Prince Rupert, the Buccaneer

by Charles John Cutcliffe Wright Hyne

But at last the pains began to grip him in real grinding earnest. He strained himself to that side and to this. He writhed like a wounded worm. He screamed aloud for someone in pity to kill him. But the mercy that he had dealt out to others was given him in full measure then. He was taken out through a door on to the main deck and laid there on a hatch, and the platters with the poisoned food were laid in a ring round him, and there he was left for his friends to deal with as they chose. And the exact manner of his wicked end, the present historian does not know.

On the poop above, the matches smoked in their tubs and the sentries stood by the loaded culverins which commanded the main deck. In the great cabin below Prince Rupert was paying to Master Simpson the amount of his wager. Simpson spat on the last coin for luck before he pocketed it.

"I'll give tha' a revenge," he said. "I'll bet tha' on onything that comes, nobbut just mention it."

"You're too shrewd for me," said Rupert laughing. "But I'd like to bet you another small wager that our Spaniards give us no more trouble after to-day."

"Tha'rt bahn to be shut o' t' lot of them, eh? There's an island close aboard, an' tha'st a mind to set 'em all ashore to laak about as they please? That's what we Bretheren of the Coast call marooning, an' it's just what they deserve. They were all i' t' poisoning, an' they all deserve what t' druggist got, an' worse. An' when we're shut o' them, we'll just tak' their share o' t' brass an squander it under owd Skin-the-Pike's nose in Tortuga along wi' t' rest."

"H'm," said Rupert, and appeared to consider. And then he sighed and said: "Well, Master Simpson, I suppose by the time money is carried across to The Hague that one piece will look so much like another that the King will not be able to distinguish between any of them. I am beginning to learn the lesson that it does not do to be too nice about small matters here in these seas of the New World."

"Not when there's Jack-Spaniards i' question," assented Simpson, and there the talk broke off, and the Prince began making his dispositions for the capture of the carrack by the buccaneers.

As it chanced the powder room was aft, and those in the forward portion of the ship could neither use great guns or small arms, and when other pieces were drawn up on the poop, and men stood beside them with smoking lintstocks all ready to fire, the Spaniards had no stomach for a rush, but incontinently surrendered. The prestige of the buccaneers was so great amongst these people, that it saved even the semblance of a skirmish. Prince Rupert cried his orders, and with their own hands they hove the carrack to, hoisted out the two boats which lay on the booms, and tumbled over one another in their anxiety to be in them and off to try their fortune on the island which lay close under their lee.

As was natural, they had done their best to leave the ship ablaze behind them as a souvenir, but the buccaneers anticipated this, and went forward when the last of the wretches had gone, and had small trouble in extinguishing the flames. After which they let fly a shotted salvo from all the great guns after their common fashion, and once more trimmed sail, and got along their course.

Again see the finger of fate. That very afternoon they came across a small pink out of Nombre de Dios, loaded with rum. They gave her freedom for being engaged in so desirable a trade, only exacting some dozen puncheons of the liquor as a ransom, and when the sun went down upon the sea, there was the carrack in charge of Prince Rupert and Master Laughan, as being the only two sober souls in all her company. The rest of the tipsy dogs were making night shiver with their shoutings, and their shootings, and their singings, and all the other insanities of debauch. And if the Spaniards had been on board, the silly fellows would have got drunk just the same. There is no trusting these buccaneers of the Spanish Main once they have got liquor to their hands, and that is the great reason why they are so unthrifty with their lives. Even a hard-witted fellow like Simpson the Yorkshireman could addle his brain on these occasions like the weakest of them.