“What!” he said. “In this sea? I have fought in some wars, but never have I known such a thing.”
“Then, friend, you shall know it now, if I can but find a dozen men to follow me,” answered Peter with a savage laugh. “What? Shall I see my mistress carried off before my eyes and strike no blow to save her? Rather will I trust in God and do it, and if I die, then die I must, as a man should. There is no other way.”
Then he turned and called in a loud voice to those who stood around or loosed arrows at the Spaniard:
“Who will come with me aboard yonder ship? Those who live shall spend their days in ease thereafter, that I promise, and those who fall will win great fame and Heaven’s glory.”
The crew looked at the waves running hill high, and the water-logged Spaniard labouring in the trough of them as she came round slowly in a wide circle, very doubtfully, as well they might, and made no answer. Then Peter spoke again.
“There is no choice,” he said. “If we give that ship our stem we can sink her, but then how will the women be saved? If we leave her alone, mayhap she will founder, and then how will the women be saved? Or she may win ashore, and they will be carried away to Granada, and how can we snatch them out of the hand of the Moors or of the power of Spain? But if we can take the ship, we may rescue them before they go down or reach land. Will none back me at this inch?”
“Aye, son,” said old Castell, “I will.”
Peter stared at him in surprise. “You—at your years!” he said.
“Yes, at my years. Why not? I have the fewer to risk.”
Then, as though he were ashamed of his doubts, one brawny sailorman stepped forward and said that he was ready for a cut at the Spanish thieves in foul weather as in fair. Next all Castell’s household servants came out in a body for love of him and Peter and their lady, and after them more sailors, till nearly half of those aboard, something over twenty in all, declared that they were ready for the venture, wherein Peter cried, “Enough.” Smith would have come also; but Castell said No, he must stop with the ship.