But as soon as the captives reached the upper deck they could see at once the reason for their removal. Less than two miles away, and slightly on the starboard bow, was a United States cruiser. Although considerably smaller than the Independencia, she was by no means daunted by the appearance of her gigantic antagonist. This was to a certain extent to be accounted for by the fact that it was now a matter of general knowledge that the eight 12 in. guns that formed the pirate-cruiser's principal armament were perfectly useless as weapons; but, being heavily armoured, the Independencia had a great advantage over the American vessel, which was of the type known as "protected," or, in other words, having armour over only the most vital parts.
Already the cool, business-like determination of the American cruiser, which Fielding recognised as the almost obsolete Denver, had begun to tell upon the "jumpy" assortment of cosmopolitans who formed the crew of the pirate vessel. Most of the Independencia's quick-firers were manned, but many of the officers and men were running aimlessly hither and thither; some dived below to avoid, if possible, the bursting shells that might at any moment hurtle from the Denver, others besought Juan Cervillo to put the ship about, and seek safety in flight.
But the Spanish captain had set his mind on going northward. He was not wholly without courage, and the presence of an insignificant cruiser would not deter him from his course. The hostages would be exposed on deck. Should the accursed Americans open fire they would blow their compatriots and representatives of Great Britain, France, Holland, and Japan to atoms.
There was no attempt made to clear the Independencia's decks for action. Her fo'c'sle stanchion rails were lined with human beings, each prisoner being secured by the simple device of a cord passing through the links of a chain and the ends fastened to the prisoners thumbs. A few of the hostages, Fielding and Cardyke amongst the number, resisted, but were soon overpowered; while so dubious was Cervillo as to whether this means of securing the Japanese was quite efficient, that he ordered Oki and Hokosuka to be additionally pinioned by means of handcuffs. Luckily no attempt was made to bind the prisoners' legs, otherwise the concealed revolvers might have been discovered.
Cardyke made good use of the occasion by confiding to his nearest companion in misfortune—an American iron merchant and colonel of Kentucky militia—the news of their probable fate should Cervillo succeed in reaching the Arctic Ocean, and the steps that he and his companions had decided upon at the critical moment. The American stoutly asserted his determination to take advantage of any opportunity of joining forces with the British and Japanese captives in a desperate bid for life and freedom.
Nearer and nearer steamed the Independencia at a steady ten knots. The hostages, torn by hopes and fears, could do nothing but keep their attention on the American cruiser, alternately hoping that the Denver would not open fire, or that she would take drastic steps to effect the capture of the modern buccaneer.
On board the Denver all was ready for opening fire. Five of her ten 5 in. guns were trained upon the oncoming pirate, while her six-pounders, working smoothly and easily on the mountings, turned their muzzles to and fro, up and down, as if looking for a vital spot where a shell might burst without injury to the luckless hostages; for by the aid of their glasses the officers of the United States cruiser could easily determine the nature of the callous artifice that Juan Cervillo had adopted.
It was an anxious, nerve-racking time; the men at the pirate vessel's quick-firers kept every available gun trained upon one particular place in the side of the Denver, ready at the order to deliver a simultaneous volley that would in all probability deal the protected cruiser a mortal blow. In return the American cruiser's 5 in. guns would be able to deal a devastating blow at comparatively short range, but she hesitated to begin the conflict owing to the hostages upon the pirate's deck.
Nearer and nearer; now the Independencia was crossing the Denver's bows, barely three hundred yards separating the two vessels. Slowly the guns of both vessels were trained as their relative positions altered, till the pirate-cruiser was almost stern on to the baffled American. Hard-a-starboard went the Denver's helm as she swung round in pursuit of her enemy. Even should she be unable to have her by gun-fire she could at least hang on doggedly in pursuit, calling for assistance till the pirate was hemmed in on every side.
Now that the Independencia was leading, it was a question of flight, not fight. Telegraphing for full speed Cervillo stood upon the after-bridge and made a disdainful gesture towards the ship astern, then at twenty-two knots the pirate-cruiser simply walked away from her antagonist, whose speed, even in her prime, was seven and a half knots less than that of the Independencia.