Ram; being the tale of one Ramillies Anstruther, 1704-55 .. (52 page)

"If he did, 'tain't there now. Went over every foot when I was young. Dug up a skeleton with a ball in the skull, but no doubloons. They was good days, when a man did what he listed. Too civilized now. King's officers always prying into a man's affairs. Might as well be in London now as Charles Town. Savannah's getting as bad, with port officers nosing into what's in your hold."

He indicated sites on islands where Spanish missions and forts had been. "But now all they want is to hold Augustine. Suppose we took their treasure galleons in the Bahama Channel? Ruination of Spain." He laughed gustily. "Aye, we'd ruin 'em sure if Frankie Drake still lived. Even Blackbeard would, but the Virginians vowed he didn't reckernize our own flag when he saw it, so they sent Lieutenant Maynard to teach him manners by lopping off his head."

When he saw Ram's smile, he bellowed anew. "Nay, sir, I weren't

one of his crew. But pirates is human hke the rest of us. I've knowed some. Daring, they was. But we've grown soft, what with parsons and books and such idle refinements."

Next day, off St. Augustine's bar, he took the vessel over as competently as if he were the port pilot. A guarda costa boat came out, and he jabbered Spanish with its crew. Ram listened, but pretended ignorance of the language.

After docking, Davis was carried ashore by slaves to the house of Roger Latham, an English merchant with a Spanish wife. Upon hearing of the stock, Latham proposed they be unloaded at once and taken to his own pens on the west side of the town.

"I'd best go with them," Ram said. "The bull's been unruly at sea and I'd not risk him breaking free to do damage." Actually, he wanted to examine the town, especially to see Fort San Marco on the north side, which was Spain's defiance to British America. But he made his reconnaissance brief and returned to the sloop just as Latham's Yamasee slave, Pablo, was goading the bull down the gangplank.

Remembering in time not to speak in Spanish, Ram angrily bade a seaman tell the Indian to desist. "If the brute's maddened he'll be dangerous," he warned. "Gently, or he'll break free."

When told, Pablo nodded impassively and, instead, pulled on the bull's nose rope. Like most Indian slaves, he moved with a curious shuffling gait, his heel tendons having been cut through to prevent his running away.

Ram went with the animals through the town to Latham's pens outside the west wall. This last was merely a ditch-protected cactus-studded bank, with a few stone bastions along its length. Easy to overrun by determined troops, he decided, though the fort might be as hard to take as any European citadel.

After three days, he sold a stallion to a Don Gregorio Camacho, who owned a hacienda northwest of the town. Upon the pretext that the animal was still nervous from the voyage, he insisted on delivering it himself, and rode out with a mounted slave as guide and leading the mare to return upon. Don Gregorio received him cordially and paid his high price. Ram took another route back in order to see more of the country. Westward the ground was marshy beyond the short St. Sebastian River which made St. Augustine virtually an island. Northeast was a decaying fort which the slave called Moosa. A good

place to hold, Ram thought, if ever we attack from the landward side.

Still feigning ignorance of Spanish, he let one of the Latham's pretty daughters teach him a few words, which he carefully mispronounced. Everyone, therefore, talked before him without restraint, and he found how traitorously garrulous Davis was about the English colonies' defenses; he even volunteered to buy the Spaniards all the muskets and powder they wanted in Charles Town itself.

The other stallion and the mare were sold, but not the bull. Au-gustinians, it seemed, thought of cattle as a source only of meat and leather, so saw no reason to improve the breed. Most herds, they said, lived wild in the bush; let them remain so. Knowing his animal's value, therefore, Ram was quite content to take it home again. He was now ready to leave whenever Davis was ready. Although as a foreigner he had not been allowed to enter the fort, he felt he had learned enough about its strength.

But on the morning of sailing day, Don Gregorio sent word that he was so satisfied with the stallion he wished to have the bull also, and would ride in to buy it by noon,

"Didn't I say they'd take all ye had?" Davis chuckled, "Tide don't turn till four, so there's ample time to make the sale."

But when Camacho hadn't arrived by two, he became irritable. "Dealt with the Dons half me life. Manana, that's their motto. Fair enough traders, but slothful. We can miss the tide, but 'twill mean my costs run on and I'll have to charge ye demurrage,"

"Bid them drive the brute down to the water front," Ram decided.

Pablo began leading the bull back through the town. But then Don Gregorio clattered up, waving and shouting. He had, he admitted lugubriously, used his spurs too hard on the stallion, so had been thrown. Only after a long chase had he been able to catch him and finish the trip. Would Senor Anstruther accept his apologies and inform him of the fine bull's price?

Amused, Ram named a figure. Don Gregorio politely named one lower. So the bargaining began, with Interpreter Davis becoming more impatient. Aware of this, Ram at last gave way and the sale was consummated by his receiving a large bag of silver reals.

A group of street idlers, mainly slaves, had stopped to listen and to admire the bull's sleek blackness. One Negro began indicating its finer points with his long staff. But Pablo shouted angrily and knocked

the staff aside—causing its point to scrape across the creature's eyes. There came a bellow as the beast tore free and, the rope trailing, charged down the street, sideswiping Don Gregorio's mount as it passed. The stallion reared, and once more the Spaniard took a bad toss.

Instantly Ram replaced him in the saddle and raced after the runaway. The street gave upon the plaza just opposite the church, toward which the now-frantic bovine lumbered as if seeking sanctuary.

Coming down the church steps was a woman, leading a small child.

Forgetting his role, Ram yelled in Spanish for her to turn back. She faltered, caught up the child, then froze, terrified. Level with the bull now, he bent low, tr}'ing to grab the trailing rope. But the woman, screaming, had flung herself to the ground, shielding the child with her body.

In desperation he launched himself from the horse onto the bull, locking his arms around its neck. His impact swerved it and, though his legs dragged, he held on. Help came panting up: Pablo caught the rope and, many volunteers pulling and shoving, at last turned the heaving brute back whence it had come.

Breathless and shaken, Ram went to the woman, who was sitting up and hugging the child. She was a Negress, clearly a nurse, for her charge was European. In broken Spanish he asked if either was hurt; but, saying no, she called upon the saints to preserve and bless him. Relieved, he patted the wide-eyed tot, took the stallion from an onlooker and remounted. Waving and smiling, he rode back into the street, where he met Davis and the limping Don Gregorio, to whom he returned the horse and bade farewell. Then he went toward the sloop.

Thus he failed to see a woman rush from the governor's mansion toward the child, but halt to stare after him incredulously. He was too far off to hear her cry, "John! John!"

As no harm had come to Juan, Brian was puzzled. Usually, Erinne had perfect control of herself, yet she seemed dazed and had gone to her room, begging to be left alone. He had complied, especially as he still had business to complete with the governor. But a few details now remained and tomorrow he could sail back to the Havana.

"If the French agree to stir up the tribes, the English will be far

loo engaged to annoy us," he told Don Francisco, studying a large-scale map. "But by all means have your agents buy up all the arms the Carolina merchants will sell. It will mean so much less for their own troops when the time comes. No doubt Davis will do this for you, for he'd sell his very soul for money."

Governor Francisco del Moral Sanchez sighed enviously. "What a relief you're in Cuba, Baron, weaving your net, and with money to do it. Alas, how I've pleaded for only enough to pay a few bribes—yet one would think I'd asked for the wealth of Peru itself! All that's saved our treasure galleons thus far is that the same winds that blow them out into the Atlantic prevent the English warships from leaving Charles Town harbor. But with a port, say, at Sansimona, they could lie in wait and overtake the galleons before they reach the open sea. I only pray the heretics are too stupid to do it."

'They're not stupid—would to God they were." Brian sipped his wine. "Why does Oglethorpe waste his time over a few debtors in the wilderness? Most of the trustees wish merely to help the unfortunate, but he and a few others must have more sinister motives."

"But surely Oglethorpe's family is devoted to your King James! I hear a sister is even maid of honor to our own Queen in Madrid. How then is it possible he should scheme against us?"

"Who can tell? History has shown many such. Could he be aspiring to carve an empire for himself and grow so powerful he could treat as an equal with Spain, France or even England itself? We know he's adroit in drawing the Indians to him. Perhaps he hopes to weld them into a great confederation."

"Could he be bought?" del Moral wondered. "Not with money, since I understand he has wealth, but with honors and titles?"

"He's already heir to his brother's barony, and certainly King James would raise him to even a dukedom to oblige His Catholic Majesty of Spain. But so far he seems contented with a mere gentleman's rank. No, since we can't fathom his real purpose, we must regard him as a dangerous enemy," Brian paused. "Already he's giving lands to half-pay officers; two arrived lately—Pinkerton and Pennifeather. And another's his close friend and my personal enemy. It's he who's here at this moment with Davis—a Captain Anstruther."

"I'll have him arrested. We can accuse him of being a spy."

"He doubtless is, but we can't afford another blunder like the one

a few years ago with the sea captain, Jenkins. You may recall a guarda costa slashed off his ear, and almost forced Walpole into war against us. No, when we do move, we must be ready—and ruthless. Until then we must lull them into apathy. And now, forgive me, but my daughter is so distressed by that accident I fear an illness, which could delay our sailing."

When he knocked, Erinne sat beside a shuttered window but rose listlessly as he went to her. "What ails you, my dear?" he asked gently. "Surely your fright is past? After all, Juan wasn't even scratched."

"Father." She faced him, her eyes almost staring. "I saw him!"

"Him?"

"My John—John Royston!" Her voice rose hysterically.

"Impossible!" He was disturbed. Had shock brought hallucinations?

"No! It was he who saved Juan. He was riding away just as I ran out. He turned and waved. Oh, Father, he's alive, alive!"

"Girl!" He gripped her arm, yet forced himself to speak calmly. "My dear, you're overwrought. If your lover were here, I would have been told, for ever}' Englishman who steps ashore is reported to the governor at once. No, you imagine merely what you long for to happen."

"No! No! Do you think I don't know his face? Perhaps he uses another name—anything—but by our Holy Mother I swear he's John!"

He stiffened. "His appearance! Quick, describe him!"

There was silence, both of them remembering the time when she, already racked by her mother's sudden death, had to confess to him that she carried a nameless child; remembering how in his fury he had forbidden her ever again to mention her seducer to him.

And now!

"Tall and slim," she whispered at last. "With red-gold hair and hazel eyes like Juan's, and a smile that—"

"Enough!" Frozen faced, he hurried back to the governor. "Excellence, you have the report on the Englishman, Anstruther. I wish to see it again."

His hand shook as he took the paper Don Francisco handed him. Yes! Tall; red-brown hair; yellow-brown eyes, aged about 30. . . .

He strode into the patio. Great God! That night outside the opera, Anstruther's hair must have been powdered or he had wom a wig. Upon reading Latham's report originally, there had been no need to

pay especial attention, since the Englishman's identity was fully known.

A strangled curse escaped him. So this had been Anstruther's revenge for his refusal to fight him! "Cur! Bastard!" he raged, then laughed with terrible bitterness. Yes, but Erinne's bastard!

He burst in upon his startled host again, demanding to know if Davis had yet sailed. Clerks and slaves went scurrying. The report came quickly. The sloop had crossed the bar before sunset and was now probably twenty miles on its course.

Calm at last, Brian made his decision. He'd not be a fool and go himself among the English to kill the dog—personal vengeance mustn't endanger the fate of nations. Besides, why offer him an honorable death when he could be dealt with as a spy against Spain?

"Mazzique!" he cried aloud. "Aye, and Indians!"

Davis was out at sea before he found one of his slaves missing.

"Rot his black soul!" he bellowed, realizing the Negro had taken advantage of the Spanish fiat that any English slave reaching St. Augustine would be declared free. "Turn about! I'll flog him to ribbons. Thinks the Dons won't hand him back, hey? I'll show him!"

But the southwest wind was freshening and, though he blustered and cursed, he was too good a seaman to turn back into what was becoming a gale. During the night, in fact, he was driven off coune to the east; but next day, by clever tacking, he regained sight of land and ran at last into the sound south of Jekyll Island. Protected now he turned north through the inland way.

Off the Altamaha's main mouth he bore down on a piragua manned by white fishermen, who answered his hails in a strange tongue. "Salz-burgers," he opined. "They're a long way from the Savannah, eh?"

But Ram had noticed their dress. Besides, their answers hadn't been in German. "Ecod, they're Highland Scots! Heave to, Captain."