The men around him yelled back, looking forward to the loot, women, drink and food they would take from this small town. Hipplewaite looked back to the Barracuda, that was just coming in, her mainsail already furled. He thought he would have at least an hour head start on Voler's men. Now it looked like they would be right behind him. He started off the beach, his men moving out in front.

Hipplewaite was armed like most of his men. He had at least two pistols in his belt. He carried a two-bladed ax in his left hand. Some of his men carried muskets. These were the ones who moved to the front. Some carried axes. His men liked to move in close to their enemy.

Captain Voler watched as the Barracuda's anchor was released. He had moved 100 yards further north than the Sea Harvest, before sending his boats over the side. His men worked quickly, knowing Hipplewaite's men would get the best of what this small pueblo had. Voler let them rush off as soon as they landed. He followed at a more leisurely pace.

At a mile from the beach, Voler caught up with a group of his men, resting momentarily from their headlong rush to catch up with Hipplewaite. Just as he was about to say to them to walk slow but steady, he heard the ragged sound of a musket volley up ahead, followed by erratic single musket fire. He yelled to the men to move forward quickly, and ran with them.

Before he made the crest of a small hill in front of him, Voler and the men with him heard another ragged musket volley. Voler yelled to the men in front of him to stop his men. A hundred yards ahead, he finally topped a rise that allowed him to see what was ahead. He ordered his men to hold while he pulled his glass out to see. He was worried. The volleys he heard meant organized resistance and they were far from their ships.

A third volley brought his attention to where the defenders were. They were about three quarters of a mile ahead, just this side of the crest of the next large hill. He could see Hipplewaite's men moving back and forth in confusion. Some of the men around Voler began to talk about going to help them. He silenced them quickly, telling them it was an ambush. That fact quieted them quickly. Voler sent half of the men back to the beach immediately to get the boats ready and to warn the ships. He sent several men forward to try to get the ones already up ahead to stop and return. He had doubts that would work with the fiery Hipplewaite.

He was right. He could see Hipplewaite organizing his men for another advance. Movement from the defenders drew his attention back to their line. He watched through his glass as a group of forty or so men moved forward. They spread into two ragged lines. The one in front about twenty yards ahead of the second. He could see a uniformed officer with a sword directing them. As he heard Hipplewaite's men yell, he watched the man with the sword walk along the front line, making the men kneel. He could now make out uniformed soldiers in the line, and also others with all manner of clothes.

The first line dissolved in smoke as they fired. As the breeze pushed the smoke away he could see that the first line of men had already run back past the second line. The second line was kneeling. Sporadic musket and pistol fire came from Hipplewaite's man as they charged. Voler shifted his glass to the third line. He could see the men reloading their muskets. A chance glance behind the third line made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Horsemen! He focused on them as he heard the second line loose their volley. There were three horsemen. As he watched, two of them turned back and rode over the hill out of sight. The third horseman remained. Voler saw him pull his sword.

He stood quickly, "They have cavalry! Back to the ships! Now!" he yelled, and started to run back down the hill as the main defender's line fired, followed a moment later by the unmistakable noise of a cannon. That lent wings to him and his men. Several pirates ahead of him had thrown down their cutlasses to run quicker.

They made it back to the ships before the horsemen caught up with them. The Barracuda fired several of her cannon to discourage the horsemen from the beach. He had to send some of his men over to help the Sea Harvest weigh anchor. Both ships moved out from the shore. Several hours later, Voler knew he would not see Hipplewaite. He must be dead or captured. His anger grew at being taken so easily. Hipplewaite's senior Lieutenant sent word that they were missing almost one hundred men. Voler had fifteen men who were not on either ship. They were the ones who caught up to Hipplewaite.

Voler's anger had not abated. He wanted revenge on the people who had ambushed him. He stayed within cannon shot of shore and waited in case there were any of his men who escaped. But none came by the time the sun went down.

At midnight, Traduct and his men hailed the ship, rowing out from their spy mission. Traduct brought some good news. Hipplewaite and sixty of his men were alive and being held by the soldiers of the pueblo.

Voler wondered how he would be able to get Hipplewaite and his men back.

Act Four

The sun rose over Santa Helena the next morning. The lookouts reported the ships were still visible offshore. Everyone had been thrilled that the Colonel's plan had worked and the pirates defeated or captured.

Several of the Dons had talked among themselves late into the night about asking Montoya to ransom the pirate captain back to the pirates for the gold that had been taken from Monterey. Captain Grisham had laughed outright and Colonel Montoya had politely declined to entertain their idea when they brought it to him at dawn. "These men are not the sort to be turned back loose, for I fear they would try to hurt us, no matter what they agree to," was his final word.

At nine o'clock that morning, Colonel Montoya rode toward the beach. Word had been sent that a boat with a white flag was seen rowing toward shore. Several others had heard and a small crowd, on horses and wagons, was headed toward the beach.

Montoya arrived at the beach and went over to Grisham and Gaspar. Gaspar had not left the field since directing the firing of the cannon yesterday. "Good morning, gentlemen. Don Gaspar, thank you again for your help yesterday. Your timing was impeccable," he said, watching Gaspar try not to grin.

"Colonel, the boat stopped just past the surf," Grisham said, pointing off shore.

Montoya looked at the boat. He turned back to Grisham, "Make sure you keep the people back, let only the Dons through." He turned to Gaspar, "Please come with me, Don Gaspar."

They both walked down to the water's edge. Montoya took a white handkerchief out of his coat and waved it back and forth over his head.

The boat turned as the rowers pulled for the beach. While they waited, several other Dons moved across the beach toward them. Montoya noticed Seņorita Alvarado, in her riding garb, was among them. He stopped them and asked them to remain back a few feet and to remain silent so as not to give the pirates any information. He turned back and waited with Gaspar. Grisham walked up to them just as the boat reached the shore and one of the pirates jumped out to hold the boat. Another pirate climbed out more slowly, this one with a white cloth tied to a pike. He walked over to Colonel Montoya.

"I am Lieutenant Traduct," he said in excellent Spanish. "I have come to arrange terms for the release of our men who are still alive."

"I do not believe I will be able to accommodate that request Lieutenant," Montoya replied quietly. "We have sent warnings down the coast. You will be hunted down soon. I would seriously think of sailing back to Europe if I were you."

"Colonel, we have on our ship several prisoners from our raid of Monterey that we will exchange for our men," Traduct replied urbanely.

"I will not release men that will turn at the drop of a hat and attack us as soon as they can," Montoya answered him.

"I can assure you that will not be the case here, Colonel. As you have pointed out, our time here is limited now that we have been held up by you."

"Pardon me for being blunt, but I cannot take the word of a pirate."

"Colonel, we have no reason to stay once you release our men. You have our word we will leave."

Montoya smiled at Traduct and waited. Finally he said, "I am sorry but I cannot authorize the release of the prisoners. They must face justice here in Alta California, not go free to raid again just because you have a few prisoners." He did not like the smile that came to Traduct's face as he said that.

Now it was Traduct who waited before replying. "I understand what you are saying Colonel. As a military man it is what I would do too." Here Traduct turned back to the boat and motioned with one hand.

Montoya watched the men in the lift someone up from the bottom. There was a sack over his head. They pushed him up roughly into a seat and covered him with three pistols. Gaspar looked like he was going to say something but Montoya stopped him with a raised hand. Looking from the prisoner to Traduct, he said, "I see that you have brought proof that you have prisoners. Unfortunately you have wasted your time. I will not release the pirates we have captured."

"Would you release them if you were ordered to, Colonel?" Traduct asked.

Something in his tone put Montoya on his guard. "I answer to no one, Lieutenant."

"Not even to a Colonel Orvantes?" said Traduct with smile. "I believe he is you military superior, is he not?"

Montoya kept his expression neutral while his thoughts raced. They must have captured Orvantes in Monterey. The thought pleased him immensely. If the man in the boat is not Orvantes, then I will terminate this discussion and send them back, he finished thinking. Smiling he said to Traduct, "Orvantes, Colonel Orvantes. No, I think he is long departed from Monterey. You may have a man who has said that in order to save his life."

"Yes, you may be correct Colonel. That is why my Captain sent this man," Traduct turned and waved to the men in the boat to take off the sack covering the man's head. He turned back to Montoya and watched him as the sack was removed to show the gagged countenance of the Viceroy.

Montoya's eyes widened a moment but that was all the reaction he showed. Don Gaspar and some of the others called out to the Viceroy, who could be seen straining against the gag in his mouth.

Lieutenant Traduct waited, confident that his Captain had anticipated correctly what Montoya would say.

Colonel Montoya looked back at the Dons and then to Lieutenant Traduct. "Please give me a moment, Lieutenant," he asked. Montoya walked over to Don Gaspar and took him and the others up the beach out of earshot of the pirates.

"We must give them what they want, Colonel," said one of the Dons. "That is the Viceroy they have there. We must save him." Two others spoke up saying the same. Montoya quieted them when he raised his hand. "We have sixty pirates who were going to burn our homes, rape our women, take our valuables. Who among you can guarantee to our women and children that these men, once released, will not just turn on us again?" he asked them. "We cannot agree right now to do this," Montoya said, pausing.

He was interrupted by one of the Dons before he could continue, "You heard them say they will leave and not return."

"And they could have landed more men and even cannon during the night and may be even now ready to attack our pueblo," shot back Montoya swiftly, stopping all conversation. "We must go slowly and make sure we protect our pueblo. Have you been to look at the pirates we captured? They are like caged animals. Do you want to have to fight them again, now that they have been warned? I do not."

"The Colonel is right, we must proceed with caution," said Gaspar.

"I must agree with Colonel Montoya," spoke up Tessa. "The wounded prisoners I saw were ready to continue fighting. They are not to be trusted."