More than that, the flag flying above the town of Kinsale was Spanish, too.
In the distance we heard the boom of cannon.
Jublain came quickly to the deck.
"Barnabas, I like not the look of this! It were better by far that we leave now.
At once!"
"How?" I protested. "Those are warships. If we attempt to leave, they will follow."
"What do you propose?" Tilly asked.
"That we brazen it out. That we approach boldly, as if all was planned. This would seem a bad time to be here, however, and a poor time for marketing timbers."
"May another man speak?" Jeremy said. "Look yon ... a fire has broken out in the town. I think Kinsale is under attack. But under attack by whom? The Irish, who are Catholic? I think not. Essex was here. He failed. Then Mountjoy was sent. It may be that the Spanish have sent a fleet to help the Irish, and they have landed here."
"A foolish place to choose," I said. "The fighting is to the north, I think."
"Who expects all men to move wisely?" It was Jeremy again. "And I doubt that these knew aught of Ireland. Spanish ships are here. The town is in their hands, and the town is under attack. Obviously it is under attack by Mountjoy and the English."
He paused. "Do you speak the Dutch tongue, Barnabas?"
"A few words. I fished once with a Dutch sailor who lived briefly among us."
"I speak it," Jublain said. "Tongues are as easy to me as blades, and when a man fights on the continent he speaks many tongues."
"Then we must convince the Spanish we are Dutch, until such a time as we can escape."
There was a shout from the bow: "A boat is coming!"
We were abreast of the Upper Cove, and the marking on my chart was for four fathoms. "Let's go forward," I said to Tilly, "and drop a rope ladder for the boat."
The officer who came aboard was elegantly dressed, but one glance at his cleancut jaw and his quick steps assured me that this was no perfumed popinjay.
"Captain Alonzo de Valdez," he said "What is your ship? And what do you do here?"
Jublain introduced himself, then said, "Our captain and owner is Barnabas de Sacketi. We were bound for La Rochelle and heard the Spanish fleet were needing supplies and spars. We directed our course to this place."
He looked from one to the other of us, his eye sharp and curious.
"The name of your vessel is what?"
"Abigail," I said, speaking in the Welsh I had from my mother. "It is named for my wife."
Abigail, looking lovelier than I'd seen her of late, came from the cabin. She held out a slender, white hand to Valdez, who bent above it gracefully.
After a few minutes of polite conversation, he said to Jublain. "Inform your captain that he comes at a bad time. Kinsale is beseiged by Lord Mounrjoy and the British."
"And the Irish?"
"Coming up behind him. There will be a battle shortly." He shrugged a shoulder.
"It does not look well. The Irish have won many battles, but their style is not ours, and at formal warfare ... I am not sure. Lord Mountjoy is formidable."
"Ask him about the timbers," I murmured to Jublain.
Jublain spoke to him and Valdez nodded. "Yes, I believe so." I understood enough to know what he was saying even before Jublain translated for me. I had been observing some of the vessels at anchor, three with damaged spars.
"It is possible we might purchase them," concluded Valdez.
When he was gone, we looked at each other and Jublain shrugged. "A fine young gentleman, and were it only up to him ... well, we might manage it. However, there is this in our favor. I think they wish no more trouble than they already have."
"We are armed," I said. "I saw him looking at the guns. He also noticed our position. If there is trouble with us, we could do much damage before they sank us." I hoped I was right.
Some of the noise of the guns was smothered by the bulk of Compass Hill.
What we could see of the town was much damaged. One street seemed to run around the hill, with steep, slippery lanes going up its side. Many of the houses were built with large balcony windows overlooking the harbor. On the opposite shore were two other villages which, Jeremy told me, were Cove and Scilly.
Actually, despite its approach, the harbor was large, commodious, and capable of handling a considerable number of ships.
Standing by the rail I studied the town and our situation. If the Spanish chose to take our ship and ourselves as prisoners, there was little we could do. We might run for the harbor entrance, but the guns of the ships ... warships all of them ... would surely do us damage beyond recovery.
Jublain had learned from Valdez that the force was under the command of Don Juan D'Aquila, and numbered 4,000 men.
We waited, a long, slow afternoon, for permission to go ashore, well aware of how delicate was the balance.
As it was obvious the Spanish ships themselves needed replacements for spars smashed in battle, our cargo might be timely. Yet what I feared was that they would simply take the ship, the cargo, and ourselves, throwing us all into irons.
It was dusk when Valdez returned. Obviously, he was disturbed, but not by us, as I first assumed.
"The timbers? May I see them?"
With him was a sturdy Basque, a craftsman, without doubt. And so he proved, for when we unbattened the hatches and took him below his manner was brusque, and no foolishness about him. He looked over the timbers, climbed down upon them, walked along them, and muttered to himself.
His report to Valdez was stated flatly, in a very few words.
Valdez was obviously pleased. He turned quickly to us. "He says your timbers are excellent! Just exactly what we need." Then his smile vanished. "The price?"
Aristocrats, I knew, did not like to bargain, yet our position was uncertain, and what we needed was good will if we expected to get out alive and with our fluyt.
I spoke briefly with Tilly, who knew better the price than I, and then I had Jublain tell him: "We appreciate your situation, but we would not wish to profit by it. Pay us what they would cost in Spain."
Unwittingly, I had not only said the right thing but had raised the price on the timbers, for they were at this time much more in demand in Spain than in England.
At our table I received an order from him. "For the money," he told me, "you must go ashore." He wrote down the directions. "Present this order at the ship chandler's shop and you will be paid at once."
He turned to go, then stopped and looked back. "Your wife is very lovely." He spoke in English, looking directly at me. "I would not have her life endangered.
When you have your money ... go. Go at once."
He went over the side and down the ladder to his boat, and they pulled away. He seemed in a very great hurry.
Our hatches open, we rigged our gear to get out the timbers and drop them in the water overside, where they would be towed to the ships needing them. We worked swiftly.
"Tilly," I said, "stand by to get under way immediately on my return. Get all the timbers they bought into the water as quickly as possible. We will heave in the anchor if there is time, and if there is not we'll simply cut loose. I have an idea Valdez was trying to tell us they are through here."
"The guns now are louder," Pim said. "You wish me to go with you?"
"No. I shall take Jeremy." Turning to Jublain, I suggested, "Tilly will work the ship, you will handle the direction of the fighting, if any. If I am not back by an hour after dusk, cut your anchor and get out ... fast. Do not worry about me."
I turned back to Ring. "Jeremy, bring two pistols as well as your blade."
He grinned under his moustache. "I have four tucked behind my sash, and a dagger as well."
Hurriedly, I went below. Abby was waiting, her eyes wide, her cheeks ashen. "Do not be afraid. And if I am not back by an hour after dusk, Jublain is to take the ship to sea. Do you understand?"