast as soon as he had swallowed his breakfast, made thehearts of all on deck thrill with joy by the cry of--
"The land! the land! I can see it! Look! Look!"
An instant later the look-out at the bow confirmed him by shouting--
"Land ho! on the weather bow!" and the ship-wearied folk forgot for themoment their mutual animosities which had abounded during the longvoyage, and rejoiced together that the end of their trials was at hand.
"Here's your guinea, my lad," said Mr. Paterson, as he handedDonalblane a bright new coin. "You've earned it well, and I hope thatgood fortune may always befall you."
As Donalblane thanked his kind friend he vowed to himself that thatbeautiful gold piece should not be hastily spent, but that he wouldkeep it as long as possible in memory of the giver, and the reason forthe gift.
It was one of the West India Islands they were approaching, and as theypassed within half-a-league its wealth of tropical vegetation presentedso pleasing a picture that the passengers besought the captain to makea landing in one of the tempting coves, so that they might have a runon shore, and probably get some fruit. But he was a surly fellow, andrefused the request with an oath, saying that he was sick of the wholelot of them, and wanted to be rid of them with as little delay aspossible.
So the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course, leaving the lovely islandsastern, and out of sight as she passed into the wide expanse of theCaribbean Sea.
Coarse and brutal as he was, her captain understood navigation, andknew how to get the best out of the old hulk of which he had command.Now, as the end of the voyage drew near, and the seas seemed kind, hecracked on all the sail the ship would carry, greatly to the delight ofDonalblane, who loved to have the vessel plunging along at full speed.
More than half the breadth of the sea had been traversed when thelook-out one morning shouted--
"Sail ho! Sail ho!"
"Where away?" roared the captain from the poop.
"Right abeam, and coming towards us," was the response after a moment'shesitation.
At once there was much excitement on board. The members of theexpedition took it for granted that this was one of the other shipsfrom which they had long parted company, and began to speculate whichone it was, and whether it would overtake them.
"I was hoping ours would be the first vessel to reach Darien," said Mr.Sutherland to Donalblane. "It would be something to boast ofconsidering what a poor thing she is. I wonder which one of the othersthis is?"
"Ye canna tell so far away," responded Donalblane. "Maybe it winnacatch us. We're sailing fine now."
The _Bonnie Scotland_ certainly was doing wonders, but in spite ofevery inch of canvas her sticks could carry being spread, the othership gained steadily, and the captain's grim countenance grew darkerand darker.
Mr. Paterson's fine features also became perturbed, although he kepthis own counsel, and those who noticed supposed he was simply anxiousthat the _Bonnie Scotland_ should win the race to Darien.
As the afternoon advanced the pursuing vessel, which seemed to besailing two knots to the other's one, came fully into view, andeverybody on board saw that it not only was not one of the five whichhad set out from Leith, but that it bore a strange look which somehowseemed to bode no good.
They were not long left in uncertainty. "Yon's one of theybuccaneers," growled the captain; "and if ye're going to fight him offye'd better be gettin' ready."
At once the ship was filled with alarm and confusion, women weeping,children wailing, men threatening. The very name of buccaneer sent achill of terror to every heart, and if the blood-stained butchers ofthe sea had ranged alongside at that moment, the _Bonnie Scotland_would have proved an easy prey. But there was one man on board equalto the emergency. William Paterson had been
shamefully treated by hisassociates, his advice flouted, his authority denied, his confidencebetrayed. Now he rose superior to them all. He alone was calm amidthe pitiful panic, and the first to respond to his call for concertedaction were Mr. Sutherland and Donalblane.
"We must resist to the death," were his earnest words, steadily spoken."There can be no question of surrender. The buccaneers do not know themeaning of mercy."