Vigo was freed of its enemies and captors; over night, at dark, the whole of the British forces had cleared out of the bay, and, this morning, Juan Belmonte and myself had been put ashore at this miserable Portuguese town, or rather village, lying some twenty miles south of the Spanish frontier.
Briefly, this was the reason why I found myself standing alone upon this beach watching that fast disappearing boat, while, walking up to the town, went Señor Juan to seek for lodgings for us for the night.
After that council was concluded on board the Royal Sovereign--and from which Father Jaime, Belmonte and myself had retired after our interview with the admirals--the conclusion had been arrived at that, the work being done here--namely, the French fleet in our power and the Spanish galleons destroyed--it would be impolitic as well as unnecessary for the English to remain any longer in the place. This decision was, however, come to totally against the desire of the Duke of Ormond, who himself was anxious to take possession of the town of Vigo, to lie there during the winter months, and, in the spring, to open again the campaign against France in that portion of Spain. Unfortunately, however, for this idea--which was in fact a mighty good one, and, if carried out, might have gone far toward crippling France even more than she was eventually crippled--it was impossible. There were no provisions whereby his army could be sustained for the winter, nor had Rooke a sufficiency in his ships to provide him with, and neither would the admiral consent to leave behind a portion of his fleet with which--should it come to that--the duke could escape in case of necessity.
"For," said he to Ormond, as I learnt, "you have seen, my Lord Duke, the disaster which has followed on our enemies trusting themselves within this narrow and landlocked bay. Would your Grace, therefore, think it wise to follow their bad example and give them an opportunity which, doubt not, they would take as soon as possible, of retaliating upon us?"
And to this Ormond could but shrug his shoulders, being able to find no answer to such remark. Therefore, at last--for all was not decided on the instant, but only after many more councils and much further argument--it was resolved that the fleet should remain no longer, nor, of course, the land forces neither.
But while all these determinations were being come to, I had had more than one interview with Rooke and Ormond (both of whom had entertained and made much of, nor ceased ever their commendations of, me), since it was very necessary that a decision should be come to as to what was to be my future course. For my work was done, my connection with this fleet over; I had no more business there. It was time I got back to my own regiment. Only how to get there--that was the question!
"You will scarce find at any port, Spanish or Portuguese," said the admiral to me, "a vessel putting to sea now; the risk is too great. For, consider, we are all about, and none know what may be our next move--this one has frightened all this part of the world. Then that old dog, Benbow, lieth in wait farther up. While to make the seas still more dangerous, the French ships of war and the privateers are everywhere. In truth, all traffic on the water is at an end for a time."
"Tis not so on land, though, sir," I ventured to say, "with a good horse I would undertake----"
"What!" exclaimed Ormond, with a laugh, "not surely to make your way to Flanders by land! You would scarce try that."
"Ay! but I would, though, my Lord Duke," I said, laughing, too, at the look of amazement on his face. "In very truth, I would. I have thought it all over."