CHAPTER XII.
BARON CHAMPERNOUN.
It was on a certain sunny afternoon in early March, the year 1591. Thequays and wharfs around Sutton Pool were thronged with people--women inbright-coloured gowns and snowy ruffs, gentlemen with plumed hats andgaudy, flowing capes, yeomen and tradesmen in their more sober garments,and noisy, boisterous apprentices. From the little casement windows ofthe quaint gabled houses near by, many faces looked out upon the busyscene below, and here and there a white kerchief was waved in farewellto some soldier or seaman watching it from the heavily-laden boats thatwere putting out into the harbour. For it was the day of the departureof Lord Thomas Howard's squadron of war-ships on its treasure-huntingexpedition to the islands of the Azores. The ships' masts could be seenwith their white sails half-unfurled, and their pennants, ancients, andbanners fluttering gaily in the breeze that blew from off the land.
The crowd was thickest near to the landing-stairs, where a stream ofmen--some wearing glittering morions and corselets, others wide seamen'shats and long sea-cloaks, and each with a clanking sword by hisside--moved slowly towards the stone steps, where the boats were waitingto convey them out to their respective ships.
Among them was old Jaoob Hartop. He carried his bundle of spare clothingand a pair of heavy boots under his arm. His face looked fresher andyounger, his eyes were brighter, and his step was lighter than threemonths before, when he had landed at this same place from on board the_Pearl_. No one seemed to know him as he passed through the throng,saving only a curly-headed boy, who pulled at his coat and cried:
"What, Master Hartop! Art going with the fleet then? Didst not tell usthat you had done with sea-faring for the rest of thy days?"
Jacob glanced at the urchin, and recognised him as one of the group ofchildren who had stood around him at the well in Modbury village themorning after the robbery, to listen to his story of how Sir FrancisDrake had been wounded at Nombre de Dios.
"Ay, faith, I am going out with the fleet, friend Robin," he answeredcheerily, as he stopped at the boy's side. "A life on land hath but fewjoys, I find, for a lonely old man, and I am minded to go out and see abit more of the world, and mayhap recover some of the great wealth thatyou wot of--the wealth that went down in my golden galleon out yonder tothe west of Flores."
"Ah!" said the lad. "An I were old enough, 'tis not a little that wouldkeep me at home when such fine adventures are in store. I'd run away andjoin one of the ships, even as Master Trollope hath done. His fatherforbade him to have ought to do with the sea, and yesternight they had aquarrel; but this morning Timothy hath packed up his bag and gone off."
"And, prithee, what ship hath the lad joined?" asked Jacob. "Hath hegone on board the _Revenge_, think you?"
"Nay, that is just what his father would know," answered Robin Redfern."He hath been questioning everyone, but none can tell him. But 'tis notlikely he hath gone on board the _Revenge_, for on that ship MasterOglander is sailing, and you may be sure that Timothy Trollope wouldavoid such companionship after what hath happened."
Jacob Hartop's jaw dropped. A look of dismay came into his eyes.
"Heaven forfend!" quoth he gloomily. Then taking a corner of the boy'scollar in his fingers, and looking into his face, he added: "Say youthat Jasper Oglander hath gone aboard the _Revenge_?"
The boy looked puzzled, but presently, understanding the old man'sdrift, he answered:
"Nay. I meant young Master Gilbert, and not his uncle."
"Then wherefore should Timothy Trollope avoid the same ship that hisyoung master is sailing upon?" questioned Hartop.
"For the reason that Master Gilbert is no longer his master; no, noreven his friend," said Robin. "Some dispute--I know not what it may havebeen--ended in Master Trollope being dismissed from Modbury Manor."
"That may well be," returned Jacob, "but it seemeth to me that MasterTimothy is surely of a quarrelsome disposition. Howbeit, he will bespeedily knocked into submission and obedience on board ship. As toyoung Gilbert Oglander, I'll engage he's like all the rest of hisfamily--"
"See!" interrupted the lad admiringly, as he pointed towards the steps;"see! yonder stands Master Gilbert even now. Certes! how brave he dothlook with his new morion and breast-piece!"
Hartop was forced onward by the moving throng, and presently he arrivedat the top of the steps. What kissing and handshaking and fond partingswere going on here! There were tears, too, in the women's eyes, for allknew that there was fighting to be done, and that of the gallantadventurers who were taking their leave, not all would come safely homeagain. Jacob came shoulder to shoulder with Ambrose Pennington, whom hehad met once before at this same place. Ambrose was to be Sir RichardGrenville's sailing-master on board of the _Revenge_, and he was nowbidding farewell to his aged mother.
"God speed thee, then!" sobbed the old woman as she clung to his hand."And mayst thou ever bear it in mind that 'tis our Queen and our countrythat thou servest, and that 'tis thy duty to fight hard and bravelywhensoever there be Spaniards to be vanquished!"
"Ay, faith, I'll mind on it truly," answered Ambrose, kissing hismother's wrinkled forehead. Then, catching a glimpse of Jacob Hartop, hecried: "Ha, Master Hartop! How fare you, old friend? I have not seenthee since our encounter with the Dons three nights ago. Didst get anyhurt, man?"
"Not I," answered Hartop as he began to descend the stone stairs. "Nohurt beyond the disappointment of hearing the rascals had escaped you.Where think you they have sped to?"
"Spain, you may swear," returned Pennington, closely following him."'Tis the only land that will welcome such refuse."
"An that be so, there is yet a chance that we shall overhaul them,"said Jacob with satisfaction, "for the _Pearl_ is but a laggard atsailing. A herring-boat might outstrip her hand over hand, to say naughtof such well-found ships as these of my Lord Howard's."
Gilbert Oglander was stepping into one of the boats when Hartop andPennington got to the foot of the flight of stairs. He nodded ingreeting to the two men, and made room for them beside him in thestern-sheets. Then, all being seated and the boat full, the man at thebow pushed off, the oars were dipped, and amid the cheers of the crowdon shore the little craft was steered out into the harbour.
In his boyish excitement at getting into the boat, Gilbert had notobserved that his uncle Jasper was standing at the end of the quayquietly watching him. Gilbert had already bidden farewell to his uncle,as indeed to all the household at Modbury Manor, some three hoursbefore, and he could not have expected that Jasper, even allowing forthe great affection he had heretofore shown for him, would have thedesire to wish yet a second farewell.
But in actual truth it was a far other errand than this that had broughtJasper Oglander into the town so quickly upon his nephew's heels. It wasan errand which, had it been duly fulfilled, would have certainlyprevented Gilbert's departure from England. It was in fact with thepurpose of summoning the lad back to his home that Jasper had thushastened to the harbour.
And yet, strangely enough, he made not the smallest attempt to stop theboat as it put out from the landing-stairs; nay, he even seemed anxiousthat his nephew should not catch sight of him, for as the rowers pulledpast where he had stationed himself, he drew cautiously back into thecrowd. Apparently, therefore, it was in some way to Jasper's personaladvantage that Gilbert should be permitted to leave the country at thisparticular time. So it accordingly befell that the lad was taken out tohis ship, and that he proceeded on his voyage in total ignorance of amost important circumstance which directly concerned him.
When about noon that day Gilbert had mounted his horse to start forPlymouth, all had been well with the family at Modbury Manor. He hadwaved his hand in farewell to his grandfather, who had stood at the opencasement above the porch, and had embraced his mother and Drusilla, andshaken hands with all the servants. Drusilla and his uncle Jasper hadaccompanied him down the long avenue to the lodge gate, and thence hehad ridden off alone.
He had expected that his cousin Philip would be at the manor to bid himfarewell. Philip had been absent for two days, and, strangely enough, hehad given no reason for going away. None knew where he had goneexcepting his father, and Jasper, on being questioned, had merely statedthat the lad had had a mind to take an excursion into the country.Nothing was guessed of the part that he had taken in the affray onPolperro beach. Indeed, it seemed that Timothy Trollope alone knew this,and as Timothy was no longer in service at Modbury Manor, no word ofPhilip Oglander's connection with the escape of the Spanish prisoners ofwar had yet been spoken.
Gilbert had been gone scarcely an hour when a messenger on horsebackarrived bearing a letter for my Lord Champernoun. The letter wasdelivered into the aged baron's own hand in his private library. No onewas present when he opened and read it, but some minutes afterwards theLady Betty Oglander was passing the library door when she heard a heavyfall. She opened the door and looked within and saw Lord Champernounlying unconscious on the floor. She called aloud for help. Her cry wasanswered by Jasper. They went in together and lifted the old noblemaninto his chair. His face was bloodless, and they could not hear himbreathing.
"Holy Mother, he is dead!" exclaimed Jasper Oglander. "What in Heaven'sname can have caused it so suddenly?" He looked blankly about the roomas if in search of an explanation. Seeing the letter on the floor hepicked it up, and unnoticed by Lady Betty thrust it into the breast ofhis doublet.
"'Tis his heart!" cried Lady Betty. "He must surely have had some suddenshock. It may even be that Gilbert's departure hath unduly excited him."Then, remembering Gilbert, she turned to Jasper. "Good my brother," saidshe, "go, I beseech you, and bring back my son, for he must not beallowed to leave England. Take horse at once and bring him back, and--"she glanced once again at the lifeless baron, felt for the beating ofhis heart, and put her cheek to his lips to discover if there might notstill be some breath in him--"bring also a physician. There may yet behope."
Jasper shook his head sadly.
"It is death, madam," said he; "I know full well that it is death.Nevertheless, I will go at once into Plymouth and bring Gilbert backwith me; for, as you most truly say, he must not be permitted to quitthe country while his grandsire lies dead. Think on't, my lady," he wenton, "your son Gilbert is now the head of this noble house. He is BaronChampernoun--"
"Go--go at once!" implored Lady Betty, and her eyes followed himanxiously as he left the room. And as he went out Drusilla, Donna Lela,Christopher Pym, and others entered in alarm, only to find that LordChampernoun had passed indeed beyond all hope.
Little did Gilbert Oglander dream of this calamity as he sat in thestern of the rowing-boat that was taking him out to the _Revenge_. Histhoughts were only of the ships and of the men who were to be his futurecompanions, and he listened with full interest to the talk that wasgoing on beside him between Ambrose Pennington and old Jacob Hartop.
"Here we are, good my masters! There lieth our fleet!" cried Pennington,as the boat was brought round abreast of the outer wall of the harbour."Dost know the ships by sight, Hartop?"
"Not I," answered Jacob, leaning forward and running his eyes with slowdeliberation along the line of stately ships of war. "They be all newbuilt since my time, and, as I have already said, I have been these manyweeks past away from Plymouth, and only came into the town again earlythis morning. Prithee, which of them is the _Revenge_?"
"We can scarcely see her as yet," returned Pennington. "She doth lie outyonder beyond the point, half-hidden by the larger vessel that is mooredthis side of her. The larger ship is the _Bonaventure_, the greatest inthe squadron by a good hundred tons. Sir Robert Cross is hercommander--a right worthy seaman and a gallant. Next to her lies CaptainDuffield's ship the _Crane_, and astern of her again the _Foresight_,with Captain Thomas Vavasour's pennant flying from her mast-head. Thesetwo great ships to the leeward are the _Lion_ and the _Defiance_."
"Ay, and I judge that the _Defiance_ is the one with the higher hull,"remarked Hartop, "for I see she doth fly my Lord Thomas Howard's bannerand an admiral's pennant. 'Tis a right goodly array truly, yet smallenough, my masters, for the work we have in hand, as ye would surelyagree an you knew how many great galleons of Spain do go to make up thetreasure fleet that we have engaged to capture."
The boat was now being rowed along the line of the admiral's squadron,and Gilbert Oglander paid no farther regard to the conversation of hiscompanions, but directed his attention to each of the great vessels inturn. There were six of Queen Elizabeth's ships; the largest being the_Bonaventure_ of six hundred tons, and the smallest being the _Crane_ oftwo hundred tons. But in addition to these there were some half a dozenother vessels which had been contributed to the expedition by certainpatriotic English gentlemen and merchant adventurers, as the _BarkRaleigh_, which was Sir Walter Raleigh's share in the enterprise, the_Prudence_, the _Pilgrim_, and the _George Noble_. There were alsoseveral smaller ships, victuallers, as they were called, carrying storesand extra ammunition. The whole fleet numbered in all twenty sails, andthe combined companies numbered something like two thousand five hundredmen and boys. The larger ships mounted from thirty to fifty guns apiece.Of this squadron Lord Thomas Howard was the appointed admiral andgeneral. His vice-admiral was Sir Richard Grenville.