But
who, the people of Bridgetown asked one another, were the men in
possession of her, and whence had they come? The only possible
assumption ran the truth very closely. A resolute party of islanders
must have got aboard during the night, and seized the ship. It
remained to ascertain the precise identity of these mysterious
saviours, and do them fitting honour.
Upon this errand - Governor Steed's condition not permitting him to
go in person - went Colonel Bishop as the Governor's deputy, attended
by two officers.
As he stepped from the ladder into the vessel's waist, the Colonel
beheld there, beside the main hatch, the four treasure-chests, the
contents of one of which had been contributed almost entirely by
himself. It was a gladsome spectacle, and his eyes sparkled in
beholding it.
Ranged on either side, athwart the deck, stood a score of men in
two well-ordered files, with breasts and backs of steel, polished
Spanish morions on their heads, overshadowing their faces, and
muskets ordered at their sides.
Colonel Bishop could not be expected to recognize at a glance in
these upright, furbished, soldierly figures the ragged, unkempt
scarecrows that but yesterday had been toiling in his plantations.
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