Birds of Prey - Smith Wilbur (версия книг TXT) 📗

"Where will we get that?" Daniel asked. "What do you propose?"

"I have been thinking about the colony, "Hal told them. Both men stared at him in disbelief. Aboli broke the silence. "You plan to go back to Good Hope? Even there you will not be able to lay your hands on powder. Oh, perhaps you might steal a pound or two from the green jackets at the bridge, or from a Company hunter, but that is not enough to see us on our journey."

"I planned to break into the castle again," Hal said.

Both men laughed bitterly. "You lack not in enterprise or in heart, Captain," Big Daniel said, "but that is madness." Aboli agreed with him, and said, in his deep, thoughtful voice, "If I thought there were even the poorest chance of success, I would gladly go alone. But think on it, Gundwane, I do not mean merely the impossibility of winning our way into the castle armoury. Say, even, that we succeeded in that, and that the store of powder we destroyed has since been replenished by shipments from Holland. Say that we were able to escape with some of it. How would we carry even a single keg back across the plains with Schreuder and his men pursuing us? This time we would not have the horses."

In his heart Hal had known that it was madness, but he had hoped that even such a desperate and forlorn proposal might fire them to think of another plan.

At last, Aboli broke the silence. "You spoke of a plan to find a ship. If you tell us that plan, Gundwane, then perhaps we can help you to bring it to pass." Both men looked at him expectantly.

"Where do you suppose the Buzzard is at this very moment?" Hal asked..

Aboli and Big Daniel looked startled. "If my prayers have prevailed he is roasting in hell," Daniel replied bitterly.

Hal looked at Aboli. "What do you think, Aboli? Where would you look for the Buzzard?"

"Somewhere out on the seven seas. Wherever he smells gold or the promise of easy pickings, like the carrion bird for which he is named."

"Yes!" Hal clapped him on the shoulder. "But where might the smell of gold be strongest? Why did the Buzzard buy jiri and our other black shipmates at auction?"

Aboli stared blankly at him. Then a slow smile spread over his wide, dark face. "Elephant Lagoon!" he exclaimed. Big Daniel boomed with excited laughter. "He scented the treasure from the Dutch galleons and he thought our Negro lads could lead him to it."

"How far are we from Elephant Lagoon?"Aboli asked.

"By my reckoning, three hundred sea miles. "The immensity of the distance silenced them.

"It's a long tack, said Daniel, "without powder to defend ourselves on the way or with which to fight the Buzzard if we get there."

Aboli did not reply, but looked at Hal. "How long will the journey take us, Gundwane?"

"If we can make good ten miles a day, which I doubt, perhaps a little over a month."

"Will the Buzzard still be there when we arrive, or will he have given up his search and sailed away?"Aboli thought aloud.

"Aye!" Daniel muttered. "And if he has gone what will become of us then? We'd be marooned there for ever."

"Do you prefer to be marooned here, Master Daniel? Do you want to die of cold and starvation on this God-forsaken mountain when winter comes round again?"

They were quiet again. Then Aboli said, "I am ready to leave now.

There is no other path open to us."

"But what of Sir Henry's leg? Is it strong enough yet?"

"Give me another week, lads, and I'll walk the hind legs off all of you."

"What do we do if we find the Buzzard still roosting at Elephant Lagoon?" Daniel was not ready to agree so easily. "He has a crew of a hundred well-armed ruffians and, if all of us survive the journey, we will be a dozen armed with swords alone."

"That's fine odds!" Hal laughed at him. "I've seen you take on much worse. Powder or no powder, we're off to find the Buzzard. Are you with us or not, Master Daniel?"

"Of course, I'm with you, Captain." Big Daniel was affronted" "What made you think I was not?"

That night, around the council fire, Hal explained the plan to the others. When he had finished he looked at their sombre faces in the firelight. "I will prevail on no man to come with us. Aboli, Daniel and I are determined to go, but if any among you wishes to remain here in the mountains we will leave half the store of weapons with you, including half the remaining gunpowder, and we will think no ill of you. Are there any of you who wish to speak?"

"Yes, said Sukeena, without looking up from the food she was cooking. "I go wherever you go."

"Bravely spoken, Princess," grinned Ned Tyler. "And I go also."

"Aye!" said the other seamen in unison. "We are all with you."

Hal nodded his thanks to them, and then looked at Althuda. "You have a woman and your son to think of, Althuda. What say you?"

He could see the distress on the face of little Zwaantie as she suckled the baby at her breast. Her dark eyes were filled with doubts and misgivings. Althuda lifted her to her feet and led her away into the darkness.

When they were gone Sabah spoke for all his band. "Althuda is our leader. He brought us out of captivity, and we cannot leave him and Zwaantie alone in the wilderness to perish with the baby of cold and hunger. If Althuda goes we go, but if he stays we must stay with him."