"You are to carry them to yonder wall and place them against it."
"You do not mean," burst out Alvarado painfully, for he could scarcely speak from his wounded cheek, "to make these holy women bear the brunt of that fire from the fort, and the good priests as well?"
"Do I value the lives of women and priests, accursed Spaniard, more than our own?" questioned the captain, and the congenial sentiment was received by a yell of approval from the men. "But if you are tender-hearted, I'll give the defenders a chance. Will you advise them to yield and thus spare these women?"
"I can not do that," answered Alvarado sadly. "'Tis their duty to defend the town. There are twenty women here, there are five hundred there."
"D'ye hear that, mates?" cried Morgan. "Up with the ladders!"
"But what if we refuse?" cried the abbess.
"You shall be given over to the men," answered Morgan, ferociously, "whereas, if you do as I order, you may go free; those who are left alive after the storm. Do ye hear, men? We'll let them go after they have served us," continued the chief turning to his men. "Swear that you will let them go! There are others in La Guayra."
"We swear, we swear!" shouted one after another, lifting their hands and brandishing their weapons.
"You hear!" cried Morgan. "Pick up the ladders!"
"For God's sake, sir——" began Maria Christina.