westward ho-第100部分

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as　saw　two　boats　pull　in　from　her；　and　vanish　behind　the　mangroves。

Sliding　down　a　liane；　he　told　what　he　had　seen。　　The　men；　tired　of　inactivity；　received　the　news　with　a　shout　of　joy；　and　set　to　work　to　make　all　ready　for　their　guests。　　Four　brass　swivels；　which　they　had　brought　up；　were　mounted；　fixed　in　logs；　so　as　to　command　the　path；　the　musketeers　and　archers　clustered　round　them　with　their　tackle　ready；　and　half…a…dozen　good　marksmen　volunteered　into　the　cotton…tree　with　their　arquebuses；　as　a　post　whence　〃a　man　might　have　very　pretty　shooting。〃　　Prayers　followed　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　dinner　as　a　matter　of　course　also；　but　two　weary　hours　passed　before　there　was　any　sign　of　the　Spaniards。

Presently　a　wreath　of　white　smoke　curled　up　from　the　swamp；　and　then　the　report　of　a　caliver。　　Then；　amid　the　growls　of　the　English；　the　Spanish　flag　ran　up　above　the　trees；　and　floated　horrible　to　beholdat　the　mast…head　of　the　Rose。　　They　were　signalling　the　ship　for　more　hands；　and；　in　effect；　a　third　boat　soon　pushed　off　and　vanished　into　the　forest。

Another　hour；　during　which　the　men　had　thoroughly　lost　their　temper；　but　not　their　hearts；　by　waiting；　and　talked　so　loud；　and　strode　up　and　down　so　wildly；　that　Amyas　had　to　warn　them　that　there　was　no　need　to　betray　themselves；　that　the　Spaniards　might　not　find　them　after　all；　that　they　might　pass　the　stockade　close　without　seeing　it；　that；　unless　they　hit　off　the　track　at　once；　they　would　probably　return　to　their　ship　for　the　present；　and　exacted　a　promise　from　them　that　they　would　be　perfectly　silent　till　he　gave　the　word　to　fire。

Which　wise　commands　had　scarcely　passed　his　lips；　when；　in　the　path　below；　glanced　the　headpiece　of　a　Spanish　soldier；　and　then　another　and　another。

〃Fools！〃　whispered　Amyas　to　Cary；　〃they　are　coming　up　in　single　file；　rushing　on　their　own　death。　　Lie　close；　men！〃

The　path　was　so　narrow　that　two　could　seldom　come　up　abreast；　and　so　steep　that　the　enemy　had　much　ado　to　struggle　and　stumble　upwards。　　The　men　seemed　half　unwilling　to　proceed；　and　hung　back　more　than　once；　but　Amyas　could　hear　an　authoritative　voice　behind；　and　presently　there　emerged　to　the　front；　sword　in　hand；　a　figure　at　which　Amyas　and　Cary　both　started。

〃Is　it　he？〃

〃Surely　I　know　those　legs　among　a　thousand；　though　they　are　in　armor。〃

〃It　is　my　turn　for　him；　now；　Cary；　remember！　　Silence；　silence；　men！〃

The　Spaniards　seemed　to　feel　that　they　were　leading　a　forlorn　hope。　Don　Guzman　（for　there　was　little　doubt　that　it　was　he）　had　much　ado　to　get　them　on　at　all。

〃The　fellows　have　heard　how　gently　we　handled　the　Guayra　squadron；〃　whispers　Cary；　〃and　have　no　wish　to　become　fellow…martyrs　with　the　captain　of　the　Madre　Dolorosa。〃

At　last　the　Spaniards　get　up　the　steep　slope　to　within　forty　yards　of　the　stockade；　and　pause；　suspecting　a　trap；　and　puzzled　by　the　complete　silence。　　Amyas　leaps　on　the　top　of　it；　a　white　flag　in　his　hand；　but　his　heart　beats　so　fiercely　at　the　sight　of　that　hated　figure；　that　he　can　hardly　get　out　the　words

〃Don　Guzman；　the　quarrel　is　between　you　and　me；　not　between　your　men　and　mine。　　I　would　have　sent　in　a　challenge　to　you　at　La　Guayra；　but　you　were　away；　I　challenge　you　now　to　single　combat。〃

〃Lutheran　dog；　I　have　a　halter　for　you；　but　no　sword！　　As　you　served　us　at　Smerwick；　we　will　serve　you　now。　　Pirate　and　ravisher；　you　and　yours　shall　share　Oxenham's　fate；　as　you　have　copied　his　crimes；　and　learn　what　it　is　to　set　foot　unbidden　on　the　dominions　of　the　king　of　Spain。〃

〃The　devil　take　you　and　the　king　of　Spain　together！〃　shouts　Amyas；　laughing　loudly。　　〃This　ground　belongs　to　him　no　more　than　it　does　to　me；　but　to　the　Queen　Elizabeth；　in　whose　name　I　have　taken　as　lawful　possession　of　it　as　you　ever　did　of　Caracas。　　Fire；　men！　and　God　defend　the　right！〃

Both　parties　obeyed　the　order；　Amyas　dropped　down　behind　the　stockade　in　time　to　let　a　caliver　bullet　whistle　over　his　head；　and　the　Spaniards　recoiled　as　the　narrow　face　of　the　stockade　burst　into　one　blaze　of　musketry　and　swivels；　raking　their　long　array　from　front　to　rear。

The　front　ranks　fell　over　each　other　in　heaps；　the　rear　ones　turned　and　ran；　overtaken；　nevertheless；　by　the　English　bullets　and　arrows；　which　tumbled　them　headlong　down　the　steep　path。

〃Out；　men；　and　charge　them。　　See！　the　Don　is　running　like　the　rest！〃　　And　scrambling　over　the　abattis；　Amyas　and　about　thirty　followed　them　fast；　for　he　had　hope　of　learning　from　some　prisoner　his　brother's　fate。

Amyas　was　unjust　in　his　last　words。　　Don　Guzman；　as　if　by　miracle；　had　been　only　slightly　wounded；　and　seeing　his　men　run；　had　rushed　back　and　tried　to　rally　them；　but　was　borne　away　by　the　fugitives。

However；　the　Spaniards　were　out　of　sight　among　the　thick　bushes　before　the　English　could　overtake　them；　and　Amyas；　afraid　lest　they　should　rally　and　surround　his　small　party；　withdrew　sorely　against　his　will；　and　found　in　the　pathway　fourteen　Spaniards；　but　all　dead。　　For　one　of　the　wounded；　with　more　courage　than　wisdom；　had　fired　on　the　English　as　he　lay；　and　Amyas's　men；　whose　blood　was　maddened　both　by　their　desperate　situation；　and　the　frightful　stories　of　the　rescued　galley…slaves；　had　killed　them　all　before　their　captain　could　stop　them。

〃Are　you　mad？〃　cries　Amyas；　as　he　strikes　up　one　fellow's　sword。　〃Will　you　kill　an　Indian？〃

And　he　drags　out　of　the　bushes　an　Indian　lad　of　sixteen；　who；　slightly　wounded；　is　crawling　away　like　a　copper　snake　along　the　ground。

〃The　black　vermin　has　sent　an　arrow　through　my　leg；　and　poisoned　too；　most　like。〃

〃God　grant　not：　but　an　Indian　is　worth　his　weight　in　gold　to　us　now；〃　said　Amyas；　tucking　his　prize　under　his　arm　like　a　bundle。　The　lad；　as　soon　as　he　saw　there　was　no　escape；　resigned　himself　to　his　fate　with　true　Indian　stoicism；　was　brought　in；　and　treated　kindly　enough；　but　refused　to　eat。　　For　which；　after　much　questioning；　he　gave　as　a　reason；　that　he　would　make　them　kill　him　at　once；　for　fat　him　they　should　not；　and　gradually　gave　them　to　understand　that　the　English　always　（so　at　least　the　Spaniards　said）　fatted　and　ate　their　prisoners　like　the　Caribs；　and　till　he　saw　them　go　out　and　bury　the　bodies　of　the　Spaniards；　nothing　would　persuade　him　that　the　corpses　were　not　to　be　cooked　for　supper。

However；　kind　words；　kind　looks；　and　the　present　of　that　inestimable　treasurea　knife；　brought　him　to　reason；　and　he　told　Amyas　that　he　belonged　to　a　Spaniard　who　had　an　〃encomienda〃　of　Indians　some　fifteen　miles　to　the　south…west；　that　he　had　fled　from　his　master；　and　lived　by　hunting　for　some　months　past；　and　having　seen　the　ship　where　she　lay　moored；　and　boarded　her　in　hope　of　plunder；　had　been　surprised　therein　by　the　Spaniards；　and　forced　by　threats　to　go　with　them　as　a　guide　in　their　search　for　the　English。　But　now　came　a　part　of　his　story　which　filled　the　soul　of　Amyas　with　delight。　　He　was　an　Indian　of　the　Llanos；　or　great　savannahs　which　lay　to　the　southward　beyond　the　mountains；　and　had　actually　been　upon　the　Orinoco。　　He　had　been　stolen　as　a　boy　by　some　Spaniards；　who　had　gone　down　（as　was　the　fashion　of　the　Jesuits　even　as　late　as　1790）　for　the　pious　purpose　of　converting　the　savages　by　the　simple　process　of　catching；　baptizing；　and　making　servants　of　those　whom　they　could　carry　off；　and　murdering　those　who　resisted　their　gentle　method　of　salvation。　　Did　he　know　the　way　back　again？　　Who　could　ask　such　a　question　of　an　Indian？　　And　the　lad's　black　eyes　flashed　fire；　as　Amyas　offered　him　liberty　and　iron　enough　for　a　dozen　Indians；　if　he　would　lead　them　through　the　passes　of　the　mountains；　and　southward　to　the　mighty　river；　where　lay　their　golden　hopes。　　Hernando　de　Serpa；　Amyas　knew；　had　tried　the　same　course；　which　was　supposed　to　be　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　leagues；　and　failed；　being　overthrown　utterly　by　the　Wikiri　Indians；　but　Amyas　knew　enough　of　the　Spaniards'　brutal　method　of　treating　those　Indians；　to　be　pretty　sure　that　they　had　brought　that　catastrophe　upon　themselves；　and　that　he　might　avoid　it　well　enough　by　that　common　justice　and　mercy　toward　the　savages　which　he　had　learned　from　his　incomparable　tutor；　Francis　Drake。

Now　was　the　time　to　speak；　and；　assembling　his　men　around　him；　Amyas　opened　his　whole　heart；　simply　and　manfully。　　This　was　their　only　hope　of　safety。　　Some　of　them　had　murmured　that　they　should　perish　like　John　Oxenham's　crew。　　This　plan　was　rather　the　only　way　to　avoid　perishing　like　them。　　Don　Guzman　would　certainly　return　to　seek　them；　and　not　only　he；　but　land…forces　from　St。　Jago。　　Even　if　the　stockade　was　not　forced；　they　would　be　soon　starved　out；　why　not　move　at　once；　ere　the　Spaniards　could　return；　and　begin　a　blockade？　　As　for　taking　St。　Jago；　it　was　impossible。　　The　treasure　would　all　be　safely　hidden；　and　the　town　well　prepared　to　meet　them。　　If　they　wanted　gold　and　glory；　they　must　seek　it　elsewhere。　Neither　was　there　any　use　in　marching　along　the　coast；　and　trying　the　ports：　ships　could　outstrip　them；　and　the　country　was　already　warned。　　There　was　but　this　one　chance；　and　on　it　Amyas；　the　first　and　last　time　in　his　life；　waxed　eloquent；　and　set　forth　the　glory　of　the　enterprise；　the　service　to　the　queen；　the　salvation　of　heathens；　and　the　certainty　that；　if　successful；　they　should　win