I sprang from my horse, and, leaving it and Mistress Percy in
Sparrow's charge, hastened up to the fort. As I passed through the
palisade I heard my name called, and turning waited for Master
Pory to come up. He was panting and puffing, his jovial face very
red.
"I was across the neck of land when I heard the news," he said. "I
ran all the way, and am somewhat scant of breath. Here's the devil
to pay!"
"It looks another mare's-nest," I replied. "We have cried 'Spaniard!'
pretty often."
"But this time the wolf's here," he answered. "Davies sent a
horseman at a gallop from Algernon with the tidings. He passed
the ship, and it was a very great one. We may thank this dead calm
that it did not catch us unawares."
Within the palisade was noise enough, but more order than
without. On the half-moons commanding the river, gunners were
busy about our sakers, falcons, and three culverins. In one place,
West, the commander, was giving out brigandines, jacks, skulls,
muskets, halberds, swords, and longbows; in another, his wife,
who was a very Mary Ambree, supervised the boiling of a great
caldron of pitch. Each loophole in palisade and fort had already its
marksman. Through the west port came a horde of reluctant
invaders, - cattle, swine, and poultry, - driven in by yelling boys.
I made my way through the press to where I saw the Governor,
surrounded by Councilors and Burgesses, sitting on a keg of
powder, and issuing orders at the top of his voice.
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