CHAPTER XIX.
A SPLENDID DISOBEDIENCE.
Gilbert came down upon the beach at the spot where the men of the_Defiance_ and the _Bonaventure_ were encamped. Sir Robert Cross and SirRichard Grenville had come ashore, and their voices sounded loud andre-echoed among the rocks as they issued orders to the men to carry theinvalids down to the boats and hasten on board. All was bustle, noise,and confusion. Here a stalwart man of Devon had shouldered one of hissick shipmates and was carrying him over the shingle, here others wererolling down water-breakers that had been left from the early morning,and others again carrying bedding and tent-poles, with their wrappingsof ropes and sail-cloth.
The first person whom Gilbert recognised in the crowd was TimothyTrollope.
"What means all this commotion, Tim?" he inquired. "Is't thetreasure-ships in sight?"
"No such good luck," answered Tim, looking up from his work of liftingone of the admiral's men upon his shoulder. "Here, I pray you, lend me ahand, Master Gilbert, and I'll tell you as we carry this poor fellow tohis boat."
Gilbert took the man's legs in his arms while Timothy laid hold of himby his body, and as they bore him downward over the rough beach Timsaid:
"Didst thou not see the coming of the ship, then?"
"I indeed saw a little ship approach," returned Gilbert, "but I know notwhence she came nor--"
"'Tis Captain Middleton's ship," interrupted Timothy. "CaptainMiddleton's ship come hence from Spain to give the alarm that full halfa hundred of King Philip's warships are even now bearing down upon uswith intent to do battle!"
"I have seen them. I saw them from the heights," declared Gilbert. Andthen questioning Timothy further he learned that Captain Middleton hadbeen one of the Earl of Cumberland's fleet, that he had had a race withthe galleons and had outstripped them by only a few hours' sail. He hadcounted three-and-fifty galleons--the best that Spain possessed, and itseemed that the King of Spain, knowing of Lord Thomas Howard's presenceand intention at the Azores, had sent out this formidable fleet tofrustrate his foes and protect his treasure-ships against the English.
The news had come upon Lord Thomas Howard like a thunder-clap, when hewas all unprepared for the emergency. As we have seen, more than halfthe crew in every ship were away on shore, lying sick, while a largepart of the remainder were busy collecting ballast and getting water. Onboard most of the ships only a few officers and ship-keepers were left.Yet taken by surprise as they were, the captains were now meeting theperilous situation with a prompt alacrity worthy of the navy of whichthey were proud to form a part. Sir Richard Grenville as vice-admiralhad hastened ashore, knowing that it was his duty to remain behind withhis ship until the last man was on board. He now gave his orders calmlyand with no show of hurry, and when he had seen the men of the flag-shipwell in the way of getting on board, he passed on along the beach towhere those of the _Bonaventure_ were preparing to quit their temporarydwelling-place. In like manner he saw to the men of Captain Fenner's_Lion_, Captain Vavasour's _Foresight_, Captain Duffield's _Crane_, andto those of the _Bark Raleigh_, the _Pilgrim_, the _George Noble_, andthe other smaller ships. Lastly, he came to his own men of the_Revenge_, and when these had been sent on board he again made his wayalong the beach to pick up all the possible stragglers. This workoccupied him little more than half an hour, for all knew what was atstake, and each man had taken his own duty in hand with readypromptitude.
The first alarm-gun had been fired at one o'clock. By two o'clock fiveof the six men-of-war and all the victuallers, flyboats, and pinnaceshad slipped their cables or weighed their anchors, had shaken out theirsails and were beginning to work out seaward for an offing.
While Sir Richard Grenville was on shore the admiral himself had notbeen idle. It was too late now to think of ballasting his ships, whichwere all too light by reason of having been emptied of all the old andinfected ballast that they had brought in them from England; but heknew that more than half his forces were sick and useless for the workof battle, that on the _Bonaventure_, his largest ship, there were notso many men in health as could handle her mainsail, so he ordered that ascore of the best should be transferred to her from the ship that SirGeorge Cary had sent out with the expedition, while Sir George Cary'sship was at the last moment scuttled and left to go to the bottom.
Lord Thomas Howard signalled his orders to his little fleet, and his ownship, the _Defiance_, led the way out into the offing, for the Spanishgalleons were already approaching the nearest headland of the island andhe deemed it wise to escape as speedily as he could. He saw that the_Revenge_ had not yet weighed anchor, and he signalled to her yet again,intending that Grenville should loiter no longer, but that, whatever hercondition or the condition of the few men still remaining ashore, sheshould at once slip her cable and follow in her appointed place at therear.
Sir Richard Grenville saw the signal, but thinking only of the sick menin his charge he would not start until he had collected and shipped thelast of his crew, who, if he had left them on shore, must have beenlost.
"We cannot leave the poor fellows here to die," said he to TimothyTrollope, who had been with him during this time helping the men intothe boats. "It were surely cowardly to abandon them. Heave yourself upon my back, lad," he added, speaking to Red Bob, who was now the lastremaining man. "There is yet time if we are but quick." And withTimothy's help he carried Bob down to the boat, and then they were rowedout to the _Revenge_.
Then with every man safe on board he at last weighed. At the sameinstant as the dripping anchor came to the bows, the tall masts withtheir bellying sails and the towering hulls of the two vanguardsquadrons of the Spanish fleet appeared under the headland. On thegalleons swept to the windward of the _Revenge_, with their ports tricedup and the gun muzzles showing, and the brass patereros glittering inthe afternoon sun.
Sir Richard, standing, as it seemed, quite unconcerned upon hisquarter-deck, took in the position in which he was placed. To thewindward of him were the fifty-three great galleons of Spain. On hislee, now drawing wind and sailing quickly into safety, were the ships ofLord Thomas Howard. Grenville was not a trained seaman, and he knew butfew of the mariner's tricks and tactics, but he understood his presentcase well enough to know that his best and only chance of safety was to'bout ship and run for it in the endeavour to weather the leaders of theSpaniards.
He cast a moment's glance at his sailing-master and in turn at CaptainRobinson, who stood near him.
"It seemeth to me," remarked the master, "that we have lingered overlong."
"Ay," added Captain Robinson. "The delay hath cost Her Majesty hergoodliest ship and us our lives and our long-cherished honour."
"How so?" questioned Grenville, in the blunt direct tone which signifiedhis inward excitement.
Captain Robinson raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, and his fingersplayed with the point of his well-trimmed black beard.
"Why," answered he in a seemingly careless tone, "methinks we are caughtin a very pretty trap, that is all." And then a new and earnest lightflashing in his beautiful blue eyes, he added: "Look you, Sir Richard,we have but one way only. Let out your mainsail, sir, and cast about,and trust to the sailing of the ship. She is ill-conditioned, 'tis true;but 'twill go ill if we cannot even yet escape and join our squadron."
Sir Richard Grenville regarded him with a stern determined glance.
"What!" he cried. And then he laughed, and in a softer voice added: "No,no. I never yet turned tail on devil or Don, nor will I do so now.Rather would I die this day than dishonour myself, my country, or HerMajesty's ship!" He strode slowly across the deck and as slowlyreturned. Then he looked out over the rail at the approaching galleons.They now appeared in two well-ordered squadrons on his weather-bow,sailing down upon him between the two neighbour islands of Flores andCorvo. "Truly they are a brave sight," he went on, "as gallant a sightas mine eyes have rested upon these three years agone. But, mark you,Master Robinson, I mean not to fly
from them, not I. 'Tis one againstfifty-three, but, by thunder, I mean to adventure it! In despite oftheir so great strength I intend to pass in betwixt those two squadronsand force them to give me way!"
"Nay, 'tis impossible; 'twere rank madness to make the attempt," criedthe master. "Sure 'tis no dishonour to fly before such overwhelmingnumbers. Cast about, sir, while yet there is time. Believe me, 'tis thebetter course."
But Sir Richard Grenville would not be persuaded, and the word waspassed aft to the steersman to take the ship in between the two lines ofgalleons.
It was at this moment that Gilbert Oglander showed himself before hischief. He was about to ask some question, but Sir Richard cut him short.
"Bring me my casque, boy, and my breastplates and tassets, also my bestsword!" Then to the master he added: "Let beat the men to their fightingquarters. Run out the guns, and let every one be manned by a brave sonof Devon that will stick to his post while there be powder to shoot andships to be shot."
None on board had expected this order. All were appalled by SirRichard's boldness. But when once the word had gone forth that there wasfighting to be done, there was not a man or a boy whose bodily healthpermitted him who did not fly to his particular post with joy at thethought of having it out with the hated Spaniards.
Already the _Revenge_ was drifting onward to meet her foes. With herhundred eager fighting-men on her decks, and her ninety sick lyingunserviceable on the ballast, she slowly made her way into the narrowchannel between the oncoming galleons. The first four of them, eitherawed by her boldness or else not quite prepared, permitted her to pass,but immediately "sprang their luff" and fell under her lee, where theycontented themselves with firing a few shots into one of the Englishvictualling ships, the _George Noble_, of London, that with greaterspirit than might have been expected of so small a craft, had detachedherself from Her Majesty's ships and fallen behind to offer aid to thehard-pressed _Revenge_. Her captain, scorning the few shots that hadrattled through his shrouds, now brought her under the _Revenge's_counter and called out to Sir Richard Grenville, asking him forcommands.
"Nay, seek no commands of me," cried Grenville in reply. "But saveyourself, in God's name, while there be time. As for me, why, prithee,leave me to my fortune. I can look after myself if any man can."
At this moment occurred the catastrophe which Captain Robinson and thesailing-master had clearly foreseen. The great galleon, _San Philip_,being to the windward of the _Revenge_, and coming speedily towards her,becalmed her sails, which flapped loose, flattened against her masts,hung down, and ceased to draw. The _Revenge_ lost the way that was uponher, and she could neither move onward nor obey her helm. The _SanPhilip_ was a huge and high-charged ship of fifteen hundred tons--threetimes the burden of the _Revenge_,--carrying three tiers of ordnance ona side, and eleven pieces in every tier. She had eight great gunspeeping out of her chase-ports, and from these she belched forth avolley of cross-bar shot that crashed into Grenville's gallant littleship, making her tremble in every plank, yet doing but slight mischief.And at the same time the three galleons that were to his leeward luffedup, and fired their forward guns into his rigging. These ships were allhigh in the hull, and their guns were so trained that the shots passedover the _Revenge's_ upper bulwarks, only severing a few ropes orclipping some splinters of timber from off her masts and yards. One ofthe nearest galleons was the admiral, or flag-ship, of the Biscayansquadron, a very mighty and powerful vessel, commanded by the greatSpanish warrior Britandona.
Gilbert Oglander, as he strode towards the companion stairs after havinghelped Sir Richard Grenville to don his body armour, glanced round atthe vast fleet of the enemy. Each galleon's decks and fighting-tops werecrowded with soldiers, whose morions and breastplates glistened in theafternoon sun. On the _San Philip's_ decks there were, as he afterwardsestimated, no fewer than six or seven hundred soldiers, apart from herseamen, and the others of the Spanish ships must certainly have beenequally well manned; while on the _Revenge_ there were no fighting-menbeside the mariners, excepting only the servants of her officers andsome few gentlemen volunteers like himself.
Already the dread sounds of battle greeted Gilbert's unaccustomed ears.The loud rumbling roar of the cannons coming from the lumbering hullsbelow was mingled with the sharp crackling of musketry from above, wherethe Spaniards posted in the tops were firing in the hope of picking offsome of the English officers. The air was even at this early timecharged with a faint smell of burnt gunpowder. Gilbert did not pause towatch the opening of the battle, but hastened down to the main-deck,where, for the present, he was to occupy himself in helping the gunnersand carrying out the powder from the magazines.
Here, down below, he found Edward Webbe with his lighted lintlock coollyglancing outward along the barrel of a great brass gun. There was noneed to take careful aim, for wheresoever the cannon might be fired itscontents of heavy shot were certain to strike into the oaken hull of oneof the galleons. Webbe applied his fuse, and the cannon flung forth itsspurt of fire with a thunderous boom that made the very deck shake andthe strained lashings creak. Along the whole space of the 'tween decksand at both sides the gunners applied themselves to their work withquiet and unruffled movements, and presently Edward Webbe gave up hisgun to another man and undertook the task of directing his shipmates inthe work, only peering out now and again through one of the portholesto watch the movements of the enemy, as galleon after galleon camewithin close range.
"Steady, my lads!" he cried, "and take good aim. Waste not a shot, butmark well where it must find its home. Lower your gun's muzzle, MatthewGiles," he said to one who was training his piece to fire against thewalls of one of the nearer galleons. "Take her below the water-line, andsink her."
It was the great _San Philip_ that was alongside now. Having blocked outthe breeze from the _Revenge's_ sails by her own vast stretch of canvas,she had forced herself full into the path of the English man-of-war, andswung herself round broadside to broadside, with her grapplings ready tohold her intended victim fast and so overpower her by superior strength,and riddle her with shot until she should sink. This was just at threeo'clock in the afternoon, and forthwith the terrible and memorablecombat was begun in desperate earnest.
At the same time four other of the most formidable of the Spanishgalleons--the smallest of them double the size of the _Revenge_--drewout to support the _San Philip_, and took up positions round Sir RichardGrenville's ship, two on her larboard side, one astern of her, and thefourth under her bows. And all five assailed her with a storm of ironshot and heavy stone balls and langrage and cross-bar shot. The noise ofthe discharge of so many guns was deafening to hear. But it was seenthat the greater number of the shots passed over her, so low in the hullwas she compared with the towering height of her enemies. Neverthelessmany a shot buried itself in her stout sides, many crashed through herbulwarks, cut great pieces out of her masts, and tore her sails andrigging. But her gallant flag of St George waved gloriously on high; hermen stuck to their work with ever-ripening courage, and small though shewas in the midst of her huge foes, she dealt them as much as they gave:nay, even more than that, for she had British guns on board of her andBritish men to fire them, and never a shot did they fire that did nottell.
After the interchange of many volleys of great ordnance and small-shot,the Spaniards, finding that the _Revenge_ still held her ground anddefended herself with so great determination, made an attempt to boardher, hoping to force her by the sheer multitude of their armed soldiersand musketeers. The great _San Philip_ drew to close quarters. Herbulging sides crunched against those of the _Revenge_, and a host of hermen clambered over her rails, pike and sword in hand, climbed into the_Revenge's_ lower shrouds, and swarmed like so many infuriated beesalong her stout bulwarks at every point. But Ambrose Pennington, who hadcontrol of the murderer-gun on the starboard side of Sir Richard'squarter-deck, was ready at the moment with his fuse. He fired the gun,and its scattering charge of small-shot played fearful havoc among thewould-be boarde
rs, while those who escaped the destructive fire felleither back between the ships or forward upon the deck of the _Revenge_,where they were speedily overpowered.
Nor were the gunners below decks unmindful of their opportunity. At themoment when the Spaniards were in the act of boarding, Edward Webbe hadevery gun on his starboard side ready loaded with cross-bar shot andprimed. He gave the order, and his men applied their lintlocks, and thefull broadside was discharged straight into the _San Philip's_ hull.After this she sheered off with all diligence from her too closeposition, "utterly misliking her first entertainment". It was saidafterwards that the galleon foundered, but Sir Walter Raleigh in hiswritten account of the fight cast doubt upon the point. Howbeit, nosooner had the _San Philip_ been cleared away than her position wastaken up by yet another galleon, only to be beaten off in like manner.One after another they closed and boarded, one after another they wereflung back beaten and in confusion, their boarders being repulsed againand again, taking refuge in their own ships or else falling into theseas.
To tell every incident of this terrible battle would make a long story,albeit the valour displayed by our English seamen on that great occasionhas no more glorious example in all the annals of our navy's history.Hour after hour went by and still the _Revenge_ fought on with undauntedcourage. Many of her men were slain and many were hurt, and her surgeonsand their assistants were busy in the hold. Yet the Spaniards sufferedmore. Early in the fight Don Louis Cutino, one of the admirals ofSeville, brought his galleon alongside in all her bravery, but he hadnot fought for more than a quarter of an hour ere a broadside from the_Revenge_ was fired point blank into his vessel's hull, sinking her withall on board. And the same fate befell the powerful galleon, the_Ascension_, of Seville, commanded by the Marquis of Arumburch. Oneother galleon, sorely beaten, had yet strength to recover the roadsteadof the island of St. Michaels, where she quickly followed her anchor tothe bottom. A fourth, to save her men, was run aground on Flores.
All through that hot August afternoon the _Revenge_ fought on, and aseach galleon was driven off another pushed in to relieve her beatenconsort and to renew the attack upon the stubborn little Englishman-of-war, who withstood it all with her hundred men on board,resisting all comers. With never fewer than two mighty galleons by herside, she fought to the death, single-handed.
The Spaniards had an unlimited reserve. They could not all hope to emptytheir guns into their heroic little foe, but they crowded round, evernear, to supply the attacking ships when needed with fresh soldiers,all manner of arms, and with powder and shot in plenty. To the _Revenge_there remained no such comfort, no supply of either ships or men orweapons, and, alas! no hope.