Chapter VII.Anaudible murmur ran through the crowd of spectators, and Martin Alonzo knew, without looking, that it was caused as much by the well-disposed as by the disaffected among the crew, and he was certain that some of the cabin passengers had helped to swell the murmur; but he was not the man to deviate from his intention for the opinion of others, and so only repeated:“To the mast, I say!”So Diego was triced to the mast and the crew driven in a body forward. The flogging would be no light thing, but it was the bitter humiliation that Diego dreaded most. He almost wished Miguel had thrown him overboard the night before.Miguel! Yes, he was suffering this for him and for Juan. He had not taken the oath they had wished him to swear, and yet he was as faithful to them as if he had done so. And where were they now? Were they going to see him flogged? Would they let it be done?He looked despairingly into the crowd of sailors,and saw many pitying faces, but not theirs. He thought bitterly that they might have given him the comfort of their sympathy.How could he know that at that moment Juan was struggling in the strong grasp of Miguel? How could he know that when he had been hurried to the mast, Juan had sprung forward, saying, “They shall not do that.”But it was so. Juan had first watched Diego with fear and hatred in his heart for him; but when he saw and understood how Diego was making a sacrifice of himself for him and Miguel, for two persons whom he disliked and whom he could be rid of by a word, the convict boy was stirred by a generous feeling that made him determine that Diego should not be flogged for him, and so he had muttered, “They shall not do that,” and would have gone up to Martin Alonzo and accused himself. But Miguel was made of baser material and would have nothing of the sort.“Fool!” he said, “what would you do?”“They shall not flog him. I know how he will take it. The shame will kill him. He is brave. I will not see it done!”He struggled to free himself from Miguel, but the latter placed his hand over his mouth and quickly dragged him into the forecastle.“Better his back scored than our necks broken, you fool!” said Miguel.“I will not betray you. I will take all the blame,” said Juan. “Let me go. I will cry out!”“You are mad. I will choke you if you do not keep still. It will soon be over. Let us be thankful he has the courage to stand it.”But the noble generosity that swelled the boy’s heart would not permit him to keep still, and while he seemed to acquiesce and submit he was only gathering strength for a final struggle, so that presently he wrenched himself free and darted out on deck and frantically pushed his way through the crowd of sailors. When he reached the mast, however, Diego was not there any longer. He did not know how time had sped while he was struggling with Miguel, and he gasped:“Have they flogged him?”“No, they have taken him to the cabin,” was the answer.And this is how that had happened: No one, not even Francisco Martin Pinzon, or Garcia Fernandez, the steward of the vessel, and a man of importance, had dared to interfere to save Diego from the anger of his cousin, though both desired to do so. But while Diego was beingtied to the mast, the carpenter raised his head above the rail and whispered a few words to Francisco Martin, which he repeated to Garcia Fernandez.They both looked at each other and seemed to gain the same idea at once; for both sprang to the side of Martin Alonzo, and Francisco Martin said in a low tone:“Forbear flogging the lad, brother; the carpenter has imparted such intelligence to us as puts a new light on the matter. Let us to the cabin.”Perhaps by this time Martin Alonzo was glad of an excuse to refrain; for he turned to go, first saying to the third mate:“Hold your hand till I return.”“It might be wise to have the lad in the cabin with us,” said Garcia Fernandez.“Francisco Martin,” said the captain, shortly, “have him in the cabin.”So, while Diego was shudderingly awaiting the shameful blow, he was released and taken into the cabin, where his elder cousin and the steward sat. Martin Alonzo did not look at him, but turned to his brother and asked:“What is it the carpenter says?”“He says there is plain evidence that the rudder was tampered with before ever the ship leftport, and that it is a wonder it did not give out ere this.”Martin Alonzo knit his brow.“That should have been discovered before we sailed. It was gross negligence that it was not,” he said.“So that you do not hold me accountable,” said Francisco Martin, with an angry flush, “I will agree with you.”“I could not watch everything,” said Martin Alonzo, a little doggedly. “But it is idle to cross words on that. The rudder, it is like, was tampered with before we left port; but it is certain that a knife was used last night to cut the gear; for the cut was a fresh one. Boy, will you tell me what you know of this matter?”It is probable that Garcia Fernandez, who was at once a shrewd and a kindly man, saw a look of obstinacy gathering on Diego’s face. Certainly the boy resented the tone and manner of his cousin, and was ready to put the harshest construction on his words. The steward said hastily, before Diego could give word to the answer that sprang to his lips:“Your pardon, Martin Alonzo, but may I have a word with the boy before he speaks in answer?”“Let it be brief,” was the gruff assent.“I do not know,” said Garcia Fernandez to Diego, “whether or not you have anything to tell, and of course I appreciate your unwillingness to seem a spy on your fellow-sailors; but this is a matter that concerns your life and my life and the lives of all of us. Bethink you, Diego, that what has been done once may be done again, and the more readily that it goes unpunished and undetected this time; and the next time the end may be our deaths. In that case it will be your crime as much as that of the man who does the act. To refuse to divulge what you know is generous and brave, it may be; but it is the madness of generosity and bravery.”Diego could not but be affected by the argument; but he had his side to present, too. He looked resentfully at his cousin and said:“I put myself in my cousin Captain Martin Alonzo’s way yesterday to warn him, and he thrust me aside with a blow.”“How was I to know what you had to say?” demanded Martin Alonzo.“You might have heard me, at least. But no, you could not grant even that courtesy to my mother’s son. I did not come this mad voyage to please myself, and I like it not; but I would have done my duty, and will do it now if you will but let me.” Garcia Fernandez motionedhim to hush, pointing to the gathering wrath on Martin Alonzo’s face; but Diego was in the full tide of his wrongs and was not to be hushed. “You have forced me to come, when I prayed you not; you have likened me publicly to a thief and a convict; you have struck me unreasonably; and you have been willing to put a felon’s shame on me. If your ship had gone to the bottom it would have been your own fault in putting such a fear on me that I could not tell my plain duty. So I say to you plainly, I know who cut the gear, and I will not tell you!”There Diego stopped, and doggedly shut his lips, while Garcia Fernandez and Francisco Martin looked at each other in dismay.
Chapter VII.Anaudible murmur ran through the crowd of spectators, and Martin Alonzo knew, without looking, that it was caused as much by the well-disposed as by the disaffected among the crew, and he was certain that some of the cabin passengers had helped to swell the murmur; but he was not the man to deviate from his intention for the opinion of others, and so only repeated:“To the mast, I say!”So Diego was triced to the mast and the crew driven in a body forward. The flogging would be no light thing, but it was the bitter humiliation that Diego dreaded most. He almost wished Miguel had thrown him overboard the night before.Miguel! Yes, he was suffering this for him and for Juan. He had not taken the oath they had wished him to swear, and yet he was as faithful to them as if he had done so. And where were they now? Were they going to see him flogged? Would they let it be done?He looked despairingly into the crowd of sailors,and saw many pitying faces, but not theirs. He thought bitterly that they might have given him the comfort of their sympathy.How could he know that at that moment Juan was struggling in the strong grasp of Miguel? How could he know that when he had been hurried to the mast, Juan had sprung forward, saying, “They shall not do that.”But it was so. Juan had first watched Diego with fear and hatred in his heart for him; but when he saw and understood how Diego was making a sacrifice of himself for him and Miguel, for two persons whom he disliked and whom he could be rid of by a word, the convict boy was stirred by a generous feeling that made him determine that Diego should not be flogged for him, and so he had muttered, “They shall not do that,” and would have gone up to Martin Alonzo and accused himself. But Miguel was made of baser material and would have nothing of the sort.“Fool!” he said, “what would you do?”“They shall not flog him. I know how he will take it. The shame will kill him. He is brave. I will not see it done!”He struggled to free himself from Miguel, but the latter placed his hand over his mouth and quickly dragged him into the forecastle.“Better his back scored than our necks broken, you fool!” said Miguel.“I will not betray you. I will take all the blame,” said Juan. “Let me go. I will cry out!”“You are mad. I will choke you if you do not keep still. It will soon be over. Let us be thankful he has the courage to stand it.”But the noble generosity that swelled the boy’s heart would not permit him to keep still, and while he seemed to acquiesce and submit he was only gathering strength for a final struggle, so that presently he wrenched himself free and darted out on deck and frantically pushed his way through the crowd of sailors. When he reached the mast, however, Diego was not there any longer. He did not know how time had sped while he was struggling with Miguel, and he gasped:“Have they flogged him?”“No, they have taken him to the cabin,” was the answer.And this is how that had happened: No one, not even Francisco Martin Pinzon, or Garcia Fernandez, the steward of the vessel, and a man of importance, had dared to interfere to save Diego from the anger of his cousin, though both desired to do so. But while Diego was beingtied to the mast, the carpenter raised his head above the rail and whispered a few words to Francisco Martin, which he repeated to Garcia Fernandez.They both looked at each other and seemed to gain the same idea at once; for both sprang to the side of Martin Alonzo, and Francisco Martin said in a low tone:“Forbear flogging the lad, brother; the carpenter has imparted such intelligence to us as puts a new light on the matter. Let us to the cabin.”Perhaps by this time Martin Alonzo was glad of an excuse to refrain; for he turned to go, first saying to the third mate:“Hold your hand till I return.”“It might be wise to have the lad in the cabin with us,” said Garcia Fernandez.“Francisco Martin,” said the captain, shortly, “have him in the cabin.”So, while Diego was shudderingly awaiting the shameful blow, he was released and taken into the cabin, where his elder cousin and the steward sat. Martin Alonzo did not look at him, but turned to his brother and asked:“What is it the carpenter says?”“He says there is plain evidence that the rudder was tampered with before ever the ship leftport, and that it is a wonder it did not give out ere this.”Martin Alonzo knit his brow.“That should have been discovered before we sailed. It was gross negligence that it was not,” he said.“So that you do not hold me accountable,” said Francisco Martin, with an angry flush, “I will agree with you.”“I could not watch everything,” said Martin Alonzo, a little doggedly. “But it is idle to cross words on that. The rudder, it is like, was tampered with before we left port; but it is certain that a knife was used last night to cut the gear; for the cut was a fresh one. Boy, will you tell me what you know of this matter?”It is probable that Garcia Fernandez, who was at once a shrewd and a kindly man, saw a look of obstinacy gathering on Diego’s face. Certainly the boy resented the tone and manner of his cousin, and was ready to put the harshest construction on his words. The steward said hastily, before Diego could give word to the answer that sprang to his lips:“Your pardon, Martin Alonzo, but may I have a word with the boy before he speaks in answer?”“Let it be brief,” was the gruff assent.“I do not know,” said Garcia Fernandez to Diego, “whether or not you have anything to tell, and of course I appreciate your unwillingness to seem a spy on your fellow-sailors; but this is a matter that concerns your life and my life and the lives of all of us. Bethink you, Diego, that what has been done once may be done again, and the more readily that it goes unpunished and undetected this time; and the next time the end may be our deaths. In that case it will be your crime as much as that of the man who does the act. To refuse to divulge what you know is generous and brave, it may be; but it is the madness of generosity and bravery.”Diego could not but be affected by the argument; but he had his side to present, too. He looked resentfully at his cousin and said:“I put myself in my cousin Captain Martin Alonzo’s way yesterday to warn him, and he thrust me aside with a blow.”“How was I to know what you had to say?” demanded Martin Alonzo.“You might have heard me, at least. But no, you could not grant even that courtesy to my mother’s son. I did not come this mad voyage to please myself, and I like it not; but I would have done my duty, and will do it now if you will but let me.” Garcia Fernandez motionedhim to hush, pointing to the gathering wrath on Martin Alonzo’s face; but Diego was in the full tide of his wrongs and was not to be hushed. “You have forced me to come, when I prayed you not; you have likened me publicly to a thief and a convict; you have struck me unreasonably; and you have been willing to put a felon’s shame on me. If your ship had gone to the bottom it would have been your own fault in putting such a fear on me that I could not tell my plain duty. So I say to you plainly, I know who cut the gear, and I will not tell you!”There Diego stopped, and doggedly shut his lips, while Garcia Fernandez and Francisco Martin looked at each other in dismay.
Anaudible murmur ran through the crowd of spectators, and Martin Alonzo knew, without looking, that it was caused as much by the well-disposed as by the disaffected among the crew, and he was certain that some of the cabin passengers had helped to swell the murmur; but he was not the man to deviate from his intention for the opinion of others, and so only repeated:
“To the mast, I say!”
So Diego was triced to the mast and the crew driven in a body forward. The flogging would be no light thing, but it was the bitter humiliation that Diego dreaded most. He almost wished Miguel had thrown him overboard the night before.
Miguel! Yes, he was suffering this for him and for Juan. He had not taken the oath they had wished him to swear, and yet he was as faithful to them as if he had done so. And where were they now? Were they going to see him flogged? Would they let it be done?
He looked despairingly into the crowd of sailors,and saw many pitying faces, but not theirs. He thought bitterly that they might have given him the comfort of their sympathy.
How could he know that at that moment Juan was struggling in the strong grasp of Miguel? How could he know that when he had been hurried to the mast, Juan had sprung forward, saying, “They shall not do that.”
But it was so. Juan had first watched Diego with fear and hatred in his heart for him; but when he saw and understood how Diego was making a sacrifice of himself for him and Miguel, for two persons whom he disliked and whom he could be rid of by a word, the convict boy was stirred by a generous feeling that made him determine that Diego should not be flogged for him, and so he had muttered, “They shall not do that,” and would have gone up to Martin Alonzo and accused himself. But Miguel was made of baser material and would have nothing of the sort.
“Fool!” he said, “what would you do?”
“They shall not flog him. I know how he will take it. The shame will kill him. He is brave. I will not see it done!”
He struggled to free himself from Miguel, but the latter placed his hand over his mouth and quickly dragged him into the forecastle.
“Better his back scored than our necks broken, you fool!” said Miguel.
“I will not betray you. I will take all the blame,” said Juan. “Let me go. I will cry out!”
“You are mad. I will choke you if you do not keep still. It will soon be over. Let us be thankful he has the courage to stand it.”
But the noble generosity that swelled the boy’s heart would not permit him to keep still, and while he seemed to acquiesce and submit he was only gathering strength for a final struggle, so that presently he wrenched himself free and darted out on deck and frantically pushed his way through the crowd of sailors. When he reached the mast, however, Diego was not there any longer. He did not know how time had sped while he was struggling with Miguel, and he gasped:
“Have they flogged him?”
“No, they have taken him to the cabin,” was the answer.
And this is how that had happened: No one, not even Francisco Martin Pinzon, or Garcia Fernandez, the steward of the vessel, and a man of importance, had dared to interfere to save Diego from the anger of his cousin, though both desired to do so. But while Diego was beingtied to the mast, the carpenter raised his head above the rail and whispered a few words to Francisco Martin, which he repeated to Garcia Fernandez.
They both looked at each other and seemed to gain the same idea at once; for both sprang to the side of Martin Alonzo, and Francisco Martin said in a low tone:
“Forbear flogging the lad, brother; the carpenter has imparted such intelligence to us as puts a new light on the matter. Let us to the cabin.”
Perhaps by this time Martin Alonzo was glad of an excuse to refrain; for he turned to go, first saying to the third mate:
“Hold your hand till I return.”
“It might be wise to have the lad in the cabin with us,” said Garcia Fernandez.
“Francisco Martin,” said the captain, shortly, “have him in the cabin.”
So, while Diego was shudderingly awaiting the shameful blow, he was released and taken into the cabin, where his elder cousin and the steward sat. Martin Alonzo did not look at him, but turned to his brother and asked:
“What is it the carpenter says?”
“He says there is plain evidence that the rudder was tampered with before ever the ship leftport, and that it is a wonder it did not give out ere this.”
Martin Alonzo knit his brow.
“That should have been discovered before we sailed. It was gross negligence that it was not,” he said.
“So that you do not hold me accountable,” said Francisco Martin, with an angry flush, “I will agree with you.”
“I could not watch everything,” said Martin Alonzo, a little doggedly. “But it is idle to cross words on that. The rudder, it is like, was tampered with before we left port; but it is certain that a knife was used last night to cut the gear; for the cut was a fresh one. Boy, will you tell me what you know of this matter?”
It is probable that Garcia Fernandez, who was at once a shrewd and a kindly man, saw a look of obstinacy gathering on Diego’s face. Certainly the boy resented the tone and manner of his cousin, and was ready to put the harshest construction on his words. The steward said hastily, before Diego could give word to the answer that sprang to his lips:
“Your pardon, Martin Alonzo, but may I have a word with the boy before he speaks in answer?”
“Let it be brief,” was the gruff assent.
“I do not know,” said Garcia Fernandez to Diego, “whether or not you have anything to tell, and of course I appreciate your unwillingness to seem a spy on your fellow-sailors; but this is a matter that concerns your life and my life and the lives of all of us. Bethink you, Diego, that what has been done once may be done again, and the more readily that it goes unpunished and undetected this time; and the next time the end may be our deaths. In that case it will be your crime as much as that of the man who does the act. To refuse to divulge what you know is generous and brave, it may be; but it is the madness of generosity and bravery.”
Diego could not but be affected by the argument; but he had his side to present, too. He looked resentfully at his cousin and said:
“I put myself in my cousin Captain Martin Alonzo’s way yesterday to warn him, and he thrust me aside with a blow.”
“How was I to know what you had to say?” demanded Martin Alonzo.
“You might have heard me, at least. But no, you could not grant even that courtesy to my mother’s son. I did not come this mad voyage to please myself, and I like it not; but I would have done my duty, and will do it now if you will but let me.” Garcia Fernandez motionedhim to hush, pointing to the gathering wrath on Martin Alonzo’s face; but Diego was in the full tide of his wrongs and was not to be hushed. “You have forced me to come, when I prayed you not; you have likened me publicly to a thief and a convict; you have struck me unreasonably; and you have been willing to put a felon’s shame on me. If your ship had gone to the bottom it would have been your own fault in putting such a fear on me that I could not tell my plain duty. So I say to you plainly, I know who cut the gear, and I will not tell you!”
There Diego stopped, and doggedly shut his lips, while Garcia Fernandez and Francisco Martin looked at each other in dismay.